Introduction
Bob is a shareholder in Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment & Labor Law Group and a Labor & Employment Law Specialist certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association. Bob counsels employers on a wide range of employment issues, including hiring and firing, discipline, harassment investigations, personnel manuals, employee handbooks, severance agreements, employment contracts, and non-competition and confidentiality agreements. Bob represents employers before federal, state, and local anti-discrimination agencies and in cases involving claims of discrimination, breach of employment contract, and liability for employment-related torts. Bob also trains employers and supervisors on harassment prevention and employment law compliance and frequently speaks to attorneys and human resources professionals on the full spectrum of legal issues affecting the workplace. Bob has been recognized as ”Super Lawyer” by Minnesota Super Lawyers magazine (formerly Minnesota Law & Politics) since 1999 and is ranked by Chambers USA. According to Chambers USA’s 2011 rankings, Bob is ”a practical, articulate and creative practitioner with a broad spectrum of expertise in labor and employment ... [and] a strong reputation for his work on hiring and firing, harassment and discipline....”
Education
- University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 1985, cum laude
- Staff Member, Law and Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice,1984-85
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, B. A., 1982, magna cum laude
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota, 1985
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1986
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 1988
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1992
Practice Areas
Selected Publications & Presentations
- “Difficult Discipline and Discharge Situations – Multiple Case Studies,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 21, 2013
- “Alternate Plenary: The Four Rules of Disciplinary Documentation In-Depth,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 21, 2013
- “Four ADA Case Studies,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 20, 2013
- “FMLA Leave, Getting It Right: The FMLA’s Framework,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 29, 2013
- “Employment Law in Practice,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 24, 2013
- “ADA Amendments: Adapting to Emerging Trends,” 39th Annual Labor & Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, November 30, 2012
- “The Four Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 28th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 7, 2012
- “Dealing with Bad ‘Soft Skills’,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 28th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 7, 2012
- Chapter author, The FMLA Handbook (1st Ed. 2012)
- “Real Life ADA Case Studies,” Alternate Plenary, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22, 2012
- Moderator, “Social Media Workplace Case Studies: A Panel Discussion,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22, 2012
- “The Four Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22, 2012
- “How to Discipline and Discharge without Disaster,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 21, 2012
-
“Discipline and Discharge,” HR Back-to-Basics and Beyond Seminar Series, April 19, 2012
-
“Employment Law in Practice,”
- “Is Your Employee Handbook Working For or Against You?,” FredNEWS: Employment & Labor, January 2012
- “Social Media in the Workplace: Cases Studies,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, December 12, 2011
- “The Four Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 27th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 10, 2011
- “Is Your Employee Handbook Working For or Against You?,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 27th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 10, 2011
- Co-Chair, Employment & Labor Law: Federal and
- “The 5 Steps of Effective Discipline and Discharge - A Critical Roadmap for Employers,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute,
- “Four
- “Employment Law in Practice,”
- “Workplace Case Studies: A Panel Discussion,” The New ADAA and Proposed Regulations, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 12, 2011
- “Election Day Is Upon Us: Do You Know the Rules for Employee Time Off to Vote?,” FredNEWS: Employment & Labor, October 2010
- “The Four Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Fargo Employment Seminar, October 26, 2010
- “The Four Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 26th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 7, 2010
- Co-Chair, Employment & Labor Law: Federal and
- “Whistleblower, Reprisal, Retaliation,” Employment & Labor Law: Federal and
- Co-Editor and co-author, Discipline and Discharge Handbook (1st Ed. 2010)
- “Federal Developments,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute,
- “Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute,
- “Employment Law in Practice,”
- “Employment Law Series: The ABCs of Creating Effective Discipline Documentation,”
- “Five Common Employer Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” and “Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 25th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 8, 2009
- “Application of Basic Employment Law,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute,
- “Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute,
- “Managing Intermittent Leave and Chronic Absenteeism: How to Discipline without Retaliation,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, February 24, 2009
- “Employment Law in Practice,”
- “What Employers Need to Know About the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act,” Fredrikson & Byron Seminar, December 16, 2008
- Co-Chair, The New ADA, Minnesota CLE, December 15, 2008
- “ADAAA Workplace Case Studies: A Panel Discussion,” The New ADA, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, December 15, 2008
- “Voting Leave? With Pay?,” and “Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 24th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 30, 2008
- “The Incredible Shrinking Workforce: Employee Terminations and Reductions in Force,” Health Law Webinar, October 8, 2008
- “15 Tough Termination Questions and Their Answers,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 30, 2008
- “Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 30, 2008
- “Application of Basic Employment Law,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 29-30, 2008
- “Conducting Harassment and Discrimination Investigations,” Hot Topics in Employment Law, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, March 20, 2008
- “Employment Law in Practice,” The New Lawyer Experience, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 10, 2008
- “Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 23rd Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 11, 2007
