A Statement from Bobby

I am delighted to announce my retirement from King & Spalding as of March 31, 2021.

When I graduated from law school 42 years ago, I would never have guessed the opportunities that have come my way, the experiences I have had, or the many wonderful clients, colleagues, and friends that I would meet. I was privileged to be a partner at three great law firms, represent three United States Presidents, the Leader of the United States Senate, and the Majority Leader of the House; to argue two landmark cases in the Supreme Court of the United States; to help clients solve some important and vexing problems; and to stand before judges and juries throughout the United States on behalf of some of the great corporations and organizations in the Nation. Fortuitously, as a very young lawyer I was the first lawyer to argue a case in front of Antonin Scalia (and the first lawyer to lose a case in an opinion written by Antonin Scalia, see United States v. Donelson, 695 F.2d 583 (D.C. Cir. 1982)), and later to serve as General Counsel to President Bush 41’s reelection campaign. When the Iron Curtain fell in the early 1990s, I was honored to do international election observations in Macedonia, Albania, and Russia. I participated in the Florida Recount in 2000. By appointment of President George W. Bush, I served on the Antitrust Modernization Commission with some of the finest antitrust lawyers of my era. Although not every case I handled turned out exactly as I or the client hoped, in every one I tried to do my best, and many turned out fairly well.

This would not have been possible without clients willing to entrust my teams with their most challenging and important work. By my count, I have represented at least seven clients for over a quarter century, and one or two others for more than a decade. Many others I represented for shorter periods, as their needs required. My practice covered many subjects—some know me as an antitrust lawyer, some as an election lawyer, some as a First Amendment lawyer, and many as a commercial trial and appellate lawyer. Through these many relationships, I have made many lasting friends and seen a panorama of American business and politics at their best, and unfortunately at their worst.

I have had the privilege of working with scores of outstanding colleagues, including some of the brightest and most able lawyers in America. Whatever success I have had was certainly due to the shared efforts of many. Many of the younger lawyers who have worked with me have already gone on to far greater success and renown than me. Pretentious though it may be, I am very proud of all of you (and you know who you are).

It has been a hell of a ride. But my retirement will not be a “rocking chair and spittoon retirement.” I will continue serving on the George Washington Law School’s Dean’s Advisory Board, the Executive Board of the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts, the Board of Trustees of Wake Forest University, and as Chair of Crossroads GPS and One Nation. I am considering teaching a law school course on free speech. More generally, I will be pursuing my passion of promoting free, open, and civil discussion and debate, which I believe is the issue of our age, not just because it is the bedrock of a functioning republic but also because it is an essential element of a civilized society.

If you’d like to keep in touch, please reach out via my contact form on the homepage.