When a national organization tells the legal profession that your attorney belongs in the top 1% of all practicing lawyers in the country, that means something. Robert Tsigler, founding attorney of the Law Offices of Robert Tsigler, PLLC, has been selected as a 2026 member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC).
For anyone facing criminal charges in New York, credentials like this aren’t abstract accolades. They’re a signal that the person standing next to you in court has been recognized, vetted, and endorsed by peers who do this work at the highest level. And for Robert, it marks the second consecutive year earning this distinction.
Key Takeaways
- Robert Tsigler has been selected to the NADC’s Nation’s Top One Percent for 2026, a recognition awarded to fewer than 1% of all practicing attorneys in the United States.
- The NADC selection process involves four stages: nomination, a research team vetting, a blue ribbon panel of attorneys, and a judicial review board of former judges.
- This award adds to a record that includes Super Lawyers Rising Stars, National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, an Avvo 10.0 Superb rating, and admission to seven federal, state, and administrative tribunals.
- Robert and his team defend clients across all five boroughs and beyond in cases ranging from white-collar fraud and federal drug charges to murder, DWI, and immigration matters.
If you or someone you know is facing criminal charges in New York, contact the Law Offices of Robert Tsigler, PLLC at (718) 878-3781 for a consultation. The firm is available 24/7.
What Is the NADC’s “Nation’s Top One Percent” Recognition?
The National Association of Distinguished Counsel was established in 2014 with a single purpose: identify the attorneys across the country who set the standard their peers should follow. The organization’s own description calls its membership “benchmarks for other lawyers to emulate.” Fewer than 1% of all practicing lawyers in the United States carry the designation, and the number stays that low by design.
NADC is not a pay-to-play directory. Candidates enter a four-stage evaluation that starts with nomination (from an NADC member, a fellow attorney, or a current or former client) and ends with a final stamp of approval from a judicial review board composed of former judges. In between, candidates are scrutinized by people whose full-time job is to separate real credentials from padded resumes.
How the Four-Stage NADC Selection Process Works
Stage 1: Nomination
Candidates reach the NADC’s radar through three channels: nominations from current members, nominations from fellow attorneys or clients, and identification by the NADC’s own in-house research team. Self-nomination is possible through a formal application, but submitting one creates no expectation of selection.
Stage 2: Research Team Vetting
Once a candidate is identified, NADC researchers conduct an independent review of publicly available information. They evaluate firm profile and reputation, years of practice, education and training, trial experience, case outcomes, peer endorsements, client reviews, professional awards, memberships, and leadership in legal organizations. Nothing is taken at face value.
Stage 3: Blue Ribbon Panel Review
A panel of attorneys who have earned podium status through independently neutral organizations reviews the research team’s findings. These are lawyers recognized for their own accomplishments by organizations entirely separate from NADC, which means they have no institutional incentive to inflate the list. They evaluate each candidate’s background, track record, and standing in the profession before recommending advancement.
Stage 4: Judicial Review Board
A board of former judges makes the final determination. Candidates approved at this stage are considered to exhibit, in NADC’s language, “virtue in the practice of law.” Only those who clear all four stages receive the invitation.
Robert Tsigler cleared every stage. If you need a criminal defense attorney in New York with that level of peer-verified credibility, schedule a consultation today.
Why This Matters for Robert Tsigler’s Clients
Awards and recognitions mean different things depending on who is giving them. Some are essentially marketing tools. The NADC distinction is not one of those. The multi-layered review process, the involvement of a judicial board, and the sub-1% acceptance threshold make it one of the more difficult peer recognitions for any lawyer to earn.
For Robert’s clients, the 2026 selection confirms what the firm’s track record already demonstrates.
Since founding the Law Offices of Robert Tsigler, PLLC, Robert has defended thousands of individuals and corporations in state and federal criminal matters across New York, New Jersey, and courts throughout the United States. His cases span white-collar crime, wire fraud, drug trafficking, murder, assault, gun possession, sex crimes, grand larceny, DWI, domestic violence, and complex criminal immigration proceedings. The breadth alone sets the firm apart from attorneys who handle only one or two categories of criminal defense.
Robert also brings a perspective most defense attorneys don’t have. Before launching his own practice, he interned at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in the Homicide and Green Zone units, where he assisted in prosecuting hundreds of misdemeanor and felony cases. That experience on the other side of the courtroom informs the way he prepares for trial, anticipates prosecution strategy, and identifies weaknesses in the state’s case.
Back-to-Back NADC Selections: 2025 and 2026
The 2026 recognition is not Robert’s first NADC selection. He earned the same distinction in 2025, making this a consecutive-year honor. Repeat selection signals that the quality of his work is not a snapshot but a consistent standard over time.
Robert Tsigler’s Full Professional Credentials
The NADC recognition sits alongside a record accumulated over more than 15 years of practice. Robert graduated cum laude from the State University of New York at Albany with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Psychology, then earned his Juris Doctorate from New York Law School, where he was a member of the New York Law School Fellowship Program fighting debt collection practices by major banks.
His professional recognitions include National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (2016, 2017, 2018), National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys Top 10 Under 40 (2017, 2018), Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2017), American Institute of Legal Counsel 10 Best Attorneys for Client Satisfaction (2017), and multiple Avvo Clients’ Choice Awards (2015, 2016, 2017). He maintains an Avvo rating of 10.0 Superb and a Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion designation.
Robert is admitted to the New York State Bar, New Jersey State Bar, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Sixth Circuits.
View Robert Tsigler’s NADC Member Profile
Robert’s verified member profile is publicly accessible on the NADC website. You can review his credentials, practice areas, and standing at: distinguishedcounsel.org/members/robert-tsigler/34916.
Law Offices of Robert Tsigler, PLLC: Your Criminal Defense Law Firm
If you’re reading this because you or someone close to you is dealing with a criminal charge, the weight of that moment is real. Robert Tsigler has spent 15+ years standing in courtrooms across New York and New Jersey doing one thing: defending people in exactly that position. The NADC’s 2026 recognition confirms what his clients and peers have known for years, and it’s the kind of credential that holds up under scrutiny because it was built under scrutiny.
Contact the Law Offices of Robert Tsigler, PLLC today at (718) 878-3781. Available 24/7, with offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island.
