Agenda
Registration at 8:30 a.m.
Program Begins Promptly at 8:45 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m.
Boxed lunch to be served at 11:30 a.m.
SPEAKERS AND TOPICS
Kristin Bauer, Jackson Lewis
Topic: Remote and Hybrid Work Arrangements: Spotting and Managing Legal Risk
Kristin Bauer is a Principal with the Dallas office of the national employment law firm, Jackson Lewis PC. Kristin represents management exclusively in workplace law and related litigation. In addition to handling an active employment litigation docket, Kristin counsels management on preventive strategies, including termination decisions, investigations, employment agreements, non-compete issues, wage and hour laws, policies and handbooks, and other workplace issues. Kristin devotes a substantial part of her practice to advising employers on the numerous laws touching ill and injured workers, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, and strategies to manage those risks. Kristin has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer 2014-2018 and repeatedly as a Rising Star, as well as by Best Lawyers in America since 2018. Kristin has also served as pro bono general counsel to The Family Place, a Dallas-based non-profit agency serving the victims of domestic violence and their families, since 2005. Kristin is a legislative advocacy co-chair for Texas SHRM and a past president of the Mid Cities Human Resource Association.
Laura Calhoun, Clark Hill
Topic: Reasonable Accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the required interactive process, confidentiality obligations, and the unique challenges posed by the pandemic
As a Board Certified Labor and Employment attorney, Laura Calhoun has guided employers and employees in Texas for more than 25 years on all aspects of the employer-employee relationship. She works with businesses of all types but has found a niche practice in veterinarian practices. Laura works to keep her clients protected while providing safe work environments for their employees. Laura covers a wide range of employment law issues, including discrimination, retaliation, overtime, employment contracts, and non-competition agreements. This includes legal compliance when hiring, taking disciplinary action, and termination. Her experience includes drafting employer policy manuals, employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, confidentiality agreements, and restrictive covenants (non-compete/non-solicitation agreements). Laura also conducts staff training on the prevention of discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment. When it’s time for an employee to depart, Laura counsels employers on how to lawfully handle the termination, which may also involve drafting severance and release agreements as part of an amicable resolution to any disputes.
Traci Clements, McGinnis Lochridge
Topic: The Legalities of Non-compete and No-poaching Agreements
Traci Clements focuses her practice on general employment law matters as well as ERISA and employee benefits including executive compensation. Her past experience includes working in Human Resources and serving as in-house counsel, including General Counsel to a publicly traded company. This experience gives Traci a strong appreciation for our clients’ needs to balance business goals with legal compliance as she assists corporate leaders with solving daily workplace issues.
John Hagan, Hagan Law Group, LLC
Topic: The Top Three Things that HR Professionals Do that Leads to Legal Trouble
John Hagan is a trial lawyer Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and focuses primarily on employment law in the Firm's Allen office. He advises and defends corporate employers, both large and small, on employment disputes, including clients who have nonsubscribed to the Texas Workers' Compensation Act and those with unionized employees. He advises and defends corporate clients on commercial and insurance litigation issues.
Mr. Hagan also helps employers avoid and, if possible, resolve employment disputes before they ever reach litigation. He advises clients on a wide variety of employment issues arising under both state and federal law, including issues arising under applicable collective bargaining agreements. He will review company policies, procedures and handbooks for compliance with the law, and will suggest and implement appropriate revisions. Having enforced numerous arbitration agreements, he can also advise clients whether an arbitration policy would be appropriate for their business.
In the event litigation does arise, however, Mr. Hagan has considerable experience in both court and arbitration successfully defending employment claims. He has handled claims for discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge and sexual harassment under a variety of state and federal employment laws.
Mr. Hagan was named as a Texas SuperLawyer (Thomson Reuters) for six years in a row, 2011 - 2017.
Claudine Jackson, Phelps Dunbar LLP
Topic: Mitigating Social Media Risks Before #EmployeesGoViral
Claudine Jackson is a partner in the law firm of Phelps Dunbar LLP and managing partner of the Phelps Fort Worth office. During her 25 years as a trial lawyer, she has concentrated her state and federal civil litigation practice in the areas of labor and employment law, business litigation, non-subscriber (employee injury) and medical and professional liability. Claudine has tried employment, personal injury, and commercial cases for both plaintiffs and defendants and has argued before the Fort Worth Court of Appeals. In addition to being licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas, she is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and all four Federal District Courts of the State of Texas.
Patrick Maher, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
Topic: Loose Lips Sink [HR Careers]: Confidentiality and Privacy Issues in the Workplace
Patrick J. Maher is Senior Counsel at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Maher is a Fellow in the College of Labor & Employment Law and Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Maher served as a Chair of the State Bar of Texas Labor & Employment Law Section; founding Chair of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the Tarrant County Bar Association; Section Representative on the Board of the State Bar of Texas; Chair of the State Bar of Texas’ Council of Section Chairs; and member of the Board of Directors of the Tarrant County Bar Association. Mr. Maher received a B.S. with highest honors from the University of Santa Clara and a J.D. with high honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was a Note and Research Editor on the Texas Law Review and a member of the Chancellors and Order of Coif. He served as Law Clerk to Hon. Joseph Sneed on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is the author, co-author, or contributor of numerous articles, including Noncompetes and Trade Secrets: a Continuing Evolution, XXXV Corporate Counsel Review 73 (May 2016); and Note, Private Preemption of State Laws: A Constitutional Objection, 58 Tex. L. Rev. 1099 (1980). Mr. Maher has lectured extensively on labor and employment law topics for such organizations as the State Bar of Texas Labor & Employment Law Section and TexasBar CLE. Mr. Maher is a management labor and employment lawyer and represented individuals and business in numerous individual and class action lawsuits.
-----------------------------------------
