RJO Remembers Robert S. Metzger

Rogers Joseph O’Donnell honors the memory of our colleague Robert “Bob” Metzger, who died this week after a long battle with cancer.  

Bob was a remarkable lawyer and member of our law firm community. Over his 47-year career, he became a leading expert in several different areas of law that had in common only that each was exceedingly complex. All of us who worked with him marveled at his astonishing ability to absorb large amounts of highly technical information and quickly produce thoughtful and nuanced analyses. He was a great contributor to RJO and the larger legal community, and a strong and exacting advocate for his clients.  

Bob accumulated many individual accolades for his professional skills, including high ranking by Chambers and Partners in both Government Contracts and Cybersecurity and received notable awards, including 2025 Lexology Index “Client Choice” Winner, 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Cyber Lawyers and Federal 100 Winner, to name a few. It is no exaggeration to say that Bob was one of the most widely known and respected cybersecurity, supply chain risk management (SCRM) and National Security Specialist lawyers, particularly in the context of government contracts. Bob was frequently quoted on cybersecurity developments, with a large professional media following, where he achieved the status of “Top Voice” on LinkedIn. In addition, he was a sought-after speaker at prominent cyber conferences across the U.S.

Bob joined RJO in June 2011 and established the firm’s Washington, DC office. Over the next decade, he developed that office to match the excellent government contracts capability that had long been a hallmark of the firm’s San Francisco office.  Prior to joining RJO, Bob had been a partner at several national firms for nearly thirty years.  

It was a privilege to have Bob as our colleague and we will miss him. Our thoughts are with Bob’s family, friends and colleagues.