Robin R. Cockey
Senior Partner

Robin R. Cockey is trial lawyer of 45 years experience, and focusing on civil litigation, with specialties in civil rights and employment cases. Mr. Cockey has tried cases in both divisions of Maryland's Federal Court, and in most Maryland Circuit Courts, including Baltimore City. He has also pursued extensive appellate practice, having handled appeals in the Fourth Circuit and the Federal Circuit and in both Maryland appellate courts. Mr. Cockey has numerous reported opinions to his credit, including Gold Coast Mall, Inc. v. Larmar Corporation, 468 A.2d 91 (Md. 1983), Md. State Dep't of Health & Mental Hygiene v. Phoebus, 575 A.2d 335 (Md. 1990), Knussman v. State of Md., 16 F.Supp.2d 601 (D. Md. 1998), Boyer-Liberto v. Fontainebleau Corp., 786 F.3d 264 (4th Cir 2015), and Guerrero v. Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc., 115 F.4th 349 (4th Cir. 2024).

Mr. Cockey served two terms as President of the Maryland Employment Lawyers Association. He also served eight years on the Salisbury City Council, the last six as Council President. Mr. Cockey is a Fellow of both the Maryland and National Bar Foundations. He has received a "Leadership in Law" award from the Daily Record and has been named Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by the Maryland Chapter of the ACLU.

Mr. Cockey attended Swarthmore College (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and the College of William and Mary (Order of Barristers). He lives in rural Wicomico County with his wife, two of his four children and five cats.

Areas of Practice

• Civil Litigation
• Employment/Labor Law
• Municipal Law
• Zoning Law
• Planning and Land Use
• Government

Bar Admissions

• Maryland, 1980
• U.S. District Court District of Maryland, 1983
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1999
• U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit, 2006

Education

• The College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, Williamsburg, Virginia
  J.D. - 1980
  Honors: Phi Beta Kappa; Order of Barristers
• Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
  B.A. magna cum laude - 1977

Published Works

• "The Family and Medical Leave Act at Work: Getting Employees to Value Families" (Co-Author), 4 Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law 225, 1996
• "For Employers, the Paper Trail Starts with a Written Personnel Policy", 12 The Law Clerk 2, 1997
• "Can't Buy Me Leave: Looking for Effective FMLA Remedies", Maryland Trial Lawyers Association Reporter, 2007
• "Crossing Jordan: How A Bartending Crisis Revolutionized the Law of Workplace Harassment," 17 University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class. Fall 2017

Representative Cases

• Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene v. Phoebus, 319 Md. 710 (1990)
• Zazanis v. Gold Coast Mall, Inc., 63 Md. App. 364 (1985)
• Knussman v. State of Maryland, 935 F. Supp. 659 (D Md) (1996)
• Knussman v. State of Maryland, 16 F. Supp. 2d 601 (D Md) (1998)
• Knussman v. State of Maryland, 65 F. Supp. 2d. 353 (D Md) (1999)
• Smack v. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 134 Md. App. 412 (2000)
• Smack v. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 378 Md 298, 835 A.2d 1175 (2003)
• Andy's Ice Cream, Inc. v. City of Salisbury, 125 Md, App. 125, 724 A.2d 717 (1999)
• Knussman v. State of Maryland, 272 F. 3d 625, C.A. 4 (Md.) (2001)
• Montgomery v. State of Maryland, 266 F.3d 334, C.A.4 (Md.) (2001)
• Montgomery v. State of Maryland, 377 Md. 615, 835 A.2d 1224 (2003)
• Montgomery v. State of Maryland, 374 Md. 358, 822 A.2d 1224 (2003)
• Walker v. City of Salisbury, 170 F Supp 2d 541 (D. Md) (2001)
• Ford v. Dept. of Corrections, 149 Md. App. 488 (2001)
• Marsha A. Lewis v. Board of Education of Talbot County, et al., 262 F. Supp. 2d 608, 177 Ed. Law Rep. 1069 (D.Md.) (2003)
• Purnell v. State of Maryland, 330 F. Supp. 2d 551 (D.Md.) (2004)
• Heller v. State of Maryland, 391 Md 148 (2005)
• Heller v. DNR, 161 Md App. 299 (2005)
• Dorothy Houlihan v. Sussex Technical School District, et al, 2006 WL 3349534, 461 F. Supp 2d. 252 (2006)
• Boyer-Liberto v. Fontainebleu Corp., 786 F3d 264 (4th Cir 2015) (en banc)
• Guerrero v. Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc., 115 F.4th 349 (4th Cir. 2024)

Representative Clients

• City of Crisfield (1992-Present)
• Somerset County Sanitary District Commission (2005-Present)
• Wor-Wic Community College (1984-2006)
• Wicomico County Housing Authority (1994-Present)
• The McCready Foundation (Hospital) (2013 -- Present)
• Eastern Shore Regional Library (2012 -- Present)

Classes/Seminars

• Employment Rights for Cancer Survivors, Wellness Community of Dermania, 2009 - Present
• First Amendment Issues: Scope of an Employee's Right to Speak, MICPEL
• Americans with Disabilities Act CADA for Employers and Tax Incentives, Salisbury University Center for Professional Development / Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, 2001 - Present

Honors and Awards

• Bouton Visiting Legal Scholar, Princeton University 1988, 1991
• Maryland ACLU Pro Bono Attorney Award, 1999 - Present
• The Daily Record Leadership in Law Award, 2004 - Present
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Fellow, Maryland Bar Foundation

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Wor-Wic Foundation, Member, Board of Trustees, 1986 - 1990
• Wor-Wic Foundation, Chairman, 1987 - 1990
• Salisbury City Council, Member, 1986 - 1994
• Salisbury City Council, President, 1988 - 1994
• Wicomico County Parks and Recreation Commission, Member, 1987 - 1988
• Wicomico County Airport Commission, Member, 1989 - 1992
• City of Salisbury Housing Task Force, Chairman, 1987
• City of Salisbury Traffic Advisory Committee, Chairman, 1994 - Present
• Wicomico County, Member
• Wicomico County, Treasurer, 1985 - 1987
• City of Salisbury Landlord Licensing Committee, Member, 2003 - Present
• Maryland Employment Lawyers Association, Member/Vice President, 2009 -- 2014; President, 2014-2018

Pro Bono Activities

• Lower Shore Performing Arts Company
• Maryland Employment Lawyers Association

Fraternities/Sororities

• Phi Beta Kappa
• Order of Barristers