Robert Hudock

Partner

Overview

Rob has exclusively defended employers and management for over 21 years. Unfazed by the notorious challenges presented by California employment law, he is known for his success with difficult cases, including those regarded as unwinnable.

Rob defends employers in all employment litigation matters, including wage and hour law; discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; wrongful termination; disability and leave issues; misappropriation of trade secrets; and executive employment agreement issues, including noncompete agreements. He litigates both single-plaintiff and class action cases in California and federal courts. He also defends employers in state and federal employment-related agency matters, including those before the California Labor Commissioner/DLSE and the Civil Rights Division (CRD), and the federal Department of Labor (DOL) and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Known for his careful case analysis and preparation, thoughtful counsel, and leadership skills, Rob is a disciplined advocate and tenacious litigator for clients. He regularly finds creative solutions for legal problems deemed lost causes by others. He has a gift for spotting what other attorneys don’t, and he’s prepared to fight all the way to verdict when it’s best for the client.

A strategist by nature, Rob has a considered reason for every litigation move he makes. He has a deeply purposeful approach, where every task, large or small, is specifically designed to best support the client’s case. Rob takes pride in never performing autonomic, nonspecific, or garden-variety work that can plague litigation. He is especially known for his highly strategic depositions, which frequently change the case narrative, result in summary judgment, or otherwise lead to favorable resolutions.

Rob is confident that every decision he makes will serve not only the strategy for a particular case, but also the long game of a client’s business needs. Rob uses a team approach in his representations. He educates clients to meaningfully participate in joint decisions, which ensures that choices and strategies are driven by the client’s needs. His satisfaction is closely tied to assuaging clients’ fears caused by the unknown or the threat inherent in litigation.

Before joining Zaller Law Group, Rob owned and operated his own employment law firm for ten years. Having owned a business, Rob strongly relates to clients’ positions, and he anticipates their needs and frustrations. Rob takes genuine interest in his clients and their businesses, and he translates his guidance and recommendations into plain language and practical advice grounded in business reality.

Selected Matters and Accomplishments

• Obtained summary judgment in a disability and age discrimination case involving 8 causes of action – after full discovery, extensive briefing, and two motion hearings – and successfully defended the ruling on appeal.

• Obtained back-to-back summary judgments in two federal disability discrimination cases where the EEOC had previously issued reasonable cause findings — convincing two different federal judges to disregard the EEOC determinations — and secured cost awards against both plaintiffs.

• Obtained defense verdicts on all claims in a high-risk wage and hour, wrongful termination, and fraud trial — including compensatory and punitive damages awarded to the client and a cost award of over $50,000 against the plaintiffs.

• Secured early dismissal of a competitor’s attempt to invalidate a client’s noncompete agreements nationwide, defeating the challenge before expensive litigation.

• Negotiated a favorable pre-litigation resolution of a pregnancy leave claim for a public service agency facing potentially significant exposure — avoiding the cost and risk associated with an earlier case with a multimillion-dollar verdict on similar facts.

• Received a $60,000 settlement demand at the outset of the plaintiff’s deposition in a disability discrimination and retaliation case – took the deposition and settled the following day for $5,000.

• Reviewed and redlined a contract presented by McDonald’s to a security services client, educating the client on the basis for each proposed change; the client reported that McDonald’s agreed to all requested modifications.

• Conducted comprehensive employment practice audits across multiple industries, delivering ready-to-use policies, forms, and management guidance that reduced litigation exposure and strengthened daily HR decision-making.

• Advised employers on remote employment and multi-state compliance, including published thought leadership in the Daily Journal and TechCrunch on workforce issues affecting California employers.

Publications

• Author, “Out-of-state remote work is all the rage, but be aware of differing employment laws,” Daily Journal (2023)

• Author, “A remote work model may have benefits, but it has costs — including novel legal liabilities,” Daily Journal (2022)

• Author, “Employment law’s future in the remote-controlled workplace,” Daily Journal (2022)

• Author, “Before an exit, founders must get their employment law ducks in a row,” TechCrunch (2021)

• Author, “Horrible bosses: Does the law allow you to be a jerk at work?,” Daily Journal (2021)

Recognition

• Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers, 2022–2025

• Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2025

• Los Angeles Times Legal Visionary, 2021–2023

• Los Angeles Business Journal Leaders of Influence: Labor & Employment, 2023

• National Law Journal Elite Boutique Trailblazers, 2022

• Daily Journal Top Boutiques in California, 2022

• Los Angeles Business Journal, Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys, 2022

• Los Angeles Business Journal, Top Litigator, 2021

Education

• University of San Diego School of Law — J.D.

  • American Academy of Trial Lawyers Award - graduating law student demonstrating exceptional ability, outstanding character, and strong commitment to trial advocacy; selected by faculty for top-tier performance in trial practice, evidence, and clinical courses

  • CALI Excellence for the Future Awards – highest grades in Employment Litigation and Professional Responsibility seminar courses

• University of Connecticut — B.A., Psychology

Admissions & Honors

• State Bar of California

• U.S. District Court, Central District of California

• U.S. District Court, Southern District of California