Rob is a shareholder in our Fargo office and dedicates his practice to the defense of civil litigation claims in state and federal court. Rob regularly represents clients in the areas of professional liability defense, products liability, employment litigation, construction disputes, transportation claims, and oil and gas litigation. Rob’s focus is on the defense of clients in all types of catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims ranging from oil rig accidents to the defense of medical malpractice claims. Rob also has extensive experience representing employers in FLSA wage and hour litigation.

Rob graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice from North Dakota State University in 2000. He then graduated, with distinction, from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2004, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Rob served as President of the Student Trial Lawyers Association and as Editor-in-Chief of the North Dakota Law Review. Before joining the firm, Rob served as a law clerk to the Honorable Rodney S. Webb, United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota.

Rob is past President of the North Dakota Defense Lawyers Association and of the Cass County Bar Association and currently serves as the President of the North Dakota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Rob also serves on the steering committee for the Transportation Practice Group of ALFA International and serves in various leadership positions for the Defense Research Institute (DRI).

Honors and Distinctions

• Great Plains Super Lawyers®, Thomson/Reuters, 2013 – 2021
• Listed as a leading North Dakota Litigation attorney by Chambers USA

Memberships

• State Bar Association of North Dakota
• Minnesota State Bar Association
• Cass County Bar Association
• Clay County Bar Association
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
• North Dakota Defense Lawyers Association (NDDLA)
• Ronald N. Davies Inns of Court
• Association of Transportation Law Professionals (ATLP)
• Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel

Representative/Published Cases

• Manitoba Public Ins. Corp. v. Dakota Fire Ins. Co., 743 N.W.2d 788 (N.D. 2007)
• Sauby v. City of Fargo, 747 N.W.2d 65 (N.D. 2008)
• Kappenman v. Klipfel, 765 N.W.2d 716 (N.D. 2009)
• Gravalin v. Reliance Standard Life Ins., 592 F.Supp.2d 1184 (D.N.D. 2009)
• Moore v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 576 F.3d 781 (8th Cir. 2009)
• Kronberg v. Oasis Petroleum, 831 F.3d 1043 (8th Cir. 2016)
• Wilkinson v. Board of University and School Lands, 903 N.W.2d 51 (N.D. 2017)
• Meyer v. McKenzie Electric Coop., 947 F.3d 506 (8th Cir. 2020)

Publications