Robert K. Carrol

Partner

Rob is a veteran labor and employment practitioner, with an emphasis on traditional labor law, wage/hour class action, agricultural labor, employment discrimination and wrongful termination matters.

Robert Carrol Portrait

Rob is a veteran labor and employment practitioner, with an emphasis on traditional labor law, wage/hour class action, agricultural labor, employment discrimination and wrongful termination matters. Rob’s clients range from Silicon Valley startups to Fortune 200 companies, including many in the food and beverage, manufacturing, solid waste disposal, agriculture, insurance, and hospitality sectors. Rob understands how his clients’ labor and employment issues may impact their business objectives and provides tailored solutions to advance their strategic goals.

Client Work

Rob’s focuses his national Labor and Employment practice on the following types of work:

  • Counseling both union and non-union companies on operational issues;
  • Collective bargaining, arbitration, and defense of charges filed with various federal and state administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB), the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), Alcohol & Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and California Alcohol Beverage Commission (ABC); and
  • Defense of complex wage-hour class action, employment discrimination, unlawful harassment, unfair competition, trade secret, non-compete and employee mobility, and ADA Title III access matters.

Rob and his team have had notable success defending large-scale wage-hour and other labor-related class actions, recently defeating class certification in several large class actions filed in the US District and California Superior Courts, including two where the plaintiffs sought $176,000,000 and $58,000,000 in unpaid wages/penalties, respectively.

Previous Work

Prior to joining ArentFox Schiff, Rob was a partner in the San Francisco office of a global law firm where he led both the Western US Labor and Employment and Global Beverage Alcohol teams.

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association, Labor Law Section
  • State Bar of California, Labor Law Section
  • International Wine Lawyers Association (AIDV), Board Member
  • Bar Association of San Francisco
  • Hellenic Law Society

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

Rob was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the “Top Labor & Employment Attorneys” in California in 2024, 2023, 2021, and 2020. Rob has also been recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for his Labor and Employment work and has earned, annually throughout his career, an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating from Martindale Hubbell. Additionally, ArentFox Schiff’s leading National Labor & Employment Practice Group was just named by US News & World Report and Best Lawyers as a top tier practice group in the country and Rob leads its Firm’s West Coast L&E Team.

Life Beyond the Law

Rob regularly trains and plays golf at the San Francisco Olympic Club’s Downtown and Lakeside facilities. He is also a huge supporter of Real Madrid, the San Francisco Giants and 49ers and attends as many games with his sons, Coulton and Dylan, and daughter, Payton, as his schedule will permit. He is conversational in Spanish, French, and Modern Greek.

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