Meet Chaim Steinberger

“Chaim” means life in Hebrew like the Hebrew toast, “L’Chaim” (which means “to life”). The “ch” is pronounced like the guttural “ch” in “Loch Ness monster” or the German “Reich,” so it is pronounced like “Hi-Am,” or “Kki-Am,” but with the “ch” in the place of the “h” or “kk” sounds.  (Of course, don’t worry if you can’t get it right.  There is no “ch” sound in English so many people struggle with it.)

Chaim Steinberger, by nature a perfectionist, did rather well in law school, then clerked for a United States District Court judge, and was recruited by some of the largest, most prestigious law firms in the country. During this time he went through his own nasty divorce and said to himself, “There’s got to be a better way.” He now dedicates his life to practicing that better way, bringing large-firm professionalism, practice, and polish to the area of matrimonial and family law.

Mr. Steinberger continues to study litigation, negotiation, and mediation so as to employ the latest and best techniques in each of these and other areas for the benefit of his clients. He serves as an arbitrator, judging disputes in Small Claims Court and other venues. There, and through his service as a law clerk and mediator, he sits in the “middle” of others’ disputes and gets to “feel” what arguments are persuasive and compelling and which fall flat, making him a better advocate, litigator, and negotiator.

As detailed in his article, Mediation Techniques Every Litigator Can Use, Mr. Steinberger also uses his mediator’s techniques when he’s advocating for his clients, sensing where an opening for resolution might lie, and then finding ways to achieve consensus to his client’s advantage.

Game Theory teaches that when two adversaries work together, they often both come out ahead of where they could each be if they remain at odds with one another. Thus, Mr. Steinberger knows, if he is able to begin to reestablish a relationship and, perhaps, some budding trust, between the parties they can reach resolutions of mutual benefit rather than pursue “scorched earth,” “zero-sum” strategies where the only question is “who loses more?”

Because of his own experience, Mr. Steinberger knows the pain of divorce and feels like each case is his own. He “lives and dies” with every case and several have said that he’s “changed [their] li[v]e[s].” (See What Clients Say About Chaim.) He spends a lot of time with his clients learning about their issues, explaining the law and how the system works so as to empower them. (See, e.g., It Takes Time-I and It Takes Time-II), and developing a cohesive strategy to achieve the client’s objectives (see, Developing a Theory of the Case (coming soon!).

“Committed to excellence,” Mr. Steinberger treats everyone with dignity, courtesy, and integrity. He has proven that though behaving with integrity in litigation and negotiation may require more time, the clients ultimately benefit from it. (See, Good Lawyers Never Lie (coming soon!) and What Clients Say About Chaim.) Though a bulldog litigator, he treats even his adversaries with fairness, courtesy, and dignity usually to the benefit of all.

Mr. Steinberger was recently appointed to the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association Family Law Section and elected to the Council (the governing body) of the American Bar Association Family Law Section.  He’s co-chaired the Ethics, Disciplinary & Grievance Committee of the American Bar Association’s Family Law Section for many years and was involved in several other bar association ethics committees. (See, Bar Leadership Positions.) He published an article for lawyers Make More Money by Being More Ethical and lectured at ABA seminars, (see Lectures) showing lawyers how good ethics are also good business practice.

To stay on top of his field, Mr. Steinberger continues to study and take courses in the myriad areas required to be a top-notch lawyer. He continues to accumulate and assemble the Best Legal Books and attend seminars and conferences on matrimonial and family law (see listing of courses attended) and is an active participant in the matrimonial listservs of the matrimonial lawyers (see What Other Lawyers Say About Chaim). He also lectures and publishes on issues of matrimonial & family law and related issues. (See Publications and Lectures.)

By studying and implementing the best practices of LPM (“law practice management”) CHAIM STEINBERGER, P.C. continues to develop, expand, and utilize forms that make the practice efficient so as to give its clients maximum value for the legal fees they incur. As a client of CHAIM STEINBERGER, P.C., you will gain the benefit of the forms created for the many clients before you. His many years of intense Talmudic study have made Mr. Steinberger quick on the uptake, able to analyze contract provisions, holdings of cases and even implicit and reverse holdings of cases, and able to efficiently develop a winning Theory of the Case.

Chaim believes that it’s important for each of us to give back and to work together to make the world a better place. To that end, he volunteers at several organizations, (see Public Service), and publicly lectures on issues of law, love and dispute resolution (see Lectures & Presentations).

QUICK LINKS TO IN-DEPTH INFORMATION ABOUT CHAIM STEINBERGER

Chaim’s Bar Admissions
Chaim’s Bar Leadership Positions
Chaim’s Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
Chaim’s Curriculum Vitae
Chaim’s Lectures
Chaim’s Mediation Credentials
Chaim’s Other Interests
Chaim’s Pro Bono Work
Chaim’s Publications