Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference - 2022

Our executive committee is hard at work to bring members and other practitioners the very latest developments in labor and employment law, including: the impact of COVID on litigation; a chance to hear from labor and employment agencies’ leadership; the latest on nondisclosure and confidentiality provisions in employment agreements; vaccine mandates; and significant labor and employment case law changes over the last year. This conference is being brought to you virtually, with the opportunity to network and engage with colleagues in between sessions via the interactive REMO platform. We look forward to seeing and speaking with you there!  

Carmen Leon - Chair, BASF’s Labor and Employment Law Section

Litigating and Trying Employment Cases in the Wake of the Pandemic
Lessons and insights from litigating and trying employment cases during the pandemic--what’s worked and what we can expect in the future. 
Date: Thursday, February 3, 2022
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. | MCLE:  1.5 Hours

The lingering pandemic has impacted how we litigate and resolve our cases. While it has brought new efficiencies, such as facilitating depositions of non-local witnesses and allowing for court appearances, it has raised questions about presenting information effectively, juror attitudes, and the advantages and disadvantages of court vs arbitration. During this discussion, a panel of neutrals and litigators will discuss insights from their experiences with litigating and presiding over cases in court and arbitration during the pandemic for us to consider in our own practice.

Topics

• Pros-cons of remote vs in-person appearances
• In-person protocols
• Sample stipulations, orders and procedures for hearings
• Managing exhibits and presenting evidence Juror attitudes, voir dire and the effect of vaccine mandates on the jury pool
• The effect of the pandemic on the pros-cons of litigation vs. arbitration Participants will gain insight into some of the issues that judges, arbitrators, and practitioners are presented with when conducting remote and in-person hearings

Speakers

Judge Joseph C. Spero    Chief U.S. Magistrate United States District Court Northern District of California	Maria Bourn Law Offices of Tanya Gomerman
John Kagel       Law Offices of     John Kagel	Delia A. Isvoranu      Duane Morris LLP

Mark Schickman  Schickman Law

Appointed Leaders in Labor & Employment Agencies
Date: Friday, February 4, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | MCLE: 1 Hour

Topics 
In this panel, our distinguished speakers will discuss the challenges coming into their agency roles, their goals going forward, and what they expect in their agencies’ futures.

Speakers

Jennifer Abruzzo General Counsel National Labor Relations Board	Jocelyn Samuels Vice Chair Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	Doris Ng    Chief Counsel California Department  of Industrial Relations

Maria Ontiveros Professor University of San Francisco School of Law

Is Anything Private Anymore
Navigating Limitations on Public Disclosures and Public Speech in the Information Age
Date: Friday, February 4, 2022
Time: 10:30 – 11:45 a.m. | MCLE: 1 Hour

Topics 
- Developments in the enforceability of non-disclosure clauses following the enactment of SB331(the Silenced No More Act)
- If distinctions can be drawn between traditional whistleblowing vs. public disclosures regarding employers' stance on social issues
- PAGA liability for overbroad confidentiality agreements and policies 
- The spate of NLRB charges against tech companies regarding the scope of non-disclosure covenants

Speakers

Christy Kwon Regional Attorney Region 32 National Labor Relations Board	Mariko Yoshihara  Legislative Counsel Policy Director California Employment Lawyers Association	Hannah Ghaffari  Employment Counsel Plaid Inc.

Moderator

Koray Bulut Goodwin Procter

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Lunch Break

Safety for Who?
Controversy Over Vaccine Mandates for Public Safety Employees
Date: Friday, February 4, 2022
Time: 1:00 – 2:15 p.m. | MCLE: 1 Hour

Topics
A surprising number of public safety officers—both police and fire—are refusing COVID-19 vaccination. What lies at the heart of the objections?  What legal limitations constrain public employers’ ability to insist on vaccination?  How are requests for accommodation working in practice?  Do public employers have the right to fire employees who refuse mandates?

Speakers

Rockne A. Lucia Jr. Founding Principal Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver PC	Jenica Maldonado Of Counsel  Renne Public Law Group San Francisco LLP

Moderator

Yuval Miller Arbitrator/Mediator Law Offices of Yuval Miller

Year in Review
Date: Friday, February 4, 2022
Time: 2:30 – 3:45 p.m. | MCLE: 1 Hour

Topics
Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, in discussion with BJ Chisholm and Pankit Doshi, will discuss major developments from the U.S. Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit in the labor and employment field from the past year, including cases involving mandatory arbitration, COVID-related mandates, and challenges to AB 5.

Speakers

Erwin Chemerinsky Dean University of California School of Law

Interlocutors

Barbara J. ("B.J.") Chisholm  Altshuler Berzon LLP	Pankit J. Doshi McDermott Will & Emery

3:45 – 4:45 p.m. – Closing Remarks / Virtual Networking

BRONZE
Goodwin Procter LLP
McDermott Will & Emery

For a printable sponsorship form, click here.

Event Code: G220301

For a printable flyer, click here. 

Note:  This is a two-day program.  Registration and payment will cover live virtual programming for both dates February  3rd and 4th dates.  Register below for both dates. Not all panels will be recorded.  

Cost (as of 1/19/22)