Robert G. Lian Jr.
is the head of Akin Gump's firmwide labor and employment practice. His practice focuses on complex labor and employment litigation and strategic advice. Mr. Lian’s recent litigation engagements include—
- representation of an insurance company in a 2,300-person nationwide FLSA collective action involving the application of the administrative exemption to insurance agents
- a multi-state collective action on behalf of a chain of automobile collision repair facilities in a case involving the “commissioned employee” exemption
- defense of several nationwide and statewide collective and class actions against a major retailer
- representation of an insurance company in a nationwide class action involving claims under the ADEA and ERISA arising out of a corporate reorganization
- defense of company’s independent contractor program against various legal challenges under employment, franchise, statutory and tort claims
Mr. Lian represents companies in labor relations matters. His cases include—
- representation of a petroleum company in a union corporate campaign that involved numerous individual and class action lawsuits, NLRB litigation, legislative hearings, regulatory complaints and investigations, and boycott efforts
- defense of an insurance company in a multi-week union representation case involving a proposed bargaining unit of 13,000 workers
- representation of a large construction contractor in union election proceedings before the NLRB and advice in connection with a four-state union-organizing “blitz,”
Mr. Lian also handles occupational safety and health litigation. He assists companies in internal investigations of workplace accidents and fatalities, and represents them in related regulatory proceedings. His representative engagements include—
- representation of a large manufacturer in regulatory proceedings stemming from a plant explosion
- representation of companies in various industries in workplace fatalities and accidents
- ongoing representation of several clients in various industries with regard to OSHA citations and litigation
Mr. Lian received his B.A. in 1990 from Colby College and his J.D. with distinction in 1993 from the Catholic University of America, where he was a member of the
Catholic University Law Review and a national moot court team member in the Wagner Cup Labor Law Competition. He is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia Bars and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia, 4th, 7th and 11th Circuits.
In 2005 Mr. Lian was recognized in
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as one of Washington, D.C.’s leading employment lawyers.