Robert C. Kellner, Counsel
Bob counsels and represents clients in all aspects of employment and labor law, including employment discrimination, personnel policies and practices, employment contracts, restrictive covenants, severance agreements, wrongful discharge, wage and hour law, collective bargaining, and National Labor Relations Act matters. He advises clients with respect to a wide range of employee benefits matters and is counsel to multiemployer pension and welfare funds and other employee benefit plans.
Bob chaired the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) from 2000 to 2002. He is a past President of the Maryland chapter of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (formerly the Industrial Relations Research Association). He served on the Labor and Employment Article Review Committee, which recodified Maryland's employment statutes, and he has been a member of the faculty for the Maryland Institute for the Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL) and other educational seminars.
Bob has been recognized by Woodward & White in Best Lawyers in America for his work in employment and labor law; by the British publisher Chambers & Partners in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers for employment and labor law; and in Maryland's Super Lawyers - Corporate Counsel Edition for employment and labor law.
He has lectured and written on numerous labor, employment and employee benefits issues, including avoiding liability in hiring and firing employees, the Americans with Disabilities Act, age discrimination, anti-harassment policies and training, workforce reductions, severance programs, drug testing and substance abuse policies, claims and appeals procedures under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), contingent workforce, and telecommuting.
Honors
AV Preeminent™ rating in Martindale-Hubbell®
Named to Chambers USA® for Employment & Labor Law since 2003
Named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Employment Law - Management and Labor Law - Management since 2008
Selected to Maryland Super Lawyers® list for Employment & Labor Law, 2007-2009, 2012-2018, 2021-2024
News
- 22 Gordon Feinblatt Attorneys Named to 2025 Super Lawyers® List and 10 as Rising Stars
- 28 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America® 2025
- 21 Gordon Feinblatt Attorneys Named to 2024 Super Lawyers® List and 14 as Rising Stars
- 28 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America® 2024
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2023
- 26 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America® 2023
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2022
- 17 Gordon Feinblatt Attorneys Named to 2022 Super Lawyers® List and 9 as Rising Stars
- 25 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America® 2022
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2021
- 17 Gordon Feinblatt Attorneys Named to 2021 Super Lawyers® List and 7 as Rising Stars
- 24 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America® 2021
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2020
- 24 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America® 2020
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2019
- 24 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America® 2019
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2018
- 24 Gordon Feinblatt Attorneys Named to 2018 Super Lawyers
- 25 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named to Best Lawyers in America 2018
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2017
- 23 Gordon Feinblatt Attorneys Named to 2017 Super Lawyers
- 25 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America 2017
- 28 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named Best Lawyers in America 2016
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2015
- 26 Gordon Feinblatt Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America 2014
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2013
- 27 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named As Best Lawyers in America 2013
- 24 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named as Best Lawyers in America 2012
- Gordon Feinblatt Awarded Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2011
- 20 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named as Best Lawyers in America 2011
- 19 Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named to Maryland's 2009 Super Lawyers and 3 Named to Maryland's "Rising Stars"
- Seventeen Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named to Best Lawyers in America 2009
- Fifteen Gordon Feinblatt Lawyers Named to 2008 Best Lawyers in America
- GFR Lawyers Chosen for Super Lawyers 2007
Professional and Civic Involvement
President, William H. M. Finney Foundation
Director and Past President, The Shepherd’s Clinic, Inc.
