Bob Fiske | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office March 1, 1976 – March 2, 1980 | |
| President | Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Thomas Cahill |
| Succeeded by | William Tendy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Bishop Fiske Jr. (1930-12-28)December 28, 1930 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 4, 2025(2025-12-04) (aged 94) Darien, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Party | Republican[1] |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Yale University (BA) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (JD) |
Robert Bishop Fiske Jr. (December 28, 1930 – December 4, 2025) was an American trial attorney and a partner with the law firm ofDavis Polk & Wardwell in New York City. He was theUnited States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1976 to 1980, where he was known for prosecuting high-profileorganized crime cases. In 1994, he was appointedspecial prosecutor to investigate theWhitewater controversy, before being replaced byKenneth Starr.
Fiske was born inBrooklyn, New York, on December 28, 1930.[1][2] He was educated atYale University as an undergraduate before going on to attend theUniversity of Michigan Law School, following his father's profession as a lawyer.[1]
Fiske began his career atDavis Polk in New York in 1955.[1] From 1957 to 1961, he was anassistant United States Attorney in theSouthern District of New York, where he prosecuted organized crime, before returning to private practice.[1] In 1976, PresidentGerald Ford appointed himUnited States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, during which he continued to personally appear in court as a prosecutor.[1] Notable cases he led included that ofNicky Barnes, which resulted in a life sentence for Barnes after four previous prosecutions had failed to secure convictions, and that of crime boss and trade unionistAnthony Scotto, who was convicted of racketeering and bribery.[1] He left the post in 1980.[1]
In 1994, U.S. Attorney GeneralJanet Reno appointed Fiske as the special prosecutor to investigate theWhitewater controversy and thedeath of White House Counsel Vince Foster.[3] At the time of his appointment, Fiske was almost universally praised by members of theRepublican Party.[4]
Fiske conducted investigations, and released an interim report on June 30 that in summary concluded that PresidentBill Clinton and White House officials had not interfered with theResolution Trust Corporation, which was investigating the failedMadison Guaranty Savings & Loan, a partner of theWhitewater Development Corporation. Fiske's report also concluded that Vince Foster died by suicide. On the same day that Fiske released this report, President Clinton signed the Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act of 1994, effectively abolishing the position of Special Prosecutor and replacing it with the position of Independent Counsel. Under the new law, theSpecial Division had sole authority to select Independent Counsels.
Janet Reno formally requested that Robert Fiske be chosen, and allowed to continue his investigation.[5] On August 5, the Special Division, headed by JudgeDavid Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, decided to replace Fiske with former Washington D.C. Circuit judgeKenneth Starr.[1]
Fiske was a senior law partner atDavis Polk in New York City, where he represented many high-profile clients. He defended theNational Football League in anantitrust suit brought by theUnited States Football League.[6] He representedClark Clifford andRobert A. Altman, who were top executives ofFirst American bank until they stepped down facing investigations byregulators and prosecutors regarding their roles in theBCCI scandal.[7][8]
He headed the legal team defendingExxon inNew York andNew Jersey investigations of the oil spill that dumped 567,000 gallons of oil intoArthur Kill, New Jersey. The deal reached with the state of New Jersey allowed Exxon to plead guilty to a one-count federalmisdemeanor and pay a fine over $10 million. Additionally, New York and New Jersey state prosecutors were prevented from seeking indictments and no action was to be taken against the four Exxon officers under investigation.[8] He defendedA. Alfred Taubman ofSotheby's, who was charged with conspiring to violate antitrust laws by engaging inprice-fixing with rivalChristie's. He also defendedSanjay Kumar ofComputer Associates International, Inc. who was charged withsecurities fraud andobstruction of justice.
In 2014, Fiske published a book,Prosecutor, Defender, Counselor: The Memoirs of Robert B. Fiske Jr., chronicling his career.[9]
In 2001, Fiske established the Fiske Fellowship at the University of Michigan Law School to support Michigan Law graduates pursuing careers in government service. The fellowship provides stipends and loan assistance for up to four outstanding students meeting eligibility requirements for three-year terms. Fiske believed that having government service experience early in a professional career is a fulfilling path to pursue and wanted to support Michigan Law graduates desiring that direction.[10]
Fiske was a president of theAmerican College of Trial Lawyers[11] and theFederal Bar Council.[12] He was a recipient of the Association Medal from theNew York City Bar Association.
An alumnus of thePomfret School, he had a BA fromYale University (1952), and a JD from theUniversity of Michigan (1955),[6] where he was associate editor of the law review.
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Fiske and his wife, Janet Tinsley Fiske, were childhood sweethearts. They were married for 71 years.[1] They had three children.[1] His brother, John Fiske, is a mediation lawyer in Boston, and he was predeceased by another brother, McNeil Fiske, who had been an executive at First National Bank of Denver.
An avid outdoorsman, sports fan and athlete, Fiske was especially passionate about Michigan and Yale athletics, attending many games in person. He completed the New York Marathon, and participated in the Pan Mass Challenge and RAGBRAI multi-day bike across Iowa. He continued to play tennis weekly into his 94th year. Throughout his life, he enjoyed sailing, boating, fishing, hiking, cross country skiing and many other outdoor activities with his family and friends.
Fiske died from pancreatic cancer at his home inDarien, Connecticut, on December 4, 2025, at the age of 94.[1]
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