Robert Rapp, Of Counsel
Mr. Rapp has represented management interests in labor and employment law matters and litigation for more than 35 years. His experience encompasses defense against allegations of unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation under federal and Texas law, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the full panoply of other federal and state employment statutes.
He also has advised employers experiencing union organizing campaigns and unfair labor practice charges under the National Labor Relations Act. He has represented businesses in health and safety matters, including defending businesses against alleged willful and serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. He has also represented employers during wage and hour investigations brought by the U.S. Department of Labor and has successfully defended against class/collective action wage claims brought by private individuals on multiple occasions.
Mr. Rapp also frequently drafts employment, confidentiality, non-competition and trade secret agreements and regularly handles litigation in this area. He has both prosecuted actions for injunctive relief for breaches of non-compete agreements and defended employers against allegations of interference in such contracts and trade secret litigation.
In addition to litigation, Mr. Rapp’s employment practice includes management training in the human resource field, design of personnel systems, preparation of policies and handbooks, drafting executive employment agreements, creation of affirmative action plans for government contractors, advice on reductions in force and other employment terminations, and investigations of alleged employee misconduct such as theft of trade secrets, sexual harassment and whistleblower claims as well as for claims of unlawful discrimination.
EDUCATION & BAR Associations
J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Law Review
B.A., magna cum laude, Harvard University
Admitted to practice: Texas; United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; United States District Courts for the Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas
ACCOLADES
Mr. Rapp has been Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for approximately 30 years. He has long held a peer-reviewed “A/V” rating (the highest conferred) from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He has been named every year from 2008 to 2015 to the listing “Texas Super Lawyers,” published by Thomson Reuters, a distinction conferred upon only 5 percent of Texas lawyers.
“Best Lawyer” Employment Litigation Defense, S.A. Scene Magazine (2018)
“Best Lawyer” Employment Law – Management and Labor Law – Management Best Lawyers in America (2021 Edition)
“Lawyer of the Year” Labor Law – Management Best Lawyers in America (2021 Edition)
