It was with great pleasure that we announced the February opening of our Jacksonville, Florida location. I want take a moment to tell you why we targeted Bob Stewart to head that office and why we are so proud to have him at Carr Allison. I have known Bob for over 20 years. How often do you get a chance to get a lawyer on board who was first in their law school class? Add to that someone who has handled complex transportation/employment matters for law firm powerhouses like Jackson Kelly and McGuire Woods. Then for good measure we get someone who has been part of the General Counsel team for Overnite Transportation (now UPS Freight), Pacer and XPO Logistics.
Bob has unparalleled experience in representing transportation clients and brings a unique skill set to Carr Allison. He has represented clients in the transportation industry for 30 plus years. Bob is one of the few lawyers I know who have balanced a career defending burn cases and TBI claims yet also defending major motor carriers in the most complex class action employment claims.
Moreover, we want someone at Carr Allison who will help us manage litigation costs to our clients. We want to get even better at what we do with a more direct understanding of how we can reduce those fees as Bob Stewart did for these major motor carriers over the years. Managing litigation on a national basis for Fortune 500 companies, Bob Stewart learned how to control legal spend, and managed to budget, while also delivering superior results.
As an in-house counsel, Bob has shown me that he understands the client’s business objective, and providing not just a correct legal answer, but an answer tailored to achieve the client’s goal. Bob brings years of experience advising transportation clients AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL.
Perhaps the greatest exposure faced by the trucking industry today is the attack on the owner-operator model, and the application of draconian state wage and hour laws to the trucking industry. This attach subjects the trucking industry to multi-million dollar class actions, governmental fines and penalties, and organization by the Teamsters. Bob has been at the forefront of the effort to defend against such claims and preserve the owner-operator model. His experience in this regard can be invaluable to motor carriers seeking to strengthen their operations to avoid such claims, and to defend against them when they occur.
Bob’s employment law experience, including the defense of Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA and FLSA cases expands our trend of expanding into the employment and labor law area.
If the above was not enough, Bob is a resident of Jacksonville, Florida where his wife, Debbie, is a well-known physician. Our footprint along the I-10 corridor throughout northern Florida is growing.
The term “triple threat” is used on Broadway to refer to a performer who can sing, dance and act. Bob with the ability to try complex accident cases, handle complex employment cases, and serve as an outside general counsel brings a unique triple threat capability to Carr Allison.
