Robert Watkins' practice focuses on the representation of individuals and organizations in a wide variety of complex civil and criminal cases. Identified as one of "Washington's Top Lawyers" by Washingtonian magazine (December 2004), he has significant experience in the litigation of employment disputes, including class action race, gender, and age discrimination cases, and medical malpractice cases.

Recently, Mr. Watkins has represented one of the largest supermarket chains in the Middle Atlantic States in two separate class action race discrimination cases. He has successfully defended a major rail carrier in a class action contract dispute involving hundreds of foreign workers. He also defended that rail carrier in a class action race discrimination case involving thousands of employees and millions of dollars.

Mr. Watkins has defended one of the major auto dealerships in the Washington, D.C. area in sexual harassment, race, and age discrimination cases. He has also defended a prominent hotel corporation in a sexual harassment case and advised the hotel on its employment discrimination policies. He has represented Washington, D.C. universities in race discrimination matters, including the successful defense of a reverse race discrimination case.

Mr. Watkins' practice also includes defending area hospitals and doctors in many cases involving claims of neuro surgical malpractice.

Mr. Watkins is a former prosecutor, having served in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, where he tried numerous criminal cases. At Williams & Connolly LLP, he has defended persons charged with bribery, embezzlement, wire fraud, mail fraud, and antitrust violations. He has represented numerous witnesses appearing before grand juries and Congressional committees in complex criminal investigations.

In 1998, President Clinton appointed Mr. Watkins to serve as a member of the D.C. Control Board.