The firm mourns the passing of our former partner and friend Bob Del Tufo. Bob was 82.
One of New Jersey's most revered and accomplished attorneys, Bob joined our litigation team in 1993. He founded our Newark office, where he served as office leader, and represented Dynalectron, Citigroup and Johnson & Johnson heir Jenny Anne Johnson (in the largest inheritance battle in New Jersey history), among many others. Bob retired from the firm as of counsel in 2014.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Bob attended Princeton University ('55) and Yale Law School ('58). Prior to joining Skadden, he served as attorney general of New Jersey from 1990-93. Among other accomplishments, Bob set up the nation's first environmental prosecutor and established the first statewide agency to combat hate crimes. As U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, from 1977-80, Bob scored numerous high-profile organized-crime convictions and was a vocal critic of the FBI's notorious Abscam Congressional sting operation. In 2006, he was appointed chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Bob was well-known as a mentor, a paragon of integrity, a great tactician and a source of great judgment. He will be sorely missed. Bob's survivors include his wife, Kate, two daughters, two sons and two step-daughters.