Business North Carolina magazine has named Essex Richards Partner Rob Blair as the top family law attorney in North Carolina on its 2016 list of “Legal Elite.” He was selected for the honor by other attorneys in the state.

Each year, Business North Carolina sends ballot notices to members of the state bar living in North Carolina. They respond to the question: Of the Tar Heel lawyers whose work you have observed firsthand, whom would you rate among the current best in these categories? Blair received the most votes for family law.

Rob Blair is the third Essex Richards attorney named to the Legal Elite Hall of Fame. Others include Lou Lesesne for employment law in 2007 and N. Renee Hughes for employment law in 2012. “The recognition by my peers means a great deal to me,” Blair says. “I’m grateful to be recognized for a job I’m passionate about.”

Blair has practiced family law for 25 years and has been a board-certified specialist in family law since 2002. He is also certified as a family financial mediator. Blair focuses his practice on alternative dispute resolution, helping clients resolve family law disputes primarily through negotiation, mediation, and collaboration. “This approach allows clients and families to make it through to the other side in a much more positive manner than going through litigation,” he says.

Areas of his practice include separation and divorce, child custody and support, spousal support, domestic violence, and marital agreements.

To read a longer profile of Blair in Business North Carolina – and find out what kind of work he would do if he wasn’t an attorney – visit http://www.businessnc.com/articles/2016-01/legal-elite-family-2016-category/ .