Bob is a native of Northern California, having grown up in Shasta County. It was there that he first entered public employment in the field of law enforcement with the Shasta College Police Department.  Two years later, Bob enlisted in the US Army were he served two tours in Vietnam as a Military Police K-9 Handler and Vietnamese Language Specialist.  Following an honorable discharge, Bob returned to civilian law enforcement in 1972 with the Tuolumne County Sheriffs Office. In 1975, Bob moved to the Yolo County Sheriffs Office where he worked until a serious injury forced his retirement in 1987.

Professional Background

 While with Yolo County, Bob served repeated terms as the President of his Deputy Sheriffs Association followed by terms as Vice President.  It was there that he began to develop his knowledge and skills as a successful advocate and negotiator for both public safety and essential service employees.

Bob is a graduate of the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.  He was admitted to the California Bar in 1986.  Upon his retirement from public service in 1987, he established his own law practice, where for ten years, he dedicated his work exclusively to the representation of public employee organizations.  Over the following eight years, Bob gained valuable experience representing public as well as private employees and employers throughout California and Nevada.  In July 2005, Bob reestablished his own law firm.

Essential Services

 While much of Bob’s historical background comes from law enforcement, considerable experience and expertise has been developed representing “non-safety” employees.  Bob has coined the term of Essential Services Employees to define the city and county employees who directly and indirectly impact the delivery of services and quality of life of the citizens of the communities they serve.  Bob has developed a high level of knowledge in representing these diverse organizations in collective bargaining with public employers. 

Public Safety

 Bob has maintained his active involvement in the law enforcement community.  He is an active member in the Retired Peace Officers Association of California and the PORAC Valley Chapter.  While the DSA President of Yolo County, Bob was actively involved in lobbying for A.B. 301 and was present when Governor Brown signed this historic legislation known now as the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights.  Many preach it and some teach it, but Bob has lived it.

Bob is designated as a Panel Attorney for the PORAC Legal Defense Fund.

Representational Services

 The Law Office of W. Robert Phibbs provides a full range of services to both Essential Service and Public Safety employee organizations.  This includes the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements using traditional positional bargaining, interest based bargaining and a hybrid of the two methods, representation of organizations and individuals in grievance proceedings, pre-discipline interrogations/internal affairs investigations, Skelly response meetings, disciplinary appeals including local binding/non-binding arbitration and hearings before the State Personnel Board and the Public Employment Relations Board.