Rob is the deputy office managing member of the firm's Albany office. Recognized in Best Lawyers in America and as an Upstate New York Super Lawyers Rising Star in the area of Employment and Labor Law, Rob counsels higher education institutions on issues involving student discipline, faculty affairs, public relations matters, student social media issues, internal workplace and student investigations, accommodating students with disabilities, compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), risk management strategies, and all aspects of labor and employment law.

Rob also assists institutions navigate the complexities of student complaints related to sex and gender-based misconduct under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Article 129-B of the New York State Education Law. Rob routinely works with Title IX Coordinators and college administrators on drafting policies related to complaints of sex and gender-based misconduct and trains college personnel on how to investigate and adjudicate such complaints. 

Rob is an experienced litigator and has defended colleges in state and federal court against claims of gender-bias in lawsuits asserted under Title IX, Article 78 proceedings challenging college determinations related to student discipline, breach of contract claims alleging violations of college policies, and in discrimination and failure to accommodate claims asserted by students. He has also represented institutions before the United Stated Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and in employment litigation matters pending in state and federal court and before the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Rob’s representative cases including obtaining:

• A plaintiff’s voluntary withdrawal of a federal lawsuit asserted against a college alleging sex discrimination and disparate treatment under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as well as various state law claims, after the parties completed discovery;
• Summary judgment granted in favor of a college, dismissing state law claims of fraud and breach of contract asserted by a former faculty member who separated from employment pursuant to a separation agreement after violating college policy;
• Dismissal of student’s complaint before the New York State Division of Human Rights alleging race and national origin discrimination, as well as a subsequent dismissal of the student’s Article 78 petition filed in the New York Supreme Court after the Division found No Probable Cause of Discrimination; and
• Dismissal of student complaint filed with U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights alleging that a college failed to provide certain requested testing accommodations.

Rob is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.