As chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, Bob Horton represents management in all areas of labor and employment law. Bob’s practice consists primarily of counseling clients regarding employment issues and defending companies against all manner of employment claims throughout the U.S.
Bob has substantial jury trial experience and has obtained defense verdicts in discrimination and retaliation lawsuits across the country. With a robust non-compete practice, Bob has assisted employers in drafting non-compete agreements on a state-by-state basis, enforcing non-compete agreements by way of obtaining injunctive relief, and defending the company and new employees against claims of breach of non-compete agreements with prior employers. Bob assists numerous public companies and executives in the negotiation of employment agreements, as well as executive departures and subsequent issues that arise from equity grants in various forms.
As chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, Bob Horton represents management in all areas of labor and employment law. Bob’s practice consists primarily of counseling clients regarding employment issues and defending companies against all manner of employment claims throughout the U.S.
Bob has substantial jury trial experience and has obtained defense verdicts in discrimination and retaliation lawsuits across the country. With a robust non-compete practice, Bob has assisted employers in drafting non-compete agreements on a state by state basis, enforcing non-compete agreements by way of obtaining injunctive relief, and defending the company and new employees against claims of breach of non-compete agreements with prior employers. Bob assists numerous public companies and executives in the negotiation of employment agreements, as well as executive departures and subsequent issues that arise from equity grants in various forms.
Bob’s practice encompasses:
- Employment Litigation – Defending clients in employment lawsuits across the country, including claims of age, sex, national origin, and race discrimination; retaliatory discharge based on various types of “protected conduct” such as workers’ compensation claims, FMLA leave, complaining of unlawful discrimination, and whistleblowing on patient care issues; non-compete matters and the attendant injunctive relief proceedings; employee misclassification issues; wage and hour claims; and class actions.
- Employment Law Counseling – Advising clients with respect to discipline and discharge; discrimination and civil rights; sexual harassment; non-competition agreements; disability and leave issues under the ADA and FMLA; wage and hour issues; drug and alcohol testing; veterans’ employment rights; union avoidance; and, other issues.
- Investigations – Assisting clients with the investigation of alleged misconduct by employees at various levels of management, from mid-level managers to senior executives, and reporting the investigation results and recommended response to senior management.
- Employment Agreements/Severance – Advising clients and drafting employment agreements as well as negotiating the departure of executives and the agreements associated with such departures.
Prior to joining the firm, Bob was labor counsel with HCA where he managed employment litigation for HCA affiliated hospitals. Before his work at HCA, he practiced labor and employment law with the Houston, Texas, firm of Vinson & Elkins.
