Robert S. Hawkins

Member

Recent News:

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Robert represents employers and rail carriers in labor and employment law matters, especially those involving the transportation, manufacturing, and construction industries. He represents clients in labor negotiations, arbitration, litigation, counseling, and both regulated and non-regulated transactions.

Bob's experience includes matters involving the Railway Labor Act (RLA), the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act, the Federal Railroad Safety Act, and federal and state equal employment opportunity laws.

Bob has been recognized by Chambers USA as one of the leading U.S. business lawyers and, since 2008, has been recognized in the Labor and Employment Law — Management category of The Best Lawyers in America®. In 2012, he was named to the BTI Client Service All-Star list, a roster of 272 elite attorneys regarded for their attention to client needs.

Bob is a senior editor of The Railway Labor Act, Fourth Edition, written by leading practitioners from the American Bar Association's Committee on Railway and Airline Labor Law, Section of Labor and Employment Law and published by the Bureau of National Affairs, Washington, D.C., in 2017.

Bob is a board member of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Philadelphia County (CASA), an organization committed to the recruitment, training, and supervision of volunteers who represent children in the foster care system. Following law school, Bob served as a law clerk to the Honorable Alfred L. Luongo, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Experience

News

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

August 15, 2024

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys to its Best Lawyers in America 2024 Edition

August 17, 2023

Best Lawyers selected 232 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

More Than 205 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 20, 2020

Best Lawyers selected 200 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

Publications

Dealing with Employee Protests and Strikes due to COVID-19 Concerns [Alert]

April 09, 2020

Adam Gutmann discusses what employers should do when employees strike, participate in sickouts, or request PPE or to work from home due to concerns surrounding COVID-19.

Industry Sectors

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1983
  • St. Joseph's University, B.A., summa cum laude, 1980

Awards & Honors

Best Lawyers in America 2008-2025

  • Pennsylvania
  • New York

Honorable Alfred L. Luongo, U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Pennsylvania