Albert Momjian

Albert Momjian, age 82, a nationally renowned family lawyer, died on Monday, July 11, 2016.  Regarded as the Dean of the Pennsylvania family law bar, Momjian practiced law for more than 50 years, retiring in December 2012 as a partner from Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, LLP, where he was Chair of the Family Law Department, one of the largest in the nation.  A major force in both the development and advancement of family law in Pennsylvania, he co-chaired the Committee to Consolidate Pennsylvania Family Laws and served as a consultant to the Pennsylvania House and Senate Judiciary Committees during passage of the 1980 Divorce Code.   Over the course of his professional career, Momjian represented many famous clients, including actor Will Smith, television and radio host Larry King, casting director Billy Hopkins, film director Lee Daniels, Phillies’ relief pitcher Tug McGraw, and Flyers’ owner Ed Snider.  His high-profile cases were featured on Primetime Live and in People, Time, Vanity Fair, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. 

The author of hundreds of articles on family law, Momjian’s landmark treatise, Pennsylvania Family Law, is frequently cited by Pennsylvania’s appellate courts.   Momjian was annually named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (being ranked in the Top 10 of attorneys statewide for several years) and was listed in The Best Lawyers in America for family law for three decades. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Momjian was the recipient of many honors, including the Cecil B. Moore Award from the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, the Eric D. Turner Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Family Law Section for Outstanding Service as a Teacher and Mentor, the Judge Learned Hand Award from the American Jewish Committee, and the Columbia University Alumni Medal for Distinguished Service.  In 2014, Momjian was honored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Family Law Section with its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Momjian was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 27, 1933.  His Armenian parents, Garabed and Johar Momjian, emigrated from Malatya, a city located on the banks of the Euphrates River in the Province of Kharpert, in the Ottoman Empire.  Confectionary manufacturers during and after the Great Depression, the Momjian family operated the Atlantic Candy Company on Virginia Avenue.  Momjian graduated first in his class from Atlantic City High School in 1951, and in addition to winning several departmental honors, he received special recognition at his graduation for never missing a day of school beginning in the first grade. 

Momjian attended Columbia College and Columbia Law School on full scholarships, completing his undergraduate degree in three years.  After graduating from law school, Momjian joined the Pennsylvania National Guard.  Eventually, he would serve as Major and Vice President of the First Regiment Infantry of the Pennsylvania National Guard.  His first and only foray into politics was his election in 1975 to the Lower Moreland Township (Montgomery County) School Board, the first Democrat elected in the history of the township. 

Momjian was known and loved for his community involvement and philanthropy. He served as Honorary Consul to the Republic of Haiti for nearly four decades, coming to the aid of the country and its expatriates, especially following the devastating 2010 earthquake. As past President of the Philadelphia Consular Corps Association, Momjian also served on the board of the United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia.  He served as the first President of the Animal Law Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and he was a distinguished member of the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  

Momjian represented the interests of countless Armenian organizations and individuals, for more than half a century, all on a pro bono basis.  He served as President, solicitor, and as board member of the Armenian Missionary Association of America.  He also served as solicitor to the Armenian Assembly of America in Washington D.C., and to the Armenian Sisters Academy in Radnor, Pennsylvania.  Momjian was a leader in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for his beloved Armenia following the devastating earthquake of 1988, and he was a former Grand Commander of the Ardashad Lodge of the Knights of Vartan. 

Albert Momjian is survived by his wife, Esther.  The couple celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary this past June.  Momjian is also survived by three adult children, Carol, Mark and Thomas (all lawyers), as well as five grandsons (David, Michael, Jr., Gregory, Maxwell, and Miles).   Finally, Momjian is survived by an older brother, Set Momjian, a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. 

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 16 at 11: 00 a.m. at the Armenian Martyrs’ Congregational Church, 100 North Edmonds Avenue, in Havertown, Pennsylvania.  Friends are welcome to call on the family starting at 9:30 a.m.  The internment will be private.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Armenian Missionary Association of America, 31 West Century Road, Paramus, NJ 07652 or the Armenian Martyrs’ Congregational Church.