
Overview
Bob is a litigator who represents businesses in resolving their complex labor, employment, trade secret, non-compete and related commercial disputes. He is recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in Labor & Employment, and as a Labor & Employment Star in Benchmark Litigation’s Rankings. He advises employers regarding union organizing activities, manages union election campaigns and litigates labor arbitrations nationwide. He also serves as co-chair of the firm’s Unfair Competition and Information Protection Task Force, which concentrates on trade secret theft, restrictive covenant and non-competition matters. He handles complex employment discrimination, harassment, and wage-and-hour disputes, including class and collective actions.
Bob’s practice includes a focus on data and emerging technology in the workplace. He designs and defends programs for conducting criminal background checks in the hiring process, and is a leader in the firm’s L&E Emerging Technology Practice Group.
He is admitted to practice in the US District Courts for the Districts of Maryland, Washington, DC, the Southern District of New York, New Jersey, and Georgia; the US Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, Eleventh and DC Circuits; and the state courts of Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Washington, DC.
Experience
- Defended numerous class action lawsuits alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act with regard to criminal background checks in the hiring process; designed background check programs for nationwide employers, and consulted regarding 50-state compliance on background check policies.
- Advised numerous employers on the design of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies and practices, and associated employment and labor risks.
- Advised global online retailer about labor complications and surrounding legal issues regarding the integration and implementation of robotics into the company supply chair and distribution centers.
- Coordinated union election campaigns for employers, resulting in multiple employer victories and petition withdrawals, and advised numerous clients on advance preparation for union organizing, “ambush” election petitions, and adapting to the NLRB’s evolving election rules.
- Designed national labor relations programs and policies for retail, manufacturing and other clients, including strategic plans for expansion and migration into the nation’s most active and aggressive union markets.
- Advised and defended political, media, lobbying and business entities targeted by organized labor and NGOs in corporate-style campaigns, including implementation of physical security measures, strategic public communications and related litigation.
- Prosecuted and defended multi-state trade secret, non-compete and non-disclosure matters within numerous industries, including nuclear waste storage, financial services, computer software design, executive recruiting, television broadcasting, advertising and public relations, physician group services, banking, grocery retail, acoustics engineering, home improvement warehouse retail, prison commissary services, and many others.
- Defended class and collective action lawsuits alleging statutory employment violations and business torts, including wage-hour violations, position misclassification under the Fair Labor Standards Act, violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act flowing from the conduct of criminal background checks, race discrimination and disparate impact claims, among others.
- Defended statistics-driven class action lawsuits and government investigations regarding pay patterns across race, gender and age groups; life insurance premium charges across racial groups, and labor economics trends in various markets.
- Defended administrative enforcement actions and directed investigations by the EEOC and DOL on a range of claims, including disparate impact race charges, pay bias and Equal Pay Act claims, wage theft and position misclassification.
- Litigated a wide variety of business disputes, including commercial contract claims, product liability, construction and real estate matters.
- Defended arbitrations before and against the NLRB regarding unfair labor practice charges, and class arbitrations regarding union salting and campaign misconduct allegations.
