Robert B. Hopkins

is managing partner of the firm's Baltimore office and a partner in the Trial Practice Group . Rob is a life-long resident of Baltimore with deep civic ties to the city. He practices in the area of complex litigation with a concentration on products safety, maritime, transportation and commercial litigation . Rob has also counseled clients in large-scale product recalls and reporting obligations under the laws enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. He is listed as one of Maryland's Super Lawyers and is listed in U.S. News/Best Lawyers in America. Rob is also listed as AV Preeminent in Martindale-Hubbell as rated by both peers and the judiciary.

Rob is a 1988 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law and a graduate of Trinity College.

Resume

Experience

•Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2008-present
- Managing Partner, Baltimore Office, 2015-present

•Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver
- Shareholder, 1988-2008

Honors and Awards

•Named a Lawyer of the Year in Admiralty and Maritime Law-Baltimore by The Best Lawyers in America, 2020

•Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Admiralty and Maritime Law Category

•Listed in Maryland Super Lawyers, 2009-2019

•AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Board Memberships

•Maritime Law Association of the United States, Board Member (2008-2011)
•Admiralty Law Institute, Board Member
•American Maritime Cases, Vice President

Civic and Charitable Activities

•Board of Living Classrooms

•Baltimore City Planning Commission
- Commissioner, 2008-2016

•GBC Leadership Class of 2009

Publications and Speaking Engagements

Selected Publications

•Co-author, Maryland Governor to Lift Stay-at-Home Order; Limited Businesses Permitted to Reopen, Subject to Local Orders, Duane Morris Alert, May 14, 2020
•Co-author, Maryland Governor Announces Elective Surgery and Certain Outdoor Activities May Resume; Schools Will Remain Closed for Remainder of School Year, Duane Morris Alert, May 6, 2020
•Co-author, Maryland Governor Announces Three-Stage Plan for Reopening the State, Duane Morris Coronavirus (COVID-19) Blog, April 24, 2020
•Co-author, Maryland Executive Order Requires Face Coverings for Public Transportation, Foodservice and Retail Establishments; Physical Distancing Measures in Retail Spaces, Duane Morris Alert, April 16, 2020
•Co-author, CPSC Product Safety Obligations Remain in Place During COVID-19; Some Recall Remedies Likely Delayed, Duane Morris Alert, April 6, 2020
•Author, Court Finds Permanently Moored Riverboat Casino Not a Vessel, Duane Morris Alert, February 4, 2020
•Co-author, The Jones Act Under Trump, May 9, 2017

•Co-author, 3 Guidelines for Avoiding CPSC Penalties, May 1, 2017

• U.S. Supreme Court Issues Significant Forum-Selection Decision, Duane Morris Alert, December 4, 2013
•Co-author, New Safety Test Requirements for Children's Products Become Effective in February 2013, Duane Morris Alert, December 14, 2012
•Co-author, Proposed FTC Labeling Regulations Would Impact Manufacturers and Importers of Wearing Apparel, Duane Morris Alert, September 25, 2012
•Author, Offshore Wind Farms in US Waters Would Generate Both US and Foreign Maritime Jobs, Renewable Energy World, September 12, 2012
• O'Malley's Proposed Wind Farms May Be Key to Boosting Maritime Workforce, Baltimore Business Journal, February 24 - March 1, 2012
•Co-author, The CPSC Product-Safety Database: Now Live and in Full Operation, Duane Morris Alert, March 14, 2011
• Congress May Repeal Maritime Law After Gulf Spill, The Daily Record, August 29, 2010
• Cadmium Products Now in Crosshairs of Federal and State Legislators, Duane Morris Alert, April 9, 2010
• Split Vote by CPSC Signals That Tracking Labels Must Be Placed on Children's Products by August 14, 2009, Duane Morris Alert, May 27, 2009

• CPSC Delays Enforcement of Lead and Phthalate Testing and Certification Requirements, Duane Morris Alert, February 2, 2009

• With Consumer Product Industry Struggling to Comply with New Safety Act, CPSC Holds Fast on Lead Ban, but Eases Other Compliance Positions, Duane Morris Alert, January 23, 2009

• General Conformity Certificates Must Accompany Many Consumer Product Shipments Starting November 12, 2008, Duane Morris Alert, October 14, 2008
• With Efforts Underway to Overhaul the CPSC, Now Is the Time to Re-Examine Consumer Product Safety Compliance Programs, Duane Morris Alert, May 28, 2008
• American Maritime Cases: Seventy-Five Years (Plus) of Admiralty Reporting, Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce, 33 (April 2002), 205

Selected Speaking Engagements

•Speaker, Hoverboards & Batteries, HarrisMartin Consumer Products Litigation Conference, San Francisco, October 3, 2016
•Panelist, Hot Topics in Maritime Litigation: Key Supreme Court and Circuit Court Cases, Emerging Trends and What to Expect in the Year Ahead, American Conference Institute's 2nd Annual Forum on Admiralty & Maritime Litigation, Houston, February 27, 2013
•Speaker, Damages: Assessing the Status of Punitive and Non-Pecuniary Damages in the Wake of Townsend and Defending Against Plaintiffs' Damages Claims, Houston, March 29, 2012

•Speaker, Complying With The New Canada Consumer Product Safety Act: The U.S. Perspective,” CPSC, March 29, 2012