Robert Schug Photo

Robert L. Schug

Partner
  • Bio
  • Awards & Memberships
  • Presentations & Publications
  • Admission & Education
Bio

Robert L. Schug is a member of Nichols Kaster’s Civil Rights and Impact Litigation team. He has dedicated his career to standing up for workers’ rights in complex class action litigation. Robert has more than a decade of experience litigating cases through trial in both court and arbitration. He has represented employees across the country on a variety of issues, including race, gender, and disability discrimination, employee misclassification, unpaid overtime, and unpaid wages.

Robert L. Schug is a member of Nichols Kaster’s Civil Rights and Impact Litigation team. He has dedicated his career to standing up for workers’ rights in complex class action litigation. Robert has more than a decade of experience litigating cases through trial in both court and arbitration. He has represented employees across the country on a variety of issues, including race, gender, and disability discrimination, employee misclassification, unpaid overtime, and unpaid wages.

Robert previously served as Director of Litigation at the Impact Fund, a nationally recognized non-profit law firm in Berkeley, California devoted to achieving social justice through large-scale impact litigation. He has been recognized as a Rising Star by Northern California and Minnesota Super Lawyers.

Robert graduated summa cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law and Middle Tennessee State University. He served as Executive Editor of the William Mitchell Law Review. He is licensed in California and Minnesota.

   
  • Named to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers list, 2022
  • Named one of “The Best Lawyers in America”, 2022-2023
  • Named to the Rising Stars list, Minnesota Super Lawyers, Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, and Twin Cities Business 2018-2021
  • Named to Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers list, 2020-2022
  • Named a “Rising Star” by Northern California Super Lawyers Magazine and San Francisco Magazine, 2012, 2013
  • National Employment Lawyers Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association
Publications
  • Test
  • "Consumer Law: Applying a Civil Rights Lens to the World of Consumer Law", Minnesota CLE, January 2019
  • “Legal Tools for Addressing Discrimination in Fire Departments: An Overview and Conversation,” 2018 International Associate of Black Firefighters Convention, Atlantic City, NJ, August 2018
  • “Legal Tools for Addressing Discrimination in Fire Departments: An Overview and Conversation,” 2018 International Associate of Black Firefighters Convention, Cleveland, Ohio, May 2018
  • “Preserving, Collecting & Producing ESI from your Client” and “Making the Most of ESI: Now that you’ve got it, Here’s How You Work With It,” NELA Spring Conference, Vienna, VA, April 2018
  • Impact Fund Class Action Training Institute, Oakland, CA, September 2017 (trainer)
  • “Taking Effective Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions in Wage and Hour Cases,” NELA Litigating Wage and Hour Cases, March 2017
  • “The Best Laid Plans: Crafting Effective Trial Plans,” Impact Fund Class Action Conference, Oakland, CA, February 2017 (trainer)
  • Impact Fund Class Action Training Institute, Oakland, CA, September 2016 (trainer)
  • “Latest Developments in Attorneys’ Fees,” Impact Fund Summer Webinar Series, Berkeley, CA, August 2016
  • “Taking Rule 30(b)(6) Corporate Depositions: Strategies for Success,” National Employment Lawyers Association 2016 Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA, June 2016
  • “Calling Their Bluff: Using Arbitration to Gain the Upper Hand,” Impact Fund Class Action Conference, San Francisco, CA, February 2016 (moderator)
  • ACLU of Northern California Deposition Skills Workshop, San Francisco, CA, January 2016
  • Disability Rights California Trial Skills Workshop, Sacramento, CA, Fall 2015
  • Impact Fund Class Action Training Institute, Chicago, IL, October 2015 (organizer and trainer)
  • Impact Fund Class Action Training Institute, Oakland, CA, September 2015 (organizer and trainer)
  • “Spokeo v. Robins: The Case for Keeping Corporate America Accountable,” Impact Fund Practitioner Blog, September 2015
  • “Tyson Foods, Inc. v. Bouaphakeo – Fighting for the Rights of Low Wage Workers,” Impact Fund Practitioner Blog, September 2015
  • “Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez – New Classic or the End of a Trend,” Impact Fund Practitioner Blog, August 2015
  • “Mach Mining v. EEOC – What It Means for the Victims of Discrimination,” Casetext Civil Rights Blog, June 2015
  • “Preparing for the Plaintiff’s Deposition: Everything You, and Your Client, Need to Know,” Legal Aid Association of California Traveling Training, Fresno and Sacramento, CA, October 2014
  • “California Class Action Update,” Impact Fund Summer Webinar Series, Berkeley, CA, August 2014
  • “A Beginner’s Guide to Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions,” Impact Fund Summer Webinar Series, Berkeley, CA, July 2014
  • Impact Fund Class Action Training Institute, Oakland, CA, June 2014 (organizer and trainer)
  • “Taking Rule 30(b)(6) Corporate Depositions: Strategies for Success,” National Employment Lawyers Association 26th Annual Convention, Boston, MA, June 2014
  • “A Beginner’s Guide to Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions,” National Employment Lawyers Association 26th Annual Convention, June 2014
  • “Ascertainability and Uninjured Class Members as Growing Threats to Class Certification,” Impact Fund Class Action Conference, Oakland, CA, February 2014 (moderator)
  • “Shaking the Foundations: Tools for Transformative Justice,” Stanford Law School, Stanford, CA, November 2013
  • “Drafting Effective and Admissible Declarations,” Legal Aid Association of California Traveling Training, San Diego, CA, October 2013
  • “To Class or Not to Class, That is the Question,” California Employment Lawyers Association, Annual Conference, October 2013
  • “Issue Certification Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(c)(4),” California Employment Lawyers Association, Annual Conference, October 2013
  • “Certification Under FLSA v. Rule 23,” California Employment Lawyers Association, Annual Conference, October 2013

Admissions

  • United States Supreme Court
  • California Supreme Court
  • Minnesota Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court, Northern District of California
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of California
  • United States District Court, Central District of California
  • United States District Court, Southern District of California
  • United States District Court, Colorado
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • United States District Court, District of Minnesota
  • United States District Court, Western District of Tennessee
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin

Education

  • J.D., William Mitchell College of Law, summa cum laude
  • B.A., Middle Tennessee State University, summa cum laude

Select Results

  • Worker Misclassification: Bollinger v. Residential Capital, LLC, 863 F. Supp. 2d 1041 (W.D. Wash. 2012) (Collective action on behalf of 89 mortgage underwriters seeking overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. After discovery, the district court ruled in favor of the workers on the defendant’s key defenses to liability.)
  • Class Certification: Sliger v. Prospect Mortgage, LLC, No. S-11-465, 2011 WL 3747947 (E.D. Cal. 2011) (granting FLSA certification in a case involving 595 mortgage loan officers seeking unpaid overtime and minimum wage); Lyons v. Ameriprise Financial, Inc., No. 10-cv-503, 2010 WL 3733565 (D. Minn. 2010) (granting FLSA certification in a case involving call center workers seeking unpaid overtime)
  • Gender Discrimination: Ellis v. Costco, No. 04-3341 (N.D. Cal.) (Court-approved settlement of nationwide claims alleging “glass ceiling” gender discrimination in promotion to warehouse management positions.)

Tell Us About Your Case

No Company is Too Big to Play Fair

When it comes to the unfair treatment of employees and consumers, our lawyers and legal professionals are prepared to fight for what is right.

  • Please enter your first name.
  • Please enter your last name.
  • Please enter your phone number.
    This isn't a valid phone number.
  • Please enter your email address.
    This isn't a valid email address.
  • Please enter your state.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please enter a message.