Bob Sheeder
Partner
Camille Leonard
214.758.1609
In private practice since 1976, Bob Sheeder represents management in all aspects of labor and employment law before federal and state agencies and courts. His practice includes litigation and counseling of management on areas including discrimination, harassment, collective actions and class actions, union organizing and wage-hour issues.
Mr. Sheeder is a frequent lecturer and writer on labor law issues. He previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Labor Letter. For over five years he has been on the Faculty of the Jury Trials of Employment Claims Course and has participated in the Advanced Course. He is a charter member of the Management and Employment Law Roundtable. He also is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
Mr. Sheeder served as Chair of The University of Texas Law School 2006 Annual Course on Developments in Labor and Employment Law and has frequently spoken at the course.
Representative Matters
Represented Towers Perrin, a third party administrator in Milofsky v. American Airlines, Inc., 404 F.3d 338 (5th Cir. 2005) in which the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of Towers Perrin in an ERISA class action.
Represented the defendants in Shephard v Worldcom , a nationwide benefits class action in which the United States District Court of the Southern District of Texas granted summary judgment.
Represented a major manufacturer in a multiparty sex discrimination trial in state court in Fort Worth, Texas, in which the court granted a directed verdict for the defendant employer after several weeks of trial.
Negotiated the closing and relocation of a Fortune 500 manufacturer's union represented production facility in Richardson Texas, and successfully defended multiple related unfair labor practice charges and a prolonged Unit Clarification trial before the National Labor Relations Board.
Successfully defended a Fortune 500 corporation in a race discrimination class action in the Northern District of Texas, in which the Court denied class certification and subsequently granted summary judgment against the named plaintiffs.
Successfully defended one of the first Sarbanes-Oxley cases in Texas.
Publications and Speeches
Wage and Hour Collective Actions, State Bar of Texas Webcast, Austin, Texas, November 27, 2007
Jury Trial Litigation of Employment Claims, Hilton Head, South Carolina on August 5-7, 2002, San Diego, California on August 22-24, 2002; La Costa, California on August 22-24, 2003; Las Vegas, Nevada on October 14-15, 2004; Napa, California on November 11-12, 2004; Los Angeles, California on June 2-3, 2005; Napa, California November 14 - 15, 2005; Las Vegas, Nevada December 8-9, 2005; San Antonio, Texas September 21-22, 2006; Las Vegas, Nevada October 4-5, 2007, Decemeber 6-7, 2007
"Discrimination Law Update", Texas Association of Business 29th Annual Employment Relations Symposium, San Antonio, Texas, July 12-13, 2007
State Bar of Texas Annual Advanced Employment Law Course, Austin, Texas, February 20-21, 2003, “Opening Statements in Jury Trials;” San Antonio, Texas, January 22-23, 2004, “Jury Selection.” Planner and Moderator, Houston, Texas November 3, 2005
"Retaliation After Burlington Northern", University of Texas, May 17, 18, 2007
Chairman and Moderator, University of Texas Conference on Labor and Employment Law, Austin, Texas, May 18-19, 2006
Advanced Jury Trials of Employment Claims, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 7-8, 2006; May 24-25, 2007
University of Texas Conference on Labor and Employment Law, Austin, Texas, May 18-20, 2005, “Hiring and Firing Employees and Controlling Rogue Supervisors.”
University of Texas Conference on Labor and Employment Law, Austin, Texas, May 2003, “Expert Witnesses in Employment Litigation.”
The Labor and Employment Law Advanced Practices Symposium, San Diego, California, November 4-5, 2004, “Legal Pitfalls in Hiring Employees.”
University of Texas Annual Conference on Labor and Employment Law, Austin, Texas, May 2004, “Sarbanes Oxley Act Update.”
Texas Associaton of Business 26th Annual Employment Relations Symposium, San Antonio, Texas, July 29-30, 2004, “Harassment Update.”
University of Texas Conference on Labor and Employment Law, Austin, Texas, May 2002, “Contingent Workforces: Are Contingent Workers Worth the Risks?”
University of Texas Conference on Labor and Employment Law, Austin, Texas, May 2001, “Class Actions in Employment Cases.”
Education
J.D., cum laude, University of Michigan Law School, 1976
B.A., with high honors, University of Virginia, 1973
Bar Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
Board Certifications
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Affiliations
State Bar of Texas, Labor and Employment and Employment Law Section, Executive Council Labor and Employment Law Section 2002 to present
American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Fellow
Noteworthy
Texas Monthly Magazine, Top 100 Lawyers in Texas, 2006
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Labor and Employment, 2003 to present
The Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment Law, 2001 to present