Practice Overview

Rob Coelho represents businesses, nonprofit organizations, and corporate executives.  His clients rely on his expert labor and employment advice regarding the day-to-day operation of their businesses, as well as advocacy representation in all forms of business disputes, from alternative dispute resolution to trial and appellate proceedings.

Employment Advice and Counsel.  Rob effectively analyzes, explains, and makes recommendations regarding complicated employment and business issues, resulting in quick, thorough, and cost-effective solutions.  He advises clients regarding all aspects of employment, from hiring, performance evaluation, and managing leaves of absence to employee discipline, termination, and severance negotiations.  He conducts workplace investigations and trains clients in both the prevention of sexual harassment/discrimination and claim investigation.  Rob also performs audits for wage & hour compliance, worker classifications, and employment policies and practices, and drafts employment contracts, employee handbooks, and personnel policies.

Representative Matters

• Obtained dismissal of a fraud and race/national origin discrimination case after the first day of jury trial
• Successfully defended sexual harassment and battery claims against a subsidiary of a billion dollar telecommunication services company -- after obtaining a defense verdict in non-binding arbitration, resolved the case favorably for our client
• Favorably resolved a trade secret dispute for a networking hardware and telephony company against a former sales employee -- obtained a restraining order preventing the employee from doing business with the client’s customers, and a two-year non-compete agreement
• Obtained summary adjudication of federal harassment and discrimination claims against a Fortune 500 company
• Favorably resolved a race discrimination claim for a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company after filing a motion for summary judgment
• Obtained defense verdict in an overtime claim following a three-day court trial

Training and Speaking Engagements

A frequent speaker and trainer regarding employment law issues, Rob has presented seminars on virtually all employment law topics to corporate key employees, business owners and managers, and attorneys on behalf of the California Continuing Education of the Bar, Council on Educational Management, Santa Clara County Bar Association, Employment Resource Institute, and other organizations.  He also has been interviewed and quoted regarding employment law issues by CBS-5 television, KCBS radio, and the Silicon Valley-San Jose Business Journal.

Professional and Community Activities

Since 1998 Rob has served as a judicial arbitrator and mediator for the Santa Clara County Superior Court.  He is an active member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, serving on its Labor and Employment Law Executive Committee, Law Related Education Committee, and Judiciary Committee.  He also is a member of the Labor and Employment Section of the California State Bar. 

Rob is an alumnus of the San Jose/Silicon Valley Community Leadership Program.  He also has served on the boards of directors for the San Jose Arena Authority (2006-present), San Jose Police Foundation (2006-present), and Diabetes Society (1998-2007).  Rob has volunteered for Lawyers in the Library, a Santa Clara County Pro Bono Project, since 2004, and has been recognized in the Top 300 Lawyers in Silicon Valley by San Jose Magazine since 2000.