William Robert Gignilliat, IV

Wm. Robert Gignilliat, IV, is a principal in the Greenville, South Carolina, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He enjoys helping companies by counseling them on employment law issues and successfully guiding them through employment litigation in courts throughout the country.

Wage-and-hour litigation is the largest component of Rob’s practice. He regularly defends employers against class and collective actions alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and state laws on wages. Often, these are high-stakes cases involving hundreds or thousands of potential claimants. Rob appreciates the complexity of these cases and develops creative strategies to expose weaknesses in the claims and defeat certification. 

Rob also defends employers in cases involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, ADA and FMLA claims, employment contracts, non-competes, and wrongful termination. In all of his cases, Rob strives to understand his client’s objectives, execute an efficient strategy to achieve those objectives, and provide his clients with regular updates.

In addition, Rob provides day-to-day advice to in-house counsel, executives, and HR professionals regarding a wide variety of employment issues, including workplace investigations, discipline, disability accommodations and medical leave, wage-and-hour compliance, DOL audits, employment contracts, severance agreements, employee handbooks and policies, WARN compliance, Title IX compliance, and other preventive measures to avoid litigation. 

Rob has worked extensively with clients in higher education, hospitality, retail, transportation, and construction industries.

While attending law school, Rob was a member of the Georgia Law Review. After law school, he served two years as a law clerk for the Honorable J. Randal Hall, the current chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. He then clerked for the Honorable G. Ross Anderson, Jr., in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. He joined Jackson Lewis following his clerkships.

Honors and Recognitions

• Greenville Business Magazine, “Legal Elite in Labor and Employment” (2021), “Legal Elite in Employment – Defendant” (2022, 2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Litigation – Labor and Employment” (2022-present)
• South Carolina Super Lawyers®, “Rising Stars” (2019-present)

Published Works

• “ACC Quick Overview: What In-House Counsel Needs to Know About the New Federal Law Ending Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Claims in the United States,”Association of Corporate Counsel (May 26, 2022) [Co-Author]