As published on Law360 on May 6, 2020.
Munck Wilson Mandala LLP has bolstered its complex litigation and dispute resolution team in Austin with a Duggins Wren Mann & Romero LLP partner experienced in advising high-profile clients in securities and complex litigation and prosecuting class actions.
Robert E. Linkin has joined Munck Wilson as a partner after more than 24 years of representing clients in business disputes, acting as lead counsel or class counsel and advising corporations on consumer protection, fiduciary, antitrust and fraud matters. He also represented a Japanese auto parts manufacturer in In re: Auto Parts Antitrust Litigation, one of the largest class action cases in the country.
He said Munck Wilson’s platform will help him in marketing his services and practice to potential clients. Linkin said his current clients, all of which he brought with him in the move, are excited for the support the new firm can provide.
“Everyone was fully supportive of the move,” Linkin told Law360. “It’s a great platform from which to litigate.”
Linkin is currently representing Julie O’Shaughnessy in a class action filed in April against Young Living Essential Oils, which claims the multi-level marketing company is “nothing more than a cultlike organization falsely peddling the ever-elusive promise of financial success and an alternative lifestyle.” Linkin and O’Shaughnessy convinced the Fifth Circuit in April that Young Living couldn’t compel arbitration in the case.
He also advised Sanden Automotive Components Corp. in a $7.6 million March 2018 settlement in a multidistrict class action that accused several auto parts makers of price-fixing air conditioning systems.
Additionally, he has helped securities class actions secure common-fund settlements of $13 million in one case and $10 million in another, according to his profile on Munck Wilson’s website. He is also experienced in Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and AAA securities arbitration matters.
Linkin said he plans to build the law firm’s securities team over the next five years and to grow his case portfolio.
“We have a great base of cases, I just would like to work on more cases — more securities, additional class actions, and continue to bring results for people who have been harmed,” he said.
William A. Munck, managing partner of Munck Wilson, said Linkin has a great reputation and will be a good addition to the firm.
“His unique practice complements our corporate and litigation practices and his entrepreneurial spirit is a great fit for the Austin market,” he said in a statement.
Linkin earned his law degree from the Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin, according to the law firm’s website.
Munck Wilson has 75 attorneys four offices, three of which are in Texas, according to the firm.
–Editing by Marygrace Murphy.
Update: This story has been updated with information on a Fifth Circuit ruling.
