Robert A. Mittelstaedt (Bob)

Partner

Bob Mittelstaedt is a trial lawyer with more than 30 years experience in complex commercial cases, including antitrust, unfair business practice, international law claims under the Alien Tort Statute, and employment law. Bob has served as lead trial counsel or national coordinating counsel in state and federal antitrust matters for industries ranging from computer games and gasoline to high-speed internet access and online music stores. He has been responsible for the defense of nationwide class and parens patriae actions and for complex arbitrations, grand jury, and other criminal matters.

Most recently, Bob obtained a defense verdict in a five-week jury trial in a high-profile Alien Tort Statute case in San Francisco federal court that was recognized as the "California Defense Verdict of 2008" by the Daily Journal and for which he received the California Lawyer "Attorney of the Year Award for Litigation." He also is defending Apple in a nationwide class action alleging novel tying violations and Bridgestone Firestone in an Alien Tort Statute case challenging labor practices in Liberia. His other trial experience includes a defense jury verdict in a monopolization case after a three-month trial, a declaratory ruling that Hawaii's rent control law was unconstitutional (later overturned by the Supreme Court), a wrongful death trial in Los Angeles federal court, various jury trials as an acting San Francisco County public defender earlier in his career, and complex commercial arbitrations.

Bob is Partner-in-Charge of the Firm's San Francisco Office. He has served as a director of the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. He has spoken and written on trial practice and civil discovery. Before starting his legal career, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Micronesia.