
Robert G. Lian Jr.
Partner
Areas of Focus
- Labor & Employment
- Executive Disputes & Agreements
- Workplace Investigations, Civil Rights Audits & DEI Practices Advice
- Labor Relations Strategic Advice & Counseling
- Wage & Hour/Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Litigation & Counseling
- Workplace Safety/OSHA Litigation & Counseling
- Labor & Employment Issues Affecting Government Contractors
- Trade Secret Litigation
- Whistleblower Litigation
- Government Contracts
- Focuses on class and complex labor and employment litigation, workplace investigations, restrictive covenant disputes, executive disputes and strategic advice.
- Has led the firm’s labor and employment practice since 2008.
Drawing on more than 30 years of litigation experience representing employers and executives, Bob Lian represents clients in their most challenging workplace legal issues. These include class and collective action claims, internal and regulatory investigations, disputes with executives, and restrictive covenant and competitive hiring claims. He also provides strategic advice to companies on a range of workplace legal issues. The clients Bob serves span an array of industries, including chemical, construction, insurance, electrical power transmission and distribution, financial services, hedge funds, private equity and technology.
Bob has spent his entire legal career at Akin, beginning in 1992 as a summer associate. For the past 16 years, he has led the firm’s labor and employment practice, which has three times in the past several years been named as Law360 Employment Practice of the Year and has been repeatedly ranked by Chambers USA.
Class, Collective Action and Complex Litigation
- Represents a nationwide retailer in statewide and nationwide wage and hour litigations.
- Represents a beverage manufacturer in a wage and hour lawsuit alleging off-the-clock work.
- Defended a financial services firm in a nationwide collective action challenging the independent contractor status of sales professionals.
- Represents a chemical manufacturer in collective bargaining arbitrations.
- Represents a large insurance company in lawsuits involving claims by independent contractor agents.
- Defeated collective action status on behalf of a sporting goods retailer in defense of collective action claims. Defended a construction company in a gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit.
- Defended a consulting company against retaliation claims involving alleged complaints of discrimination.
- Represents numerous clients in federal and state occupational safety and health regulatory investigations and citation actions, including high-profile, “mega-fine” cases and criminal investigations, as well as advice-related matters.
- Represented a company and its founder in a dispute with an executive over the ownership interest in key division.
EducationJ.D., The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, with distinction, 1993
B.A., Colby College, 1990
J.D., The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, with distinction, 1993
B.A., Colby College, 1990
Bar AdmissionsDistrict of Columbia
Virginia
District of Columbia
Virginia
- Chambers USA, Labor & Employment, Washington, D.C., 2022-2025.
- Chambers USA, Finalist for Labor & Employment Practice Group of the Year, Nationwide, 2022.
- The Legal 500 US, Labor & Employment, 2017-2018; Labor and Employment Disputes (including Collective Actions): Defense, 2019-2025; Workplace and Employment Counseling, 2022.
- HR Executive Lawdragon, Top 100 Corporate Employment Lawyers, Nationwide, 2011-2024.
- Law360, Employment Practice of the Year, 2013, 2015-2016.
- Member, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Labor and Employment Committee.
- “Must DEI DIE?,” Multipart series sponsored by Akin exploring Trump Administration Executive Orders and related initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion, February – March, 2025.
- “NLRB Update 2024: Not Quite as Wild as 2023, but Still Providing Job Security for the L&E Bar,” VBA, 54th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference, Harrisonburg, VA, September 21, 2024.
- “Thorny Ethical Issues in Labor and Employment Litigation,” Washington, DC Bar Association, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
- “Cover Your Assets: Drafting and Enforcing Restrictive Covenant,” Akin New York Office, October 29, 2015.
- “Workplace Safety Regulatory Enforcement Update,” Akin Houston Office, September 24, 2015.
- “Managing Workplace Legal Risk in an Age of Transparency,” American Petroleum Labor Lawyers Association, Houston, May 27, 2015.
- “Emerging Wage and Hour Issues Affecting Oil and Gas Companies,” American Petroleum Labor Lawyers Association, Houston, October 16, 2014.