• Secured a summary judgment victory for a California-based oil and gas production company defending a breach of an indemnity agreement claim for $40 million brought by a Fortune 100 company.
• Represented one of the nation’s largest wineries and its majority shareholders in a series of actions alleging breach of fiduciary duty and other claims by a minority shareholder seeking over $100 million in damages. Obtained summary judgment victories on real property claims and prevailed in compelling disclosure in online defamation postings arising out of the case by defeating an anti-SLAPP motion. The case settled at trial, after his client’s opening statement, when the plaintiff requested an immediate settlement conference supervised by the court.
• Defeated, on very short notice, a temporary restraining order sought by a county district attorney who sought to shut down the operations of an independent oil company by filing a 102-count complaint alleging environmental and safety violations. The civil suit was favorably settled after intensive depositions of regulators and a disgruntled former employee undermined the action.
• Successfully defended the CEO and founder of a China-based technology corporation in an action alleging breach of fiduciary duty and related tort and contract claims. In his cross-complaint, the CEO sought damages of over $90 million for infringement of his intellectual property; the case was favorably settled within 60 days of trial.
• Prosecuted a high-profile fraud case for the estate of heiress Sita White; through quick action, the estate obtained a temporary restraining order freezing nearly $1.6 million of the estate's funds that had been misappropriated before the defendants could transfer the funds to another bank; the case ultimately settled and the estate's funds were protected.
• Secured a confidential settlement on the eve of trial in favor of investors asserting claims against the nation's largest broker of precious metals for allegedly engaging in misrepresentations and omissions concerning the character and quality of recommended investments.

• Successfully defended a major entertainment company through three weeks of jury trial, against claims brought by a licensing agency that the company had engaged in fraud and breached its contract with the agency by not sufficiently promoting a miniseries that aired on its cable channel.
• Won a complete defense verdict, after a two-week jury trial on tort claims asserted against the president of a high-profile production company.
• Won summary judgment, which was affirmed on appeal, for a television production company on claims by a producer of a popular cable series that he maintained an ownership interest in the project.

• Successfully prosecuted an environmental insurance coverage action in American Arbitration Association (AAA) arbitration proceedings against one of the world's largest carriers resulting in a settlement on the eve of the hearing for a finance company that was seeking to clean up numerous sites on collateral in its possession.
• Obtained full insurance coverage for legal fees incurred by a leading software company in defending a $100 million plus patent infringement claim after coverage was initially denied by the carrier.

• Defended one of the nation's largest software companies in an AAA international arbitration proceeding against a large Canadian software company asserting a multimillion dollar claim arising out of the alleged breach of a software licensing agreement; the case was settled on a confidential basis following an extensive mediation proceeding.
• Robert served as a federal court-appointed Special Master in U.S. v. Nazario, the trial of a Marine charged with manslaughter for his role in four fatal shootings during the Battle of Fallujah, Iraq.  This was the first civil court trial about a service member in combat pursuant to the Military Extraterritorially Act of 2000.  Two of the government’s key witnesses were active duty Marines for whom the government was seeking to compel testimony after being found in contempt of court. Robert worked with the Court, counsel, and the Marine Corps to help navigate the novel and complex jurisdictional and protocol issues that allowed the marine witnesses to remain on base instead of prison during the trial.
• Served as the federal court-appointed Discovery Master for the high-profile Barbie vs. Bratz case from January 2009 through the completion of the case in June 2011.  During that time, Robert issued over 108 orders in the case covering a wide array of complex discovery issues, including the handling of sensitive in-house documents related to the idea for, and development of, the concept to the Bratz toy doll line.
• Served as chair and wing arbitrator in numerous AAA/International Centre for Dispute Resolution arbitrations involving patent, television distribution, construction, and oil and gas disputes.
• Served as chair in several World Intellectual Property Organization proceedings involving Internet domain name disputes.

• In a precedent-setting case, secured a major victory for Rwandan President Paul Kagame when the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling and dismissed a wrongful death suit filed by two widows of assassinated African presidents.  In affirming the lower court’s decision, the appeals court found that as a head of state recognized by the United States government, President Kagame was immune from suit. 
• Represented the Montana Farm Bureau Foundation as amicus curiae to the United States Supreme Court in the matter of PPL Montana, LLC v. State of Montana. In PPL Montana, the Montana Supreme Court used a novel standard to determine the navigability of certain Montana rivers, thus converting ownership of those rivers to the state of Montana. In its brief, the Montana Farm Bureau argued that the Montana Supreme Court’s adoption of a standard contrary to that of the United States Supreme Court was not only a violation of precedent, but an arbitrary act amounting to a judicial taking of the private property of thousands of private property holders, including farmers and ranchers represented by the Montana Farm Bureau. The Supreme Court is currently considering whether to grant review of the case.
• Represented the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in submitting amicus curiae briefs, both at the certiorari stage and on the merits, to the United States Supreme Court in Horne v. Flores.  At issue was a long-running consent decree concerning the education of English language learners (ELL) in Arizona’s public schools.  ALEC’s amicus curiae briefs supported the petitioners, the Arizona state legislature, in arguing that the lower courts were improperly interfering with the legislature’s authority and discretion in implementing effective ELL policies on a statewide basis.  The Supreme Court agreed, overturning the Ninth Circuit and District Court’s prior rulings in a 5 to 4 decision.

Robert’s professional affiliations include:

• Friends of the Public Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan, Board (2011-present)
• Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference Lawyer Representative (2007-present)
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Chair, Los Angeles Chapter (2003-2005)
• The Institute for Transnational Arbitration, member, Advisory Board (2006-present)
• International Law Section of the State Bar of California, member, Executive Committee (1999-2002)
• American Society of International Law
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Conrad Foundation, Board of Advisors (2008-present)
• Pacific Council on International Policy