Robert A. LaBerge

Rob advises management in all aspects of labor and employment relations. For more than 35 years, he has represented employers in all types of employment discrimination, labor, wage and hour, and employee benefits litigation and administrative proceedings.

Rob has extensive experience in the power generation, transmission, distribution and transportation industries and represents employers in many other business sectors as well.

Rob's labor law experience includes representing management in collective bargaining, NLRB proceedings, labor arbitration, labor audits, supervisory training and contingency planning. His employment law experience includes advising employers on, and representing management with respect to: wage and hour, discrimination, affirmative action and accommodation issues; investigations concerning alleged harassment, hostile work environment, workplace violence and ethics issues; OFCCP, USDOL, OSHA, USDOT and NYDOL audits and investigations; and investigations and administrative proceedings before the EEOC and state agencies involving discrimination, harassment and retaliation issues, including claims of systemic and affected class and adverse impact discrimination.

Rob's litigation experience includes defending employers in individual and class action and collective action claims brought under various federal and state statutes, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the New York and Massachusetts employment discrimination laws. He also has extensive experience handling wage and hour litigation brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law involving misclassification, off-the-clock and donning and doffing claims. Rob likewise has extensive experience defending claims brought under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and various state statutes and common law theories concerning changes to pension benefits, retiree health and life insurance benefits and other employee benefits and compensation programs.

Rob handles both jury trials and bench trials and all types of administrative proceedings. He has successfully tried discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims to jury verdict and has obtained favorable dispositive motions and dismissal of claims in numerous cases, including class-based and collective actions brought under ERISA, the FLSA, the ADEA and the ADA.

Rob is frequently invited to speak to business, human resources and attorney groups on various labor and employment topics.