Education
- The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D., 1986
- Ohio State Law Journal, articles editor
- University of Cincinnati, B.A., History, 1983, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Civic Involvement
- Cleveland State University Foundation Board of Directors
- AJC Cleveland, Board of Directors, member
- Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio and Indiana, Board of Directors, vice chairman
- Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Board of Directors, member
- John Carroll Entrepreneurs Association, Program Committee, former chair
- Leadership Cleveland, Class of 2014
- Northeast Ohio Human Resources Leadership Group, past president
- The Club at Key Center, Board of Governors, past chair
- The Union Club, Membership Committee, member
- University of Cincinnati Alumni Association, Board of Governors, former member
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
- Technology Committee, charter member
- Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee, member
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Litigation Counsel of America
- Trial Law Institute, member
- Diversity Law Institute, member
- Ohio State Bar Association
- William K. Thomas American Inn of Court, Barrister, former member
Bar/Court Admissions
- Ohio State Courts
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Awards
- The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Fellow
- Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating for Highest Level of Professional Excellence
- Selected to Ohio Super Lawyers, 2005-2006, 2008-2019
- The Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law – Management, 2018 – 2021
Presentations & Publications
- “Soccer, Salary History Bans, and Sizing up Equal Pay,” July 11, 2019
- “SECURE Your Future: New Legislation Could Make It Easier For You!” May 05, 2019
- “Split Supreme Court Ruling Could Change Future of Class-Action Claims,” Apr. 25, 2019
- “Proposed Department of Labor Rule Could Have Significant Impact on Businesses,” Apr. 23, 2019
- Frequent speaker on labor and employment issues to such organizations as:
- American Bar Association, Technology Committee and Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee
- Human Resources Leadership Group
- Society for Human Resource Management, local and national
- HR Star Conference
- Northern Ohio HR Conference
- University of Akron HR Forum
- Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) Small Business Convention
- Alexander Hamilton Institute
- Numerous Chambers of Commerce
- “Class Action and Arbitration: Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis: Supreme Court Rules In Favor of Class Action Waivers in Arbitration Agreements,” June 21, 2018
- “Exempt or Non-Exempt? Supreme Court Upends Definition,” May 29, 2018
- “The High Cost of Employee Turnover,” HR Academy, May 17, 2018
- “Sixth Circuit Agrees: Discrimination Against LGBT Employees Violates Title VII,” March 9, 2018
- “Where #MeToo Meets Tax Reform,” Jan. 25, 2018
- “Adviser: Save Local Businesses Act proposes answers to employment uncertainties,” Crain’s Cleveland Business, Nov. 27, 2017
- “Hot Topics in Employment Law 2018,” HR Academy, Oct. 11, 2017
- “5 Lessons from the Google Manifesto: Free speech in the workplace,” Aug. 18, 2017
- “You’ve Been Sued for Discrimination! Now What?” Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s HR Academy, Aug. 2, 2017
- “Put it in Writing: Dos and Don’ts for Creating an Employee Handbook,” Jun. 8, 2017
- “Strategic Legal Update: How Far Will the Pendulum Swing,” HR Leadership Group, Jan. 19, 2017
- “A Woman’s Cost to Live, Work, and Learn,” John Carroll University, Oct. 18, 2016
- “Do Performance Reviews have a Future?” The University of Akron Leadership & Human Resources Management Advisory Board, Oct. 6, 2016
- “Non-Profit Board Member Education Program,” Vantage Point 360, Oct. 6, 2016
- “Top 5 Employment Issues Facing Businesses,” Carnegie Investment Counsel, Sept. 14, 2016
- “Ignoring problem employees can lead to legal action later,” Crain’s Cleveland Business, Sept. 11, 2006
- “On the job with Robert Gilmore,” Crain’s Cleveland Business, Nov. 7, 2005
Media Mentions
“Save Local Businesses Act proposes answers to employment uncertainties,” Crain’s Cleveland Business, Nov. 27, 2017
Robert S. Gilmore
Partner
rsg@kjk.com 216.736.7240 216.621.6536Overview
Rob Gilmore serves as Chair of the Labor & Employment Law practice group and leads the firm’s Employment & Severance Negotiations group, bringing leadership and strategic direction to the attorneys working in these areas of practice.
In his own practice, Rob counsels employers both large and small in the full range of labor and employment matters, including workplace terminations, reductions in force, employee handbooks and policies, non-compete agreements, trade secrets, shareholder disputes, unfair labor practice allegations, union negotiations and general business litigation. He represents employers in state and federal courts, arbitration and before state and federal administrative agencies in defense of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge claims and in non-compete litigation.
Within KJK’s Employment & Severance Negotiations group, Rob and his team assist executives and professionals in the negotiation of employment and severance agreements. Rob works with his clients to deliver the best possible results depending on their individual needs and goals.
From his background as an assistant general counsel for Verizon Communications, Rob brings a broad understanding of both sides of labor and employment disputes and takes a proactive approach to help clients deal with issues before they occur. He’s valued by his clients not only for his depth of experience but also his ability to communicate important concepts related to their cases.
An avid tennis player, Rob applies the same strategic thinking on the tennis court as he does in his legal work. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history and remains a history buff, believing in the value of understanding history to take action for the future.
Rob is frequently called upon as a speaker for local and national conferences, and has been recognized nationally for his accomplishments by being selected as a fellow to both The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and the Litigation Counsel of America.
“I consider preventative work to be very important in employment law. A lot of that came from my experience as assistant general counsel in a large corporation. I have a good understanding of what’s important to clients and how to work through their issues.” – Robert S. Gilmore
Representative Experience
“Rob has a calm demeanor that perfectly translates his excellent advice on hiring, personnel and employer/employee relations. I recommend his advice and ability to help employers consider their options when engaging with employees in all aspect of staffing situations.”
– Rob Felber, President – Felber PR & Marketing
- Successfully defended a client sued for disability discrimination by a terminated employee
- Provided advice to numerous companies on such issues as workforce reduction, executive severance agreements and non-compete arrangements.
- Obtained favorable determinations from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in response to charges of sex discrimination filed against our client by various employees.
- Negotiated many employment and severance agreements for executive and professional clients.
- Defended clients against claims of patent infringement, warranty issues, lease agreement breaches, trade secret claims and other matters
- Represented numerous employers in defense of charges before the National Labor Relations Board
- Served as lead counsel in labor arbitrations on behalf of employers
- Conducted union elections and collective bargaining negotiations on behalf of manufacturing companies