Attorney Spotlight – Robert A. Blass

Today we present another edition of our “Spotlight Series”, which is designed to help you get to know the team behind Beattie Padovano, LLC.

We are pleased to highlight Robert A. Blass, Member of the Firm since 2002.

Robert concentrates his practice in Health and Hospital Law and in Employment Law. With a background in healthcare and a firsthand understanding of the clinical and business realities of that industry, as well as its legal and regulatory environment, he represents health professionals in corporate and transactional matters, including the purchase or sale of a medical, dental or veterinary practice, organizational guidance and advice on partnership, employment and licensing matters.

Prior to joining Beattie Padovano, Robert served as a New Jersey Deputy Attorney General from 1991-1994, and, in that capacity, as attorney for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, now part of Rutgers University. Before that, he began his legal career as a corporate lawyer with a large New York City-based firm concentrating in the area of capital markets, securities law and mergers and acquisitions. He also served for many years as a member of the Bioethics Committee of University Hospital in Newark, a major teaching affiliate of Rutgers.

Robert received a DDS degree from Columbia University, completed hospital residency training and taught briefly at Columbia. He attended law school while engaged in private dental practice. He received his JD from Rutgers, where he was Editor In Chief of the Rutgers Law Review.

We recently caught up with Robert to learn more:

What inspired you to pursue a career as an attorney?

Law is actually my second career – my first was (and to this day in a sense still is) dentistry. Medical/dental jurisprudence was part of the academic curriculum but was largely of theoretical interest to me as a student. As I entered practice, however, the legal aspects became more relevant, and a dental jurisprudence seminar piqued my interest in the legal field itself. Although dental practice was keeping me busy, I explored the possibility of obtaining a law degree more out of interest in the subject than as a career objective. The more I learned the more I liked; I decided to apply and enroll in law school. Over the next few years, I juggled law school classes with office hours. Law school was exciting and it led to a job offer from a law firm – the proverbial offer that was too good to refuse. As my legal career developed, a path combining both professions evolved, and I now focus largely on providing legal services to dentists, and more broadly to health care providers and entities in many aspects of their professional lives from outset to retirement, and, with colleague support, even post-retirement.

What do you most enjoy about working with your team at Beattie Padovano, LLC?

Professionally speaking, the ability to offer access to legal expertise in other domains of law, like real estate or estate planning is a huge convenience for our clients and allows for seamless collaboration with my colleagues here practicing in different specialties. On a personal level, the mutual respect and collegiality among professionals and staff at our firm greatly offset the stresses of practice.

What types of cases are especially meaningful for you, and why?

A successful closing on a business purchase or sale is of course satisfying in and of itself. But not every case concludes happily. Dispute resolution is a large part of what we do, whether between buyer and seller, employer and employee, or between partners. It is often observed that a successful settlement of conflicts is where both sides walk away equally unhappy. Clearly not elated, but greatly relieved and unburdened. Getting there requires patience and creativity. Those are my toughest, yet most meaningful, cases. I certainly remember those.

What is your favorite part about living and working in Northern New Jersey?

All the familiar haunts to a lifelong resident of Northern New Jersey, with family and longtime friends nearby. Much has changed but fortunately the area has retained its suburban look and feel. I consider myself fortunate to have been raised here and in turn to have raised our own children here. When returning from travel out of state, my wife and I always exhale a bit as we reenter Northern New Jersey.

Please share a fun fact about yourself!

My back story transition from dentistry to law is probably more interesting to others than it is to me.

What advice would you give to an aspiring lawyer?

An early mentor shared with me that while the work itself does get easier over time with experience, the hours do not. I can see why. Virtual connectivity has exploded in a relatively short time period, which means we are no longer truly unreachable – and ours is a service industry after all. The difference, my mentor explained, is that with experience you have more control over how and when you allot your time, in a way that enables you to balance work and family life. That work-life balance doesn’t come easily or abruptly, but it does start with a good work ethic to develop knowledge and problem-solving skills.

Visit Robert A. Blass – Beattie Padovano, LLC to learn more about Robert’s areas of practice and to contact him directly.