In Memoriam
We are grateful for the friendship and exceptional service of our beloved colleagues who have passed away.
Milton Bordwin
Our long-time colleague and friend Milton Bordwin passed away peacefully in 2024. Milton was a valued colleague, partner and self-proclaimed firm historian for over 60 years.
Milton joined Rubin Rudman in 1959 and focused his practice in the areas of corporate and real estate transactions. He was a member of the bars of Massachusetts, New York and the Supreme Court of the United States, where he successfully argued the landmark Federal civil procedure case Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178. This case has been cited by state and federal courts almost every day since the opinion was issued, which was a great source of pride for Milton.
In 2017, Milton published SOLVED! – 40 (often humorous) tales of his solutions to the most vexing problems clients threw at him over his 60-year career as a business lawyer.
“Milton had a brilliant mind, a kind heart, and a pure soul. He enjoyed a long life and he loved his family dearly, and almost equally loved the law. I also know he loved America and served in the armed forces in Europe in WWII, where he also worked as a war crimes investigator. We were privileged to know and work with him. God rest his soul,” said John J. McGivney, Managing Partner at Rubin Rudman.
Milton was a veteran of the United States Army, having served in Vienna, Austria, and Germany. He pursued his education at Harvard Law School, obtaining a J.D. in 1955, followed by a Master of Laws in 1959.
Robert Fasanella
Our dear colleague and trusted friend Robert “Bob” Fasanella passed away in early 2024 after an illness that he faced with courage and dignity. Bob was an outstanding lawyer and loved practicing law at Rubin Rudman from 2002 to 2024.
Bob was an environmental and land use attorney who provided counsel to various regulated industries and organizations, including real estate developers, corporations, municipalities, individuals and citizen groups on numerous real estate development issues such as brownfields redevelopment, complex, commercial and residential land use and real estate transactions, subdivision and zoning control issues, comprehensive permitting and affordable housing developments. He was a tenacious litigator representing plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts, administrative appeals and local boards.
Bob was admired by his peers and served as trusted counsel to his clients for decades. He joined Rubin Rudman 22 years ago with his good friend Glenn Wood, Bob’s partner in their environmental boutique firm, Fasanella and Wood LLP. Bob’s long-time and loyal legal assistant, Stephanie Larsen, worked alongside him for over 28 years, first at Fasanella and Wood and then at Rubin and Rudman.
“I have known Bob for almost 40 years; this hurts. This is a tough time for me, our group, and of course all of Bob’s colleagues, his dear family, and countless friends,” said Glenn Wood, Chair of the Environmental Department at Rubin Rudman.
“Bob was a sweet, good-natured guy and a knowledgeable, talented lawyer who left us way too early,” said John J. McGivney, Managing Partner at Rubin Rudman. “We will miss him terribly, and our sincerest sympathies are with his widow Abigail (Abby), his daughter Cecily, and their entire family,” added McGivney.
Bob, an avid skier, especially in his beloved Vermont, received his J.D. from Vermont Law School. He received a B.A. from Duke University and was a die-hard Blue Devils’ basketball fan. He was one of a kind and will be missed by everyone at Rubin and Rudman, our clients and his many friends and family.
Paul G. Gitlin
Our beloved friend, partner and mentor, Paul Gitlin, passed in 2022. Paul was an outstanding lawyer and loved practicing law at Rubin Rudman from 1996 to 2018.
He was a mentor to many young lawyers, was admired by his peers, and served as trusted counsel to his clients for decades. Paul was a former managing partner at the firm where he led by example and with kindness, compassion, patience and a self-deprecating sense of humor.
Paul represented clients across a variety of practice areas including Corporate, Litigation, Labor and Employment and Family Law. Prior to his joining Rubin Rudman, Paul was appointed chairman of the Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM), an independent state agency that oversees the licensing, regulation, and discipline of physicians and acupuncturists in Massachusetts. He was the first non-doctor to be appointed as chairman – a role he was honored to accept and carried out with fairness and professionalism.
Paul was a proud graduate of Boston College Law School and the University of Pennsylvania. He was one of a kind and will be missed by everyone at Rubin and Rudman, our clients and his many friends and family.