Robert W. (Bob) Schmidt
Top rated Employment Litigation attorney in Austin, Texas
Robert W. Schmidt Law Firm, PLLC
Practice areas: Employment Litigation, Employment & Labor; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 1989
Education: The University of Texas School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2025 Call today:
512-982-1043
Free Consultation Robert W. Schmidt Law Firm, PLLC
1502 West AveAustin, TX 78701 Visit website
For over twenty years, Robert (Bob) W. Schmidt has successfully represented hundreds of employees who have been survivors of sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination and retaliation. He cares deeply about his clients and fights to protect their legal rights. He has tried employment cases to verdicts for his clients in Texas state and federal courts. Mr. Schmidt is on the Board of Directors of the National Employment Lawyers Association, a national professional group of lawyers who fight for employee rights. He is a former chairperson and current member of the Austin Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section and a former board member and current member of the Texas Employment Lawyers Association. He frequently speaks on employment law at legal education courses for attorneys and is a member of the Texas Bar College. He is a graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer College, which is a selective, extensive trial advocacy training program for public interest and plaintiffs’ attorneys.
Mr. Schmidt earned his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin Law School, and undergraduate degrees with high honors from UT and Oklahoma City University. He began his legal career at Locke Purnell Rain Harrell (now Locke Lord) in Dallas, Texas, and previously worked for the Texas Legislative Counsel, Texas Attorney General, Texas Ethics Commission and Crews Law Firm. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and its Labor and Employment Section, the United States District Court for Western and Northern Districts of Texas, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Schmidt is rated “AV Preeminent®” by Martindale-Hubbell®, which is the highest level of professional excellence for legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards, based on ratings by other peers in the legal community.
Practice areas
Employment Litigation: Plaintiff, Employment & Labor: EmployeeFocus areas
Employment Discrimination, Employment Law - Employee, Retaliation, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
- 50% Employment Litigation: Plaintiff
- 50% Employment & Labor: Employee
First Admitted: 1989, Texas
Bar / Professional Activity
- National Employment Lawyers Association, Board Member; Texas Employment Lawyers Association, Member; Austin Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, Member; Texas Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, Member; American Constitutional Society, Member
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- 2022 Sex and Pregnancy Discrimination Verdict, Nikolova v. University of Texas at Austin, Number 1 Gender/Pregnancy Discrimination Verdict in Texas, Number 1 Pregnancy Discrimination Verdict in United States ; 2011 Top Texas Verdicts, Discrimination Verdict, Collier v. Texas Tech University. Source TopVerdicts.com, 2022
Honors
- AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell, Super Lawyers Employee Litigation, Thompson Reuters, 2023
- One of an elite group of attorneys who have been rated highly by their peers as having Very High Ethical Standards and an A grade (4.5 or higher)., AV Preeminent Peer Rated Attorney, Martindale, 2023
- Top 50 Verdicts in Texas in 2022 (among all categories) in Nikolova v. University of Texas at Austin., Top 50 Verdicts in Texas in 2022, TopVerdicts.com, 2022
- Number 1 Gender Discrimination, Pregnancy Discrimination Verdict in Texas in the year 2022 in Nikolova v. University of Texas at Austin., Number 1 Gender Discrimination, Pregnancy Discrimination Verdict in Texas, TopVerdicts.com, 2022
- One of the 50 Top Employment Law Verdicts in United States for Nikolova v. University of Texas at Austin, One of 50 Top Labor and Employment Law Verdicts in United States,, TopVerdicts.com, 2022
Educational Background
- University of Texas at Austin, JD; University of Texas at Austin, BFA with Highest Honors; Oklahoma City University, BA Magna Cum Laude; Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College Graduate
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Speaker and Author of "Introduction to Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims" at State Bar of Texas Employment Law CLE, Author/Speaker, State Bar of Texas Introduction to Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims, State Bar of Texas, 2023
- INTRODUCTION TO DISCRIMINATION, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, AND RETALIATION CLAIMS presented at the State Bar of Texas Employment Law 101/Advanced Employment Law Seminar, January 2023, Author/Speaker, INTRODUCTION TO DISCRIMINATION, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, AND RETALIATION CLAIMS, State Bar of Texas, 2023
- Speaker for Austin Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section, August 2022, on “Deconstructing a Three Million Dollar (Plus) Employment Discrimination Jury Verdict” relating to sex and pregnancy discrimination verdict Mr. Schmidt obtained in Nikolova v. University of Texas at Austin., Speaker, Deconstructing a Three Million Dollar (Plus) Employment Discrimination Jury Verdict, Austin Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, 2022
- 2022 Update on Selected Topics in Texas Public Sector Employment Law was presented at the 29th Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference by the University of Texas School of Law CLE., Author/Speaker, 2022 Update on Selected Topics in Texas Public Sector Employment Law, University of Texas School of Law CLE, 2022
- Speaker for Austin Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section on “Sex and Religion: What Every Employment Lawyer Needs to Know About The Recent Landmark SCOTUS Decisions,” August 2020, Speaker, “Sex and Religion: What Every Employment Lawyer Needs to Know About The Recent Landmark SCOTUS Decisions”, Austin Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, 2020
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer College, a selective, intensive trial advocacy training program for public interest attorneys who represent plaintiffs and individuals
- Member Board of Directors of National Employment Lawyers Association, a national professional legal association of attorneys who fight for employee rights. , 2023
- Austin Bar Association Labor & Employment Section (Former Chair)
- Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College
- National Employment Lawyers Association (Board Member)
- State Bar Of Texas Labor And Employment Section
- Texas Employment Lawyers Association
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“Super knowledgeable about the law, and very good trial lawyer. ”
“Bob is an amazing lawyer and cares deeply about his practice and his clients.”
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2025
