Driven by the belief that every hour worked should be fairly paid, Robert Tucci represents employees in high-stakes class and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and related state wage laws. He pairs strategic precision with data-driven analysis to develop compelling cases—whether resolving disputes early or taking them through litigation and appeal.

Robert’s approach is both compassionate and unyielding: he partners closely with clients, relentlessly challenges unlawful employment practices, and ensures his clients’ voices are heard at every stage. From record-setting, multimillion-dollar awards to innovative hybrid class and collective action practice, his advocacy not only delivers results—it empowers workers and advances the law.

Selected Cases (Litigation)

• Blakeman et al. v. Geneva Enterprises, LLC et al. (AAA Arb. No. 01‑22‑0000‑1610, June 12, 2025): Lead counsel for approximately 200 claimants in a Virginia Wage Payment Act collective action arbitration; successfully prosecuted VWPA illegal deduction and whistleblower retaliation claims through a three-week evidentiary hearing to a $5.29 million award—$1.68 million awarded for collective action claims, $2.02 million for individual retaliation claims, and $1.59 million in attorneys’ fees and costs—all while dismantling employer’s frivolous counterclaims against the lead claimant, with substantial sanctions awarded due to employer’s vexatious and malicious conduct in bringing the counterclaims.
• Confidential collective action settlement: Secured a $1.5 million collective settlement for approximately 200 laborers in a wage & hour collective action alleging unpaid pre‑ and post‑shift work, travel time, and overtime.
• Stacy et al. v. Jennmar Corp. of Virginia, Inc. et al., 1:21‑CV‑00015 (W.D. Va.): Lead counsel in a hybrid Fair Labor Standards Act collective and Virginia state law Rule 23 class action challenging unpaid pre- and post-shift work. Achieved conditional certification of an FLSA collective within six months of filing and later obtained the first-ever Rule 23 class certification of claims under the Virginia Wage Payment Act and Virginia Overtime Wage Act—targeting a uniform time-rounding policy that allegedly denied hundreds of hourly workers full compensation. Successfully expanded the collective action from three Virginia facilities to a nationwide class by securing joinder of 21 affiliated companies under a single enterprise theory.
• Overby et al. v. Anheuser‑Busch, LLC, 4:21‑CV‑141 (E.D. Va.): Co-lead appointed class counsel in hybrid Fair Labor Standards Act collective and Virginia state law Rule 23 class action on behalf of hourly brewery workers at Anheuser-Busch’s Williamsburg, Virginia brewery. Secured conditional certification of a Fair Labor Standards Act collective and successfully defeated the employer’s motion to strike Rule 23 class allegations, preserving employees’ ability to pursue Virginia state law claims as an opt-out class. Later obtained Rule 23 certification of the Virginia Wage Payment Act and Virginia Overtime Wage Act claims, while defeating efforts to decertify the FLSA collective—ensuring both federal and state law claims proceeded on a collective basis.
• Perdomo Paz et al. v. Axis Hospitality Construction, LLC, et al., 1:24‑cv‑01764 (E.D. Va. June 23, 2025): Lead counsel in case which obtained final certification of an unpaid wages and overtime collective action under federal and state law for a collective of hotel‑renovation workers—ensuring their claims could proceed collectively to final resolution.
• Tripp et al. v. Perdue Foods LLC, 1:24‑cv‑00987‑JMC (D. Md. 2024–25): Co‑counsel in case which successfully opposed a motion to dismiss or transfer, obtained conditional certification of a nationwide Fair Labor Standards Act collective of poultry growers, and preserved allegedly time‑barred opt‑in plaintiffs.
• Geneva Enterprises, LLC et al. v. Hashimi, Va. Ct. App. No. 0225‑24‑4 (unpublished July 15, 2025): Lead counsel in case which won appellate affirmance of the Court of Appeals of Virginia of a $180,029 Virginia Wage Payment Act arbitration award while preserving circuit court’s post-arbitration attorneys’ fee‑award.
• Nelson et al. v. Area Wide Protective, Inc. et al., 1:21‑cv‑00895 (E.D. Va. Dec. 8, 2021): Lead counsel in case which defeated a non‑signatory employer’s motion to compel arbitration—preserving employees’ ability to litigate Fair Labor Standards Act and Virginia state law wage claims in court.
• Haley v. FRC Balance LLC d/b/a True Food Kitchen, 1:23‑cv‑00666 (E.D. Va. July 29, 2024 & Jan. 27, 2025): Lead counsel in case which secured a stipulated judgment awarding $17,451.02 in back wages and corrected W‑2 forms; thereafter obtained a court award of $75,832.79 in attorneys’ fees and $3,000 in costs.
• Confidential individual plaintiff settlement: Obtained $95,000 settlement for a sales manager claiming Family and Medical Leave Act interference, retaliation, and disability discrimination.

Selected Cases (Pre-Suit Settlement)

• Secured $325,000 for a property manager wrongfully terminated for whistleblowing activities.
• Negotiated $270,000 for a former employee terminated after taking paternity leave resulting in a Family and Medical Leave Act violation.
• Achieved $200,000 severance for a manufacturing‑plant employee alleging sex discrimination and whistleblower retaliation.
• Obtained a $110,000 settlement in a wrongful termination case involving protected whistleblower activities.
• Negotiated $90,000 for an employee alleging pregnancy discrimination and related retaliation.

Areas of Practice

Employment Law

• Unpaid Wages
• Overtime Pay
• Minimum Wage
• Tipped Wage
• Wrongful Termination
• Whistleblower
• Family and Medical Leave
• Discrimination – Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Pregnancy, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Disability, and Genetic Information
• Retaliation
• Employment and Severance Agreements
• Preventative Counseling
• Defense of Employment Lawsuits
• Drafting of Agreements and Employment Policies
• General Civil Litigation
• Contract Litigation

Bar Admissions

• North Carolina
• Virginia
• Maryland
• District of Columbia

Court Admissions

• US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
• US District Court for the Western District of Virginia
• US District Court for the District of Maryland
• US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
• US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
• US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina

Education

• J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law (2019)
• B.S., magna cum laude with departmental highest honors, Appalachian State University (2013)

Professional Involvement

• American Bar Association
• National Employment Lawyers Association
• Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers’ Association
• Virginia Employment Lawyers Association
• North Carolina Advocates for Justice
• Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
• Virginia Bar Association

Published Works

• A Moral Minefield: Resolving the Dispute Over Legislator-Led Invocations (53 Wake Forest L. Rev. 601)