Past Chair, Maryland State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
Member and Acting Chair, Maryland Code Revision Committee for Labor and Employment Law Article
Member and Past President, Maryland chapter, Labor and Employment Relations Association (formerly the Industrial Relations Research Association)
Faculty Member, Maryland Institute for the Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL)
Member, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Publications and Lectures
- Relating to Real Estate: Hot Topics 2020 Webinar
- Recently Enacted Maryland Employment Laws on Heat Stress, Unpaid Wages and Hernias
- Maryland’s 'Mini-WARN' Law Mandates Advance Notice of Certain Workforce Reductions and Carries Significant Penalties
- Final Overtime Rules to be Effective January 1, 2020
- Employers Will Be Required to Report Pay Data as Part of the EEO-1 Report by September 30, 2019
- Maryland Enacts Mandatory Paid Sick/Safe Leave
- Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans Must Make RMDs Timely – Even For Participants Who Don’t Come Forward to Apply for Benefits
- Rethinking Recruitment Agency Agreements
- IRS Says ACA Penalty Letters Will Be Coming Soon
- Delaware Bans Salary History Inquiries
- New EEOC Guidance for Employees with Mental Disabilities
- Employers Must Begin Using New I-9 Form By January 22, 2017
- Federal Court Blocks Implementation of Overtime Rule
- Montgomery County Paid Sick and Safe Leave Law to Take Effect October 1, 2016
- Enforcement of New Rule Which Would Limit Many Post Accident Drug Testing and Incentive Programs Delayed by OSHA
- Maryland to Impose Penalties for Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors
- Maryland Expands its Equal Pay Law
- EEOC Issues Final Regulations on Wellness Program
- DOL Issues Final Overtime Rules
- OSHA Rule Imposes New Injury Reporting Procedures and Seeks to Restrict Common Drug Testing and Safety Programs
- Obama Administration Proposes New Compensation Reporting Requirements
- DOL Guidance Asserts That Most Workers Are Employees - Not Independent Contractors
- DOL Proposes Changes to Overtime Rules
- Maryland Adopts Mandatory Parental Leave For Small Employers
- Minimum Wage Increases For Maryland Workers
- Gender Identity Is Added To Maryland’s Discrimination Law
- Update -- New Maryland Employment Laws
- "Ban the Box" Law Passes in Baltimore City
- Affordable Care Act’s 90-Day Waiting Period Restriction Effective in 2014
- One-Year Delay in Play or Pay Penalties and Certain Reporting Requirements Under Affordable Care Act
- New Maryland Employment Laws and Federal Court Invalidates NLRB Posting Rule
- DOL Issues Guidance and Model Notices under Affordable Care Act and COBRA
- Maryland Legal Alert - April 2013
- Same Sex Marriage - Health Insurance Benefits
- New Fair Credit Reporting Act Summary of Rights Notice Required Effective January 1, 2013
- Another Section 409A Compliance Deadline -- December 31, 2012
- New Maryland Employment Law Legislation
- Maryland Legal Alert - May 2012
- Off Again..... The NLRB Postpones Implementation of Its Notice Posting Rule Pending Resolution of Court Disputes
- On Again, Off Again - NLRB Posting Requirement Is On Again. All Employers Must Comply By April 30, 2012.
- "Facebook Firing" Revisited: The NLRB's Social Media Agenda
- Maryland Legal Alert - November 2011
- NLRB Postpones Effective Date of Employee Rights Notice-Posting Rule Until January 31, 2012
- EEOC Turns Focus To “No Fault” Leave Policies: Verizon Pays $20 Million Dollars To Settle ADA Lawsuit
- Maryland Legal Alert - September 2011
- All Employers To Be Required To Post Notice of Rights Under Labor Law
- New Maryland Law Restricts Use of Credit Reports for Employment Purposes
- Supreme Court Expands Class of Potential Plaintiffs Who Can File Retaliation Claims Under Title VII To Include Third-Parties
- EEOC Targets Inflexible Leave Policies
- Health Care Law Requires Employers To Provide Break Time And A Place For Nursing Mothers
- National Labor Relations Board Announces Intent to Require All Private Employers to Post a Notice Informing Employees of Their NLRA Rights
- New Maryland Law Mandates Work Breaks for Certain Retail Employees
- 2010 Maryland Laws Update
- COBRA Subsidy Extended Through May 31, 2010
- Employer Notice Obligation Under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- COBRA SUBSIDY EXTENDED -- AGAIN
- Model Notices for COBRA Subsidy Extension
- COBRA Subsidy Extension
- Homeland Security Announces It Will Implement Mandatory E-Verify for Federal Contractors
- 2009 Maryland Laws Update
- Amendments Clarify the Maryland Flexible Leave Act
- Maryland Legal Alert - April 2009
- Update To COBRA Requirements Under The Stimulus Act
- Economic Stimulus Act Imposes New COBRA Obligations on Employers
- Department of Labor Publishes Final Amendments To FMLA Regulations
- 2008 Maryland Laws Update
- Federal Contractors Will Be Required To Use E-Verify Program To Confirm Employees’ Right To Work In U.S.
