Mulcahy tireless in his pursuit of knowledge, community service

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The secret to Rob Mulcahy’s success throughout his professional career has been the ability to recreate and reinvent himself by expanding his knowledge and expertise in many different areas of the law.

For more than 25 years, he has worked as a partner with Michael Best & Friedrich’s Labor and Employment Relations Practice Group, which has provided many opportunities to learn and grow.

“Recreating yourself is vital in this profession,” Mulcahy said. “As times change, clients’ needs change, which changes our approach to meeting their needs. I tell young attorneys, the more areas of the law you know will make you a happier and more productive lawyer.”

In his tenure, he has used his proven negotiating skills in both public and private sector management labor and employment law through his work in National Labor Relations Board proceedings, collective bargaining, contract administration and arbitration proceedings. He also has extensive experience working on employment-discrimination matters and wage and hour claims.

“The characteristics that best describe Rob as a lawyer are hard work, constant communication with a singular focus of achieving the best results possible for the clients he served,” David Krutz, firm managing partner with Michael Best, said. “Those who work with him know it is a common occurrence that after a long meeting with the client, he would use his car ride back to the office to dictate a memo on everything he just learned and then have his assistant type the memo and distribute it to the other team members. Rob’s goal was to make sure everyone on the team had the same information and were hearing the client just as he did.”

As an advocate for employers, Mulcahy prides himself on collaborative resolutions, often working with clients to resolve roadblocks to their success. He helps them tackle tough issues, including union elections, severance agreements, health insurance issues, collective bargaining and succession planning.

“Because of Rob’s tireless service and focus on results, his clients have been very loyal to him and they view him as a core member of their team. He is great example of what it means to put clients first as a lawyer,” Krutz said.

Learning is a key theme that embodies Mulcahy, and he wanted to give back to the next generation of lawyers by initiating Michael Best’s successful mentor program. He also formalized and expanded the charitable culture at the firm by encouraging all attorneys to be mindful of committing time to community service.

Mulcahy started Best Pass, a fundraising program that has annually raised nearly $30,000 for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer Fund. His work in the community doesn’t stop there and just like his career, his service has many facets. Mulachy is proud of his work serving on boards with the Charles Allis and Villa Terrace art museums and the First Stage Children’s Theatre, among many other nonprofit groups.

“Loyalty to my firm, my clients and my community has gotten me where I am today. You have to stay the course and I am so glad I did,” he said.