Robert C. Schwenkel ’82
Robert C. Schwenkel ’82 has unswervingly advised and supported our graduates who hope to work in the New York City office of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. A partner since 1989, he serves as co-chair of the Corporate Department and global head of the M&A and Private Equity practices.
About this Interview
Interview Date(s)
May 5, 2014
Occasion
Recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Private Practice at the 52nd Annual Alumni Dinner
Interviewed By
Robert J. Gutowski
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About Robert C. Schwenkel
Robert Schwenkel was born in Silver Creek, N.Y., a small town south of Buffalo, into a working-class family. He has one sibling, an older brother. His father was a World War II veteran. Schwenkel was the first in his family to graduate from college. He went to the University at Buffalo, where he majored in history. After graduating in 1984, he worked for five years in a variety of jobs, including the Erie County Department of Social Services, before deciding to go to law school. While he saw trial lawyers on television, he had no idea how lawyers practiced. He chose UB School of Law because he was paying for his education and it made the most sense economically.
Schwenkel started law school in 1979 on the North Campus, in the new O’Brian Hall. Professor Thomas A. Headrick was dean. The first-year classes were huge and divided into three sections. He liked the rigorous education and enjoyed the Socratic method, which “motivated people to think.” Students from New York City, Rochester, Albany, Syracuse and throughout the East Coast—as well as Western New York—made up a diverse student body.
Schwenkel lived in an apartment on Lisbon Avenue near the South Campus. He played sports and socialized with other students in his section. Professor Louis DelCotto inspired him to consider tax and corporate law. He was on the Buffalo Law Review and spent his summers as an associate at Jaeckle Fleischmann Kelly Swart and Augspurger.
Hoping to work on large, complex transactions, Schwenkel was fortunate to join Fried Frank in New York City right out of school. He has practiced there for 33 years. When he started, the firm had approximately 250 lawyers; it now has 500-plus. He credits his professional growth and development to senior partners who mentored him. His clients, who are smart and sophisticated, and the wide variety of his transactions help make his job fun.
His area of law—private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions—is tough and more competitive than when he started, with a strong emphasis on business development. But he finds it rewarding. He advises students to read the Wall Street Journal and become familiar with business terminology.
Schwenkel enjoys getting together with his law school friends. He lives in New York City and teaches as an adjunct at Hofstra University.
