Rob has worked exclusively as an employee relations attorney throughout his career. He specializes in helping companies avoid employee problems. Rob has served as labor relations counsel to numerous and diverse organizations including manufacturing, warehousing, and construction companies, public sector employers, information service entities, professional and service organizations including law and accounting firms, health care institutions and insurance companies, as well as employer associations.  Rob has authored numerous articles on labor relations and employee benefits subjects and frequently lectures before trade associations and professional, institutional and management groups.

 

Rob has handled every type of labor and employment matter including negotiating collective bargaining agreements, handling union organizing campaigns, providing advice and counseling regarding the purchase or sale of a business, defending against discrimination claims, establishing lawful double-breasted companies, providing preventive counseling and strategic planning regarding labor and employment matters, etc.

 

Many of Rob’s clients are on a fixed-fee retainer which enables them to call Rob at any time without worrying about running up a bill. As part of the retainer for nonunion employers, Rob creates a prevention program which includes training supervisors from a human resource perspective, developing an employee communication program, auditing supervisors to determine employee complaints and/or personnel problems and making recommendations accordingly. For unionized employers on a fixed-fee retainer, Rob also negotiates the collective bargaining agreement and handles grievances that arise thereunder.

 

Rob’s philosophy is that it is much more cost effective for an organization to practice prevention and to “book” its legal costs by paying a small monthly retainer than to pay substantial legal bills and risk large damages as a result of an employee filing a suit against the organization.

 

Rob is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and the Western District of Wisconsin, the Illinois Supreme Court and the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

 

Rob has continuously received the highest possible legal ability and ethical ratings (“very high to preeminent”) from the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell rating service, is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and has been named an “Illinois Super Lawyer” and to the Leading Lawyers of America, both of which are limited to the top 5% of Illinois lawyers.

 

Rob has served as the Chair of the Employment Law Committee of the Lake County Bar Association on four occasions. Rob is a Co-Founder and past Vice-Chairman of the Labor Law Committee of the Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association. Since its founding, Rob has continuously Chaired the ethics committee of the Lake County Bar Association. Rob was appointed to the Employee Benefits Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association and served as its Chair. Rob was appointed by the Chicago Bar Association to serve on both the Task Force on Youth Justice and the Committee on Lawyer Regulation, and Rob was active on the latter Committee for over a decade.

 

Rob was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a Commissioner of the Court. In conjunction with this appointment, Rob served on the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Illinois Supreme Court, including an appointment as Chairman of an Inquiry Panel and as a member of a Hearings Board.

 

Rob received a B.B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Law. While in law school, he received the American Jurisprudence Award for Excellent Achievement In The Study Of Labor Relations Law. 

 

Rob is a member of MENSA. He is listed in “Who’s Who in American Law” and “Who’s Who in the World.”