Attorneys

Contact Information
Direct: 650.443.5102
Mobile: 650.388.8443
Fax: 650.644.3348
Email: shu@shusny.com

J. Robert Shuman, Jr.

Partner

Prior to becoming a co-founder of Shuman Snyder LLP in 2012, Bob (“Shu” to his friends and colleagues) was a partner at DLA Piper LLP (US) and its Palo Alto predecessor firms, including Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP, where Bob served as Gray Cary’s Operations Managing Partner for several years prior to its merger with DLA. For more than 30 years, Bob has focused his legal practice in the areas of employment law counseling and employment litigation for a wide range of Silicon Valley companies.

Bob provides corporate employment law counseling on many matters, including wage and hour, employee terminations, leaves of absence, restrictive covenants, sales compensation plans, employee drug/other testing, severance arrangements, disability accommodation, employment agreements, reductions in force, employment policies, and management training.  He also has extensive litigation experience in Federal District Court and California Superior Court, which includes the defense of numerous claims for unpaid wages, wrongful termination, gender/race/age/disability and other discrimination and harassment, retaliation, whistleblowing, and breach of employment and other contracts. Bob regularly represents his employer clients in administrative proceedings brought by or through the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the California Employment Development Department.

The research publisher Chambers & Partners has named Bob in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, noting that his clients say he “provides sound guidance and is able to articulate all the legal fine points quickly and clearly” and that he “gives great advice, writes well and is good at thinking outside the box.” During the last 15 years he was at DLA, Bob received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating (“AV”), and he has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2012. He was named a Northern California Super Lawyer 2005-2007 and 2011 (www.SuperLawyers.com).

Representative Matters

  • Lead counsel for Fortune 100 client in successful arbitration to enforce non-competition agreement against former key technologist.
  • Lead trial counsel for employer in sexual and racial discrimination and harassment suit; obtained defense verdict in jury trial.
  • Successful representation of national client in Department of Labor investigation regarding alleged misclassification of independent contractors.
  • Lead counsel for national client in SOX whistleblower action before Department of Labor that was resolved successfully before hearing.
  • Drafted new sales compensation plan for large technology employer.
  • Lead trial counsel for employer in age discrimination and retaliation suit; obtained defense verdict in jury trial.
  • Presentation of management training programs concerning sexual harassment (California-mandated and otherwise), managing within the law, conducting employee investigations, and handling difficult employees.
  • Conducted independent investigation for employer into “glass ceiling” claims by female/minority employees.
  • Successful mediation of numerous employment claims for discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and unpaid wages.
  • Lead counsel for defense contractor in action brought by former employee for gender discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and slander; obtained summary judgment on behalf of defense contractor.
  • Counseled large employer on implementation of reduction in force throughout United States, including, without limitation, WARN Act analysis, adverse impact analysis and corrective action, and Older Worker Benefit Protection Act requirements and compliance.
  • Secured “no cause” findings in actions alleging various forms of discrimination/harassment filed with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Bar Admission

  • California, 1981

Education

  • University of California, Hastings College of Law
    J.D. 1981
    Order of the Coif
  • Dartmouth College
    A.B. 1978 (History)

Personal

Bob and his wife (a real estate attorney, formerly with Gray Cary) live with their daughter in Los Altos Hills. It is a bitterly-divided household, as the female members of the family strongly support the San Francisco Giants and Stanford Cardinal, while Bob (quietly) roots for the Oakland A’s and the Cal Bears