- Maryland Passes Flexible Leave Law
- Legislature Fixes Problem with Vacation Leave Payouts
- Amendments To FMLA Add New Leave For Military Families
- SUPREME COURT WIDENS AVAILABILITY OF 401(k) LAWSUITS
- Maryland Legal Alert - January 2008
- Montgomery County Enacts Law Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identification
- Vacation Pay Policies In Turmoil
- Employers Must Switch To New I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form By December 26, 2007
- Update: Vacation Pay Entitlement for Employees
- Maryland Legal Alert - November 2007
- Changes to Maryland's Health Insurance Laws Effective January 1, 2008 - Coverage Until a Dependent Turns Age 25
- Maryland Employers Should Review Vacation/PTO Policies
- Maryland Legal Alert - September 2007
- December 31, 2007 Deadline Still Looms for Section 409A Compliance
- Deadline For Employers To File Revised EEO-1 Form is Approaching
- Section 409A Regulations Are Finalized
- Maryland Legal Alert - May 2007
- 2007 Maryland Laws Update
- IRS Issues Guidance On New Retirement Plan Rules
- Whistleblower Protection Under Sarbanes-Oxley
- After Acquired Evidence
- New Law Encourages Automatic Enrollment To Help Employers Boost Participation in 401(k) Plans
- Impact of Section 409A On Severance Arrangements
- Baltimore EEOC Office Litigation: A Year In Review
- Correction Programs For Employee Benefit Plans
- Much Ado About Very Little: 'Oakwood Healthcare, Inc.'
- Healthcare Employers Receiving $5 Million Or More Per Year Fom Medicaid Must Educate Employees and Contractors on False Claims Laws and Whistleblowing
- Congress Passes Pension Reform
- New Laws And Regulations Affecting Employee Benefit Plans
- Maryland Legal Alert - June 2006
- U.S. Supreme Court OK's Reimbursement Rights for ERISA Medical Plans
- You Broke It, You Bought It! (How A Common Employment Policy May Cause Problems) DOL Issues Opinion Letter on Charging Exempt Employees for the Cost of Lost or Broken Equipment
- Maryland Enacts Nondiscrimination Law Applicable To Entities Engaging In Business With The State
- New Laws And Regulations Affecting Employee Benefit Plans November 2004
- No Right To Representation In Nonunion Workplace
- Supreme Court Limits Lawsuits Against HMO's
- Supreme Court Reaffirms Availability of Employer's Affirmative Defense to Supervisor Sexual Harassment
- PBGC Proposes New Penalties
- Final COBRA Regulations Issued by DOL
- FMLA Update December 2003
- Maryland Employers Beware! There is Nothing Unusual About Workplace Accidents When It Comes to Awarding Workers' Compensation
- Fourth Circuit Holds Employees Can Select a Specific Weingarten Representative
- I'm Not Sleeping, I'm on Leave
- Maryland Employer's Firing of an At-Will Employee for Consulting Attorney is Not a Wrongful Discharge
- Department of Labor Seeks to Modernize White Collar Exemptions
- Employer Obligations to Members of the Military
- D.C.'s Top Court Retreats from Anti-Employer Decisions re: Employee Handbooks
- When is A Commission Due? (Updated)
- New IRS Guidance on Health Reimbursement Accounts
- Court of Appeals Extends Wrongful Discharge Tort
- Health Benefits for Domestic Partners
- Social Security's New Policy on Mismatched Employee Information
- Supreme Court Strikes Down NLRB's Imposition of Liability Against Employer Who Filed Unsuccessful Lawsuit
- Swearing Is No Big Deal At Least When Filing An EEOC Complaint
- Court of Appeals Narrows Telephone Exemption Under Maryland Wiretap Act
- Is There Such A Thing As Reverse Age Discrimination?
- Continuing Violation Theory Extended
- A Threat To One's Self Is Enough
- ERISA Plan Claims and Appeals:
- Ergonomics - Redux
- FMLA Leave, By Any Other Name, Is Still FMLA Leave
- Employers Should Update Anti-Harassment Policies and Practices
- Covered Employers are Required to Post OSHA 200 Log in February
- Employer Obligations Regarding Employees Called to Duty in Uniformed Services
- When Is A Commission Due?
- New OSHA Record-Keeping Requirements
- No Investigation Without Representation
- New Maryland Laws Prohibit Discrimination Based Upon Sexual Orientation and Genetic Information
- OSHA Ergonomic Program Standard Rejected
- Employee Separation Agreements Under New EEOC Regulations:
- Maryland Employers Must Exercise Reasonable Care in Negotiations For At-Will Employment
- Telecommuting - Being Virtually There
- Did You Fail to File a Form 5500?
- Does "Current" Drug Use Mean Yesterday, Last Week or Last Month?
Teams
Benefits/ERISA
Employment
Health Care
Real Estate
Education
J.D.,
Boston College,
1976
B.A.,
The Johns Hopkins University,
1973
Bar Admissions
Maryland,
1976