Accolades
Honors & Recognitions
- Listed as a Litigation Star (2025) and a Labor and Employment Star (2019-2024), District of Columbia, Benchmark Litigation
- Recognized as a Leader in Labor & Employment, District of Columbia, Chambers USA, 2023-2024
- Selected for inclusion in ‘Georgia Super Lawyers’ (Employment and Labor), as published in Atlanta Magazine and Georgia Super Lawyers magazine®, March 2008, 2009 and 2010
Insights
Legal Updates
- January 24, 2020Legal Update
- December 19, 2019Legal Update
Events & Speaking Engagements
- May 21, 2024EventCo-presenterThe Next Frontier: AI and Workplace Technology for Employers, Association of Corporate Counsel
- November 7, 2023EventPresenterEmployment Background Checks – Understanding Risks, Compliance Reminders, and Litigation Trends, West LegalEd Center
- July 14, 2023EventCo-presenter
- October 6, 2021Event
- January 21, 2021EventPresenterEmployer Compliance Reminders as FCRA Class Actions Rise, myLawCLE
- October 27, 2020Event
- October 7, 2020Event
- May 11, 2020Event
- August 8, 2018Event
- June 12, 2018EventPresenterEmployee Monitoring and Criminal Background Checks, 2018 PLI Privacy Institute in Chicago
- March 7, 2017Event
- August 3, 2016Event
- December 17, 2015Event
- October 16, 2014EventPanelistRetail Law Center Discussion on Union Corporate Campaigns, Charlotte, NC
- September 24, 2014EventSpeakerCT Corporation Webinar Series, Criminal Background Checks in the Hiring Process
- January 16, 2014EventSpeakerCriminal Background Checks in the Hiring Process: The Escalating Risks
- October 1, 2013EventPanelistDevelopments in Social Media Law, Semi-Annual Meeting of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals, Washington, DC
- April 2013EventInstructorHunton & Williams Dispositive Motions CLE Seminar
- June 2012EventPresenterCrossing the Line: How Labor & Employment Law and Privacy Intersect (Focus: Social Media), New York Privacy Officers' Forum
Publications
- January 30, 2025Publication
- 5 Minute ReadJanuary 9, 2025Publication
- November 4, 2024Publication
- April 16, 2024Publication
- February 29, 2024Publication
- January 30, 2024Publication
- January 25, 2024Publication
- 2013-2024PublicationLabor & Employment EditorPrivacy and Data Security Law Deskbook
- December 7, 2023PublicationCo-authorBiometrics Workplace Compliance and Best Practices for Employers, Lexis Practical Guidance
- November 14, 2023Newsletter
- August 25, 2023Publication
- November 19, 2021PublicationCo-authorEmployer Best Practices For Biometrics Compliance: Part 2, Law360 Expert Analysis
- November 18, 2021PublicationCo-authorEmployer Best Practices For Biometrics Compliance: Part 1, Law360 Expert Analysis
- November 8, 2021PublicationCo-authorBiometrics Workplace Compliance and Best Practices for Employers, Lexis Practical Guidance
- July 2021Publication
- July 2021Publication
- October 23, 2020Publication
- Oct-Dec 2020Publication
- August 2019PublicationCo-authorBiometrics Workplace Compliance and Best Practices for Employers, Lexis Practice Advisor
- July 30, 2020Publication
- June 13, 2019Publication
- May 13, 2019PublicationCo-authorManaging Spirituality Initiatives In The American Workplace, Law360
- November 15, 2018Publication
- October 5, 2018Publication
- July 3, 2018Publication
- January 21, 2016Publication
- December 30, 2015Publication
- October 1, 2013Publication
- April 20, 2012PublicationAuthorTechnology: Friending the unions, Inside Counsel
- November 21, 2011Publication
- January 1999PublicationCo-authorYear 2000 Liability and Related Insurance Issues, ABA Litigation Section Business Torts Committee
Blog Posts
- February 6, 2025Hunton Retail Law Resource
- October 23, 2024Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- July 3, 2024Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
- Hunton Retail Law Resource
News
- October 10, 2024Media Mention
- 3 Minute ReadOctober 3, 2024News
- 6 Minute ReadJune 6, 2024News
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 3, 2023News
- October 2, 2023Media Mention
- September 27, 2023Media Mention
- 2 Minute ReadSeptember 26, 2023News
- 6 Minute ReadJune 1, 2023News
- April 1, 2023Media Mention
- January 17, 2023Media Mention
- 2 Minute ReadSeptember 22, 2022News
- 2 Minute ReadSeptember 22, 2021News
- 2 Minute ReadOctober 15, 2020News
- 2 Minute ReadSeptember 15, 2020News
- 1 Minute ReadOctober 1, 2019News
- 1 Minute ReadJuly 16, 2012News
JD, Emory University School of Law, 1993
BA, Government & Law, Lafayette College, 1987
District of Columbia
Georgia
Maryland
New Jersey
New York
Areas of Focus
- Labor and Employment
- Unfair Competition and Employee Raiding
- Complex Employment Litigation
- Labor-Management Relations and Labor Litigation
- ERISA Litigation
- First Amendment and Free Speech
- Labor and Employment Emerging Technology
- National Security
- Energy Sector Security Team
- Sustainability
- AI and Emerging Technologies
- Retail