- “EEOC’s Caregiver Bias Enforcement Guidance,” Fredrikson & Byron’s 23rd Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 11, 2007
- “When Leave and Discipline Collide: Documenting to Reduce Retaliation Risks,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 30-31, 2007
- “Application of Basic Employment Law Principles,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 30-31, 2007
- “How to Reduce Your Risks After the Termination,” originally appeared in the November 1999 Fredrikson & Byron Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter; revised in March 2007
- “The Risks of Hiring Someone Bound By a Noncompetition Agreement,” originally appeared in the June 1998 Fredrikson & Byron Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter; revised in March 2007
- “When Leaves and Discipline Collide: Documenting to Reduce Retaliation Risks,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, February 21, 2007
- “Unlocking the Power of Documentation: Why and How to Document,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter, February 2007
- “The New Lawyer Experience: Terminating the Problem Employee,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 8, 2007
- “Waivers and Releases: Think You've Settled Your Employment Dispute? Think Again,” 33rd Annual Labor & Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, November 15, 2006
- “Introduction to Employment Law A-Z,” 23rd Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22-23, 2006
- “When Leaves and Discipline Collide: Documenting to Reduce Retaliation Risks,” 23rd Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22-23, 2006
- “The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” 23rd Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22-23, 2006
- “When Leaves and Discipline Collide: Documenting to Reduce Retaliation Risks,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, February 16, 2006
- “The New Lawyer Experience: Terminating the Problem Employee,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 9, 2006
- “Discipline, Documentation and Discharge of Problem Employees,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, December 15, 2005
- “Recent Case May Complicate Enforcement of Noncompetition Agreements,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter, September 2005
- “Introduction to Employment Law: A - Z,” 22nd Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, June 3, 2005
- “The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” 22nd Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, June 3, 2005
- “Sure-Fire Firing Mistakes: How to Avoid the Mistakes that Land Employers in Court,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, February 2, 2005
- “Employee Handbooks That Work,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter, January 2005
- “The New Lawyer Experience: Terminating the Problem Employee,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 10, 2005
- “Discipline, Documentation and Discharge of Problem Employees,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, December 15, 2004
- “The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” 21st Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 27, 2004
- “How to Assess and Reduce Risk When Considering Termination,” 21st Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 26, 2004
- “Discipline, Documentation and Discharge of Problem Employees,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 20, 2004
- “Sure-Fire Firing Mistakes,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter, October 2003
- “Healthcare Providers Wrestle with New Conceal and Carry Law,” Minnesota Physician, September 2003
- “Conceal and Carry: Employers Wrestle with Minnesota's New Law,” Employee Benefits Planner, Vol. 10, No. 3., p. 8 (Third Quarter 2003)
- “Sure-Fire Firing Mistakes,” 20th Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 29, 2003
- “The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” 20th Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 29, 2003
- “You Ask the Experts - Open Forum on Discipline and Discharge,” 20th Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 29, 2003
- “Dealing With the Absent Employee,” Employee Benefits Planner, Vol. 9, No. 4., p. 1 (Fall 2002)
- “Discipline, Documentation and Discharge of Problem Employees,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, November 22, 2002
- “Discipline, Documentation and Discharge of Problem Employees,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, November 22, 2002
- “Dealing with the Absent Employee,” Employee Benefits Planner, Vol. 9, No. 4., p. 1 (Fall 2002)
- “Dealing with the Absent Employee,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter, August 2002
- “Dealing with the Absent Employee,” 19th Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 30, 2002
- “The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” 19th Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 30, 2002
- “The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” 2002 Business Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, April 18, 2002
- “Discipline, Documentation and Discharge of Problem Employees,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 24, 2002
- “The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter and 2001 Employment Law Series, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, September 19, 2001
- “The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation,” 18th Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 30, 2001
- “How to Discipline and Discharge Without Landing in Court,” Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment & Labor Law Focus Newsletter, September 2000
- “Human Resource Management: Discipline & Discharge,” Minnesota Institute of Legal Education, September 28, 2000
- “Point-Counterpoint: Dissecting an Employment Discrimination Case,” Personnel Law Update 2000, Council on Education in Management, September 25, 2000
- “Open Forum on Non-Competition and Trade Secret Issues,” 17th Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 23, 2000
- “Discipline and Discharge 101,” 17th Annual Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 23, 2000
- “Litigating in the Employment Arena: Settlements,” Minnesota Institute of Legal Education, March 7, 2000
Professional Activities
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section (Chair, 2009-2010; Governing Council, 2005-2010)
- Hennepin County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, Chair (2000-2001)
- Volunteer Lawyers Network, Ltd., Chair (1993-94), Personnel Committee Chair (1991-93, 1996-2000), Board of Directors (1988-2000)
- Twin
- American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Litigation Section
Honors & Distinctions
- Labor and Employment Law Specialist, certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association
- Ranked in Chambers USA
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America
- Super Lawyer, Minnesota Super Lawyers magazine, 1999-2012
- Rising Star, Minnesota Law & Politics, December/January 1999
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
