Attorneys

• Charles C. Cohen
• Robert S. Grigsby (1926-2004)

Pittsburgh, PA - Robert S. Grigsby was many things to many people in his life – husband, father, friend, confidant, mentor, advocate, defender, judge, peer, and colleague - and always a gentleman.  Mr. Grigsby, a former member of Cohen & Grigsby’s Executive Committee, passed away on August 26, 2004, at Shadyside Hospital after a lengthy illness.  He was 78.

Known for his compelling and relentless nature, Bob Grigsby mentored many younger attorneys and served as a staunch advocate, particularly in defending medical malpractice and products liability lawsuits.  As a young lawyer in Pittsburgh, he practiced law with now United States Senator Orrin Hatch, and they maintained a close association through the years.  

Not only did Mr. Grigsby have a love of the law, but he also had a love for living life to the fullest.  As busy as his career kept him, he made time to balance it with personal pursuits.  He was a great outdoorsman who liked to hunt and fish, and he was also an avid golfer.  

“Bob Grigsby will be deeply missed,” stated Charles C. Cohen, the firm chairman.  “He was a consummate professional – with a highly developed sense of ethics and probity and intense dedication and loyalty to our clients’ interests.  Everyone at Cohen & Grigsby appreciated these qualities in Bob, and perhaps even more, the generosity with which he shared his wisdom and experience.  He gave a lot of strength, mature judgment and stature to our firm, much needed in our early years, and I will always be grateful for that.”

Mr. Grigsby had more than 40 years of experience as a trial lawyer engaged in civil litigation and was a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.  His career path spanned from attorney to judge to law professor.  He had been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for 20 consecutive years and was recently named as a “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer” by Philadelphia Magazine.  Mr. Grigsby was a prolific speaker on the topics of evidence, trial tactics, products liability, medical malpractice and in programs sponsored by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.  He was extensively quoted in professional journals, newspapers and magazine articles, both nationally and regionally.  A Judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County from 1978-79, he was also an adjunct professor, teaching trial tactics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.  Mr. Grigsby served in several charitable and professional capacities, including on the Board of Directors of ACHIEVA, the Board of Trustees of Waynesburg College, the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the Continuing Legal Education Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, the International Association of Defense Counsel, the Maritime Law Association, and the Product Liability Advisory Council.  He earned his B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950 and his L.L.B. from Duquesne University School of Law in 1955.

Mr. Grigsby is survived by his wife Jean, his daughter Pamela, son-in-law David McCready, grandson Cameron, sister Susan Smith, and brother-in-law John Smith.  His brother Herbert Grigsby preceded him in death.  Visitation will be held at the Copeland’s Sewickley Irvine Chapel, 702 Beaver Street, on Saturday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 30th at St. James Catholic Church, 200 Walnut Street, Sewickley, PA 15143.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to:

ACHIEVA
711 Bingham Street
Pittsburgh, PA  15203

or

The Robert S. Grigsby Memorial Fund
c/o Waynesburg College
51 West College Street
Waynesburg, PA  15370

In honor of Mr. Grigsby and so that employees may have an opportunity to pay their respects, Cohen & Grigsby will close its Pittsburgh office on Monday, August 30.