Robert (Bob) Cocchia
Partner
Robert (Bob) Cocchia concentrates his practice on employment litigation and employment counseling, consumer class actions, and complex business/commercial disputes.
Mr. Cocchia has over 25 years of experience successfully representing businesses in a wide range of employment disputes including employee misclassification, wage and hour claims, breach of employment contracts, theft of trade secrets, employee non-compete agreements, discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, disability and harassment claims.
Mr. Cocchia was trial counsel for the defendant in Goldman v. Radioshack Corporation, a class action case in federal court in Pennsylvania involving alleged wage and hour violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The case resulted in a complete defense verdict after a three-week jury trial. Bob was also lead trial counsel for defendant in Huston v. Battelle Memorial Institute, a discrimination and whistle-blower retaliation case that was tried in federal court in California resulting in the jury awarding no damages to Plaintiff.
While Mr. Cocchia has developed substantial experience guiding clients through California’s complex employment laws, both in litigation and counseling, he has also defended employment claims for clients under both federal and state law in throughout the country, and before government agencies (EEOC, DFEH).
In addition to litigation, Mr. Cocchia advises clients throughout the employment process including employee onboarding, determining exempt or non-exemption classification, drafting employment agreements, confidentiality and proprietary rights agreements, separation and release agreements, employment policies and handbooks; advising on employee leaves of absence and requests for accommodation; and conducting internal investigations.
Mr. Cocchia has also successfully defended numerous manufacturers, retailers and service providers in consumer class actions involving claims brought under California Business & Professions Code Sections 17200 and 17500 for unfair competition (UCL), false advertising (FAL) and deceptive pricing, and Civil Code Section 1750, the Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA).
Prior to joining Rimon, he was general counsel of a software development company and coordinated the company’s intellectual property strategy, contract formation, and licensing agreements.
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
- Obtained a defense verdict as trial counsel for a government contractor accused of whistleblower retaliation after a two-week jury trial.
- Obtained an early dismissal for a national retailer in a consumer class action alleging deceptive pricing, false advertising and unfair competition under California Business & Professions Code Section 17200 and 17500 and California Civil Code Section 1750 (CLRA).
- Obtained for a chemicals manufacturer an early dismissal of claims of unfair/unlawful competition under California Business & Professions Code Section 17200, brought by a competitor regarding sales to the state of California.
- Represented a large retailer in multiple nationwide and state class actions, and in multiple individual actions alleging wage and hour violations.
- Represented a wireless telecommunications provider in numerous consumer class actions involving claims of false advertising and unfair competition under California Business & Professions Code Section 17200, and improper collection of federal exercise taxes and sales taxes.
- Successfully defended a government contractor providing training to the military against claims that that the contractor violated the Uniform Trade Secrets Act.
- Obtained a summary judgment on behalf of the defendant in a complex breach of contract and fraud case, in which the plaintiff sought in excess of US$500 million in damages.
- Represented a thoroughbred horse owner in claims against an agent for fraud and breach of contract in relation to the purchase of horses in excess of US$45 million.
- Represented a government contractor in litigation involving breach of contract, and tortious interference with contract claims with a subcontractor.
- Obtained the dismissal of a shareholder derivative class action on behalf of a special litigation committee.
- Represented a partner in the unwinding of an accounting partnership and the subsequent sale of the business.
- Conducted an internal investigation for a company accused of fraud and securities violations.
PUBLICATIONS
- Co-author, “California dreaming, California nightmare – 3 takeaways from California’s controversial independent contractor bill becoming law,” Dentons client alert and International Law Office (ILO), September 23, 2019
- Co-author, “Tectonic shift – Key takeaways as California Legislature passes controversial independent contractor bill,” Dentons client alert, September 12, 2019
- “California Allows Employment Class Action Waivers; But the PAGA Threat Persists,” Dentons client alert, June 26, 2014
- The 2014 McKenna Long & Aldridge California Litigation Guide, April 17, 2014
- “FINRA to Conduct Cybersecurity ‘Sweeps,'” Dentons client alert, March 17, 2014
- “Arbitration Clauses: Avoiding Class Actions After the Concepcion Decision,” The 2013 McKenna Long & Aldridge California Litigation Guide, January 2013
- “Successful Strategies For Today’s Employment Law Attorneys,” Inside the Minds Series – Strategies For Employment Litigation 2012
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
- Top-Rated Business Litigation Attorney, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2016-2020
- Top-Rated Employment and Labor, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2022
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- American Bar Association
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- San Diego County Bar Association
News, Events, & Insights
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