Overview
Bob is a certified Labor & Employment Law Specialist with 38 years of experience. He is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and is licensed to practice law in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.
Bob has been described as “extremely grounded and practical,” “incredibly diligent, insightful, articulate, personable and concise,” and “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...” (Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2013, 2017, 2011).
Bob counsels employers and executives on a wide range of employment issues, including hiring and firing, discipline, leaves of absence, disabilities and reasonable accommodations, harassment and workplace investigations, employee handbooks, severance agreements, employment contracts, and non-competition and confidentiality agreements. He 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 trains employers and supervisors on disciplinary documentation, harassment prevention and employment law compliance. He also frequently speaks to attorneys and human resources professionals on the full spectrum of legal issues affecting the workplace. Bob has provided employment training to a number of prominent employers.
Bob also is a member of the Health Law Group and represents a number of medical providers on employment law issues arising in the healthcare setting.
Bob has served as Chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Labor & Employment Section, Chair of the Hennepin County Bar Association Labor & Employment Section and Chair of Volunteer Lawyers Network. As noted above, Bob is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. He is also ranked by Chambers USA, is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, is a member of the American Employment Law Council, and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Super Lawyers since 1999.
Bob is an avid runner and has served as a Board Member, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary of Twin Cities In Motion (formerly Twin Cities Marathon).
Services
Credentials
Education
- University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 1985, cum laude
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, B.A., 1982, magna cum laude
Admissions
- Minnesota, 1985
- Iowa, 2015
- Wisconsin, 2015
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1986
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 1988
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1992
Recognition
- AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell, 2023
- Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation (ABF)
- Labor and Employment Law Specialist, certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association
- Ranked in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
- Lawyer of the Year in Employment Law—Management, Best Lawyers, 2022
- The Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law—Management, 2013-present
- Super Lawyer—Employment and Labor, Minnesota Super Lawyers, 1999-present
- North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2012-2016, 2019
Civic & Professional
Professional Activities
- American Employment Law Council, Member
- American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Member
- Iowa State Bar Association, Member
- Wisconsin State Bar Association, Member
- Hennepin County Bar Association, Member
- 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 Cities In Motion (formerly Twin Cities Marathon, Inc.), Board of Directors, 2010-2021; Secretary, 2017-2021; Vice Chair, 2014-2017; Human Resources Committee Chair, 2012-2017; Human Resources Committee, 2012-2021; Governance Committee, 2012-2021
- American Employment Law Council, Member
- Law and Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice, Staff Member, 1984-85
News & Insights
Speaking Engagements
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Legal Updates
Publications & Presentations
Discipline and Termination, The Complete Employment Lawyer, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, March 23, 2023
Chapter co-author, “Discipline and Termination,” The Complete Employment Lawyer’s Quick Answer Book (2023)
4 Rules of Discipline Documentation, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 24, 2022
Employee Discipline & Discharge: The 4 Rules of Discipline Documentation, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 28, 2022
Co-Presenter, The 10 Rules of Termination Decisions, Fredrikson & Byron’s Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 28, 2021
4 Rules of Discipline Documentation, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 24, 2021
Quoted in "Vaccines Big Issue for Minnesota Businesses: 'Every Employer Has a Decision to Make,” Star Tribune, December 9, 2020
Co-Presenter, 7 Ways to Reduce Discipline and Discharge Legal Risks, Fredrikson & Byron’s Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 29, 2020
Help, My Employee is an Emoji, Fredrikson & Byron’s 35th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 7, 2019
The Strategic Use of Severance and Release Agreements, Fredrikson & Byron’s 35th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 7, 2019
4 Rules of Discipline Documentation, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, October 28, 2019
The 10 Rules of Termination Decisions, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 20-21, 2019
Open Forum on Discipline and Discharge—Ask Your Toughest Questions Regarding Difficult Situations, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 20-21, 2019
4 Rules of Discipline Documentation, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 20-21, 2019
Employment A to Z: ‘How-to’ Guide to Disciplinary Documentation, Minnesota CLE Webcast, February 7, 2019
