Robin Samuel
Biography
Robin Samuel leads Baker McKenzie’s US Labor & Employment team, is co-chair of the Firm’s Workforce Redesign service line, and is a Steering Committee member for the North American Employment and Compensation practice. Robin also serves on the California offices’ leadership team.
Robin is a Chambers-ranked attorney for California employment law, a Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star, a 2024 Thompson Reuters Stand Out Lawyer, a 2024 Law360 Editorial Advisory Board member for Employment Authority (Discrimination), and a 2023 L.A. Business Journal Top 100 Lawyers award recipient. In May 2024, he received a Litigator of the Week 'Shout Out' from the American Lawyer Litigation Daily for his defense work in a precedent-setting COVID-19 vaccination case in the US District Court for the Central District of California. Robin is also a frequent author and speaker for organizations such as SHRM, ACC, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Practice Focus
Robin helps clients manage and resolve local and cross-border employment issues, whether through counseling or litigation. He advises clients on virtually all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring and firing, wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, contract disputes, restrictive covenants, employee raiding, and trade secret matters. Clients trust Robin to handle their most sensitive and complex employment issues.
Robin actively litigates class and collective claims, single plaintiff actions, and other employment disputes in state and federal court, arbitration, and before administrative agencies. He also handles sensitive internal investigations for clients around the world.
Robin helps clients achieve their business goals by guiding them towards practical and cost-efficient solutions to employment-related issues. Robin also provides in-house trainings on legal developments and trends.
Representative Legal Matters
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Obtained summary judgment for a data science company on claims of constructive discharge and whistleblower retaliation.
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Successfully defended a Los Angeles-based printing company in a putative wage class action.
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Successfully defended a leading sports and live entertainment company in religious discrimination claims regarding COVID-19 vaccination.
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Successfully defended a multi-jurisdiction non-compete case for one of the world’s leading event companies.
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Successfully defended an aerospace and defense company in an employment discrimination case.
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Successfully defended an international financial services company against breach of contract and commission wage claims.
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Defeated class certification on meal period, rest break and time rounding claims in a wage class action.
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Obtained a defense award on behalf of a private equity firm in arbitration with a former employee who sought an ownership interest in the firm.
Professional Honors
- 2024 Top Labor & Employment Lawyer by The Daily Journal
- Ranked in Chambers USA, California Labor & Employment
- Top 100 Lawyers Honoree, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2023
- Labor and Employment Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2020
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Law Section - Member
Admissions
- California~United States (1994)
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Colorado~United States
- U.S. District Court, Arizona~United States
- U.S. District Court, District of Nevada~United States
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California~United States
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri~United States
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington~United States
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
Education
- University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly University of California, Hastings College of the Law) (JD) (1994)
- University of California, San Diego (BA) (1991)