Robin E. McGuffin
Robin McGuffin is an attorney in the firm’s Lexington office. She is a member of the Torts & Insurance Practice Group and the Employment Law Service Group.
After graduating first in her class from Vanderbilt University Law School, Robin was a law clerk for the Honorable John M. Rogers, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She now handles a wide variety of litigation matters, including but not limited to product liability, toxic and mass torts, major accidents, contract disputes, and employment discrimination and retaliation claims. Robin also counsels clients on issues such as non-solicitation and non-compete agreements as well as employment policies and procedures.
Robin has experience at all stages of litigation, from pre-litigation counseling to taking and defending depositions to drafting and arguing dispositive motions. Robin also devotes a substantial portion of her practice to appellate advocacy in both federal and state courts.
Managing Employees During a Pandemic
Panel Member, Lexington Forum, October 7, 2021
Institutional Racism in Legal Systems: Criminal Justice, Employment & Housing: Part 2 - Understanding the Impact of Race in Employment
Moderator, presented by National Bar Association, John Rowe Chapter and Fayette County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, September 10, 2020
Defense Strategies for Winning on the Statute of Limitations
American Bar Association, Products Liability Litigation Newsletter, August 2019
Counsel to a major manufacturer of respiratory protection products in serial litigation
Successfully represented multiple employers in discrimination and retaliation suits in state and federal court under statutes such as Title VII, the FMLA, the FLSA, the ADA, the ADEA, and the Kentucky Civil Rights Act
Received published opinion in the Kentucky Court of Appeals affirming grant of summary judgment to pharmaceutical drug manufacturer
Counsel for an independent institutional investment consultant in defense of derivative, taxpayer, and Attorney General claims asserted on behalf of a public pension system
Counsel to a provider of remediation services in a multi-plaintiff toxic tort case following a natural gas release
Defended multiple manufacturers and owners of vehicles such as tractor-trailers and UTVs in litigation
Office of General Counsel, Ethics Subcommittee, Member
Lexington Office Recruiting Committee, Member
GreenHouse17, Board of Directors (2019-present); Secretary (2020-present)
Vanderbilt University Law School
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Founder's Medal for First Honors
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Vanderbilt Law Review, Articles Editor
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Order of the Coif
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2014-15 Moot Court Board, Executive Problem Editor
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Robert F. Jackson Memorial Prize; Archie B. Martin Memorial Prize
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2013-14 Bass, Berry & Sims Intramural Moot Court Competition, winner
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Thomas R. McCoy Scholarship
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Awarded 10 Vanderbilt Scholastic Excellence Awards
summa cum laude
Vanderbilt University
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Phi Beta Kappa
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Outstanding Student in Community Leadership & Development
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Peabody Scholar
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VIBE Hip-Hop Dance Co.
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Alternative Spring Break
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Alpha Chi Omega Sorority
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Study Abroad Program: Berlin, Germany, Summer 2010
Best Lawyers in America®, Ones To Watch, Litigation - Labor and Employment (2022)

Supreme Court Rejects OSHA Vaccine Mandate on Private Employers – Allows CMS Healthcare Mandate for Facilities Receiving Medicare/Medicaid Funds
Holding that “[a]lthough Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given the agency the power to regulate public health more broadly,” in a 6-3 decision the Supreme Court of the United States, on January 13, 2022, issued a stay of OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) on vaccination or testing for employers with 100 or more workers.
Sixth Circuit’s Briefing Schedule Seems to Ensure No Ruling on Stay Before First ETS Deadline
On November 16, 2021, the Sixth Circuit was chosen by lottery to hear the consolidated challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) mandating COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing for employers with 100 or more employees. On November 23, 2021, OSHA filed a motion for the Sixth Circuit to dissolve the stay that had been entered by the Fifth Circuit before the various challenges were consolidated. Later that same day, the Sixth Circuit entered an order setting a briefing schedule on the motion to dissolve the stay that seems to ensure that employers will not be subject to at least the first deadline originally set by the ETS.
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2022 Best Lawyers® Publications
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 93 lawyers are included in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Additionally, 11 attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 14 attorneys are recognized in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.
Institutional Racism in Legal Systems: Criminal Justice, Employment & Housing: Part 2 - Understanding the Impact of Race in Employment
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
WEBINAR
Lexington office attorney Robin McGuffin will moderate a panel discussing the impact of race in employment on September 10, 2020.
When Furloughs Become Permanent Layoffs: An Employer’s Ongoing Obligations Under the WARN Act in the Time of COVID-19
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers implemented what they hoped would be temporary furloughs. However, as the pandemic has progressed, employers may now realize that the furloughs will last longer than expected or become permanent layoffs.
Sixth Circuit: No Accommodation Without Documentation
Navigating an employee’s request for an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) can feel like walking a tightrope—an employee’s requested accommodation may appear to exceed the limits of all reasonableness, but it can be difficult to know when an employer can finally say “no” without fear of liability. A recent decision from the Sixth Circuit provides helpful guidance on this issue.
Information You Need on the COVID-19 Coronavirus
Stites & Harbison has assembled a Coronavirus Response Team which consists of a cross-disciplinary task force of attorneys and critical staff members to ensure our firm remains “On the Job” for you. Updated 02/04/21
Sixth Circuit: Perfect Attendance Policies Must Not Disadvantage Employees Who Take FMLA Leave
Many employers have policies that reward perfect attendance in some fashion. A recent ruling from the Sixth Circuit makes clear that, in many cases, such policies must not consider leave taken pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) as something that “resets” the employee’s attendance streak.