Four Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Fredrikson & Byron’s 34th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 1, 2018
Important Lessons 70’s and 80’s Pop Tunes Teach Us about Employment Law, Fredrikson & Byron’s 34th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 1, 2018
Disciplining the Difficult Doctor, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 21-22, 2018
7 Important Things I Have Learned About Discipline and Discharge, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 21-22, 2018
7 Important Things I Have Learned About Discipline and Discharge, Minnesota Medical Group Management Association Winter Conference, March 6, 2018
Five Important Things I’ve Learned about Discipline and Discharge, Fredrikson & Byron’s 33rd Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 3, 2017
The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Fredrikson & Byron’s 33rd Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 3, 2017
The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Fredrikson & Byron’s Employment Law Seminar, West Des Moines, IA, September 27, 2017
Co-Chair, Employment & Labor Law: Federal and Minnesota, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, September 18-19, 2017
Whistleblower, Reprisal, Retaliation, Employment & Labor Law: Federal and Minnesota, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, September 18, 2017
7 Important Things I Have Learned About Discipline and Discharge, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22-23, 2017
The 4 Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22-23, 2017
More Answers! 22 Questions About Hiring, Discipline, Termination and More, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 22-23, 2017
The Strategic Use of Severance and Release Agreements, North Star SHRM, January 11, 2017
Co-Editor and Chapter Author, The Complete Employment Lawyer’s Quick Answer Book (2017)
The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Fredrikson & Byron’s 32nd Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 26, 2016
Open Q&A, Fredrikson & Byron’s 32nd Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 26, 2016
The 10 Rules of Termination Decisions Webcast, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, October 19, 2016
The 4 Rules of Discipline Documentation, MNSHRM Minnesota State Council Annual State Conference, October 11, 2016
The 4 Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 24, 2016
The 10 Rules of Termination Decisions, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 24, 2016
Chapter Author, The FMLA Handbook (2nd Ed. 2016)
Co-Chair, The Complete Employment Lawyer, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, February 4, 2016
Discipline and Termination, The Complete Employment Lawyer, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, February 4, 2016
Employment Law in Practice, The New Lawyer Experience, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 29, 2016
Six Termination Mistakes that Get Employers Sued, Fredrikson & Byron’s 31st Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 6, 2015
The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Fredrikson & Byron’s 31st Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 6, 2015
Accommodation Tribulations Parts I and II, Fredrikson & Byron’s 31st Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, November 6, 2015
Co-Chair, Employment & Labor Law: Federal and Minnesota, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, October 12-13, 2015
Whistleblower, Reprisal, Retaliation, Employment & Labor Law: Federal and Minnesota, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, October 12, 2015
Intermittent and Other FMLA Leave: Setting the Stage—Key Foundational Concepts, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, September 28, 2015
The 10 Rules of Termination Decisions, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 19, 2015
Open Forum on Discipline and Discharge, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 19, 2015
The Strategic Use of Separation and Release Agreements, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 18, 2015
Accommodation Tribulations: Disability, Pregnancy, Religion, Oh My!, Fredrikson & Byron Employment & Labor Law Seminar, April 22, 2015
The Strategic Use of Separation and Release Agreements, Fredrikson & Byron’s 30th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 28, 2014
The Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Fredrikson & Byron’s 30th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 28, 2014
The FMLA: Still Providing Daily Dilemmas and Challenges, Fredrikson & Byron’s 30th Annual Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 28, 2014
Course Co-Chair, Employee Discipline and Discharge, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, August 27, 2014
The Four Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, August 27, 2014
Co-Editor and Co-Author, Discipline and Discharge Handbook (2nd Ed. 2014)
The 4 Rules of Disciplinary Documentation, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 20, 2014
Disciplining or Discharging the Problem Employee, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 19, 2014
The Strategic Use of Separation and Release Agreements, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 19, 2014
Employment Law in Practice, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 23, 2014
Co-Chair, Employment & Labor Law: Federal and Minnesota, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 7-8, 2014
Whistleblower, Reprisal, Retaliation, Employment & Labor Law: Federal and Minnesota, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 7, 2014
Multimedia
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