While driving to Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania to start his master's degree in business administration, Stuart Sobel received a lifechanging phone call from the dean of the University of Miami School of Law, Soia Mentschikoff. Sobel’s brother, Jack Sobel, was a year ahead of him at Miami Law and was friendly with Dean Mentschikoff. She had heard of Sobel’s great test scores and convinced him, over the phone, to “keep driving”—past Pennsylvania all the way down to Miami Law. He did, and he started as a 1L four days later.
While at Miami Law, Sobel loved the excellent instruction he received from professors including Dennis Lynch, Irwin Stotzky, and Terence Anderson. Sobel was selected as one of three Miami Law students to participate in a special mentorship program with Miami-based trial attorneys and was assigned Robert Josefsberg as a mentor. Josefsberg remains a mentor to Sobel to this day, and through his guidance Sobel found his love for trial work.
After graduating from Miami Law, Sobel worked at the Dade County Attorney’s office, then at a small firm called Pertnoy and Greenberg, where he became a named partner. He then went into business with his brother, forming Sobel & Sobel, and trying 6-8 jury cases each year. He discovered a passion for construction law, and after his brother moved out of Miami, Sobel joined Siegfried Rivera, a boutique firm that handles community associations, real estate, and construction law. Sobel focuses on construction, still trying an average of three major construction disputes each year.
Outside of his career as a lawyer, Sobel remains close friends with many law school alumni and attends alumni events. Sobel also met his wife Lori, who was a court reporter, while trying a case with his brother. A year after that trial, they ran into each other on the steps of the courthouse and were engaged seven weeks later. They have now been married for 36 years. They love live music and attend music festivals as frequently as possible, having attended 23 New Orleans jazz fests. One of their favorite venues to visit is Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. They also love riding bikes.
Sobel takes pride in being an honest attorney, taking on cases and clients with righteous causes. He follows three key principles in his daily life: personal responsibility, excellence, and gratitude. His advice to Miami Law students: you don’t always have to know exactly what you want to do—your path will reveal itself.
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