Robert J. Maguire
Partner
Co-Chair, Litigation Practice
Rob Maguire co-chairs the firm's litigation practice group nationwide. Rob is an experienced litigator trying cases, responding to government investigations, and defending clients in adversarial regulatory proceedings. He often handles high-stakes, high-profile, or sensitive matters with a balanced approach combining zealous advocacy with diplomacy. In addition to complex commercial litigation, trade secret litigation, and complicated employment-related disputes, Rob has substantial experience handling constitutional, election, campaign finance, and political matters. Whether through forming political committees, drafting ballot measures, and advising campaigns to enact new law, or litigating in the courts or before administrative tribunals to apply the law fairly, Rob solves clients' problems.
Rob has represented Microsoft, Uber, Starbucks, The Seattle Times, the King County Superior Court, numerous trade associations, various statewide ballot measure committees, political parties, candidates, and foundations. He has also served as a special County Prosecuting Attorney to represent a Washington County, litigating the matter from trial court through the Washington Supreme Court.
Rob has successfully defended class actions, including through trial, and complex cases involving fiduciary duty, trust obligations, Uniform Commercial Code issues, commercial contracts, high-value real property disputes, and international commercial disputes. He has defended numerous C-Suite executives in depositions and other proceedings.
Based on feedback from his clients and peers, Rob has repeatedly been recognized as a leading litigator and trial lawyer by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2014.
Practice Highlights
Disputes with regulators
Election and political law
Rob was one of the lead lawyers in Washington's first-of-its-kind gubernatorial 2005 election contest trial and regularly represents clients in election and political matters. His work includes advising candidates, businesses, trade associations, foundations, policy organizations, and political committees. He assists clients forming political committees, drafts ballot measures, provides campaign finance compliance counseling, responds to investigations, and litigates ballot measure and election disputes from the trial court to the Washington Supreme Court.
Employment, trade secrets, and noncompetes
Over the last decade, Rob's practice has included defending complicated employment disputes including Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation claims; wrongful discharge in violation of public policy claims; novel workplace safety claims concerning alleged mental health injuries from content moderator duties; and discrimination claims. For more than twenty years, Rob has counseled Fortune 100 companies and represented them in litigation over trade secret and noncompete issues including high-profile matters ranging from the theft of boat designs in the America's Cup sailing race to raiding claims against a financial institution for mass hiring of brokers.
Complex Commercial Litigation
Noncompetition Agreements & Trade Secrets
Political Counseling and Litigation
Admitted to Practice
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Alaska, 1998
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Washington, 2000
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U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1999
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U.S. District Court District of Alaska, 2000
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U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington, 2005
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U.S. District Court Western District of Washington, 2000
Education
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J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1998
- Contributing Editor, Journal of Law Reform
- Member, Child Advocacy Law Clinic
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A.B., Politics, Princeton University, 1994, with honors
- Certificate in Political Economy
Memberships & Affiliations
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- Vice-President, Sno-King Amateur Hockey Association
- Member, 2006-2013; Director and Co-treasurer, 2011 – Northwest Children's Fund
- Executive Board Member, Puget Sound Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society, 2000-present
- Lex Mundi Institute Alumnus, 2005
- Republican National Lawyers Association
- Captain, Seattle Breakers Hockey Club, 2001-2015
Professional Recognition
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- Named as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" by Chambers USA in Litigation: General Commercial (Washington), 2014-2023
- Selected to "Washington Rising Stars," 2006-2008, 2010-2012, and "Washington Super Lawyers," Thomson Reuters, 2013-2023
- Named one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in Commercial Litigation by Best Lawyers, 2013-present
Background
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- Law Clerk, Hon. Andrew J. Kleinfeld, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, 1998-1999