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.

Representative Work

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.

Restrictive Covenant Litigation and Disputes

Represent insurance brokerage in multiple lawsuits with a competitor involving its entry into US market.
Represent financial services firm in arbitration challenging enforceability of non-competition agreement.
Represented a national retailer in lawsuit against a former executive for violation of a non-solicitation agreement.
Represented a large cosmetics company in the successful hiring of a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) from a main competitor despite the CHRO’s restrictive covenants.
Defeated a motion for preliminary injunction by a hedge fund modeler seeking to start his own fund in competition with our client.
Represented a national construction contractor in defeating a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction in the hiring of an executive from competitor.
Successfully defended a national home improvement retailer on claims that it improperly poached employees from a competitor.
Represented a defense contractor in the hiring of employees subject to non-competition restrictions from a competitor.
Represented an energy contractor in a declaratory judgment action concerning a non-compete that the competitor sought to enforce; ultimately negotiated a limited application of the non-compete.
Obtained an injunction blocking a renewable power executive from obtaining employment with a key competitor.
Represented a retail chain in negotiating a limited application of a non-compete to hire its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Assisted a global food manufacturer in the successful hiring of chief food scientists from its main competitor, notwithstanding the employees’ non-competition agreement.
Obtained an injunction blocking a former CEO of a national restaurant company from soliciting employees for a new employer.
Defeated a motion for a TRO and preliminary injunction seeking to block a construction company from hiring a team from a competitor.
Represent a global executive recruitment firm in competitive hiring and in enforcing its restrictive covenants with key personnel.
Successfully negotiated a significant reduction in an investment banker’s non-competition restriction, allowing him to begin prompt employment with a competitor.
Represent CEOs, corporate executives and companies in drafting, enforcing and seeking to limit application of restrictive covenants.

Investigations

Represented a hedge fund in an internal investigation of allegations of workplace misconduct.
Led an internal investigation of safety-related practices at an oil and gas company following several workplace accidents.
Conducted an internal investigation of alleged misappropriation of company assets by a senior executive at a construction company.
Represented a Wall Street financial services firm in an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct by executives.
Represented a utility construction company in a comprehensive investigation and review of safety practices and culture.

Advice-Related Matters

Assists clients with reductions-in-force, employee counseling and separation and general workplace legal compliance issues.
Assists clients in corporate transactions with labor and employment due diligence, transaction documents, union-management relations issues, employee separation and retention arrangements and other deal-related matters.

Restrictive Covenant Litigation and Disputes

Represent insurance brokerage in multiple lawsuits with a competitor involving its entry into US market.
Represent financial services firm in arbitration challenging enforceability of non-competition agreement.
Represented a national retailer in lawsuit against a former executive for violation of a non-solicitation agreement.
Represented a large cosmetics company in the successful hiring of a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) from a main competitor despite the CHRO’s restrictive covenants.
Defeated a motion for preliminary injunction by a hedge fund modeler seeking to start his own fund in competition with our client.
Represented a national construction contractor in defeating a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction in the hiring of an executive from competitor.
Successfully defended a national home improvement retailer on claims that it improperly poached employees from a competitor.
Represented a defense contractor in the hiring of employees subject to non-competition restrictions from a competitor.
Represented an energy contractor in a declaratory judgment action concerning a non-compete that the competitor sought to enforce; ultimately negotiated a limited application of the non-compete.
Obtained an injunction blocking a renewable power executive from obtaining employment with a key competitor.
Represented a retail chain in negotiating a limited application of a non-compete to hire its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Assisted a global food manufacturer in the successful hiring of chief food scientists from its main competitor, notwithstanding the employees’ non-competition agreement.
Obtained an injunction blocking a former CEO of a national restaurant company from soliciting employees for a new employer.
Defeated a motion for a TRO and preliminary injunction seeking to block a construction company from hiring a team from a competitor.
Represent a global executive recruitment firm in competitive hiring and in enforcing its restrictive covenants with key personnel.
Successfully negotiated a significant reduction in an investment banker’s non-competition restriction, allowing him to begin prompt employment with a competitor.
Represent CEOs, corporate executives and companies in drafting, enforcing and seeking to limit application of restrictive covenants.

Investigations

Represented a hedge fund in an internal investigation of allegations of workplace misconduct.
Led an internal investigation of safety-related practices at an oil and gas company following several workplace accidents.
Conducted an internal investigation of alleged misappropriation of company assets by a senior executive at a construction company.
Represented a Wall Street financial services firm in an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct by executives.
Represented a utility construction company in a comprehensive investigation and review of safety practices and culture.

Advice-Related Matters

Assists clients with reductions-in-force, employee counseling and separation and general workplace legal compliance issues.
Assists clients in corporate transactions with labor and employment due diligence, transaction documents, union-management relations issues, employee separation and retention arrangements and other deal-related matters.

"His advice is practical and innovative and does an excellent job integrating the applicable law with our business and practices."

Chambers USA, 2022

Education
J.D., The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, with distinction, 1993
B.A., Colby College, 1990

Bar Admissions
District of Columbia
Virginia

Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Labor & Employment, 2024-2026.
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.

Affiliations and Public Service

Member, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Labor and Employment Committee.

Speeches and Publications

“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.