2026 Employment and Labor Law Seminar

Crisis Communication Strategies for Company Facing Litigation

Attorneys representing employers will learn how to prepare to communicate when difficult issues hit the public airwaves or social media, and what impact a crisis management team can have on the process. Having a communication management plan in place allows companies and their attorneys to effectively deal with the immediate issues, while not impacting their position in the litigation.

AI Without the Science Fiction: A Lawyer’s Guide to Understanding Artificial Intelligence

This session aims to demystify AI by explaining what it is (and what it is not), how it works at a conceptual level, and why it is already reshaping professional decision-making. Attendees will leave with a practical understanding of AI’s capabilities, its limitations, and the questions every lawyer should be asking as these tools become more common in the legal profession.

Donald Asplen, Achievement House Cyber Charter School, Exton, PA
Jeffrey Wells, Williams Kastner, Seattle, WA
Andy Anderson, OraClaim, San Francisco, CA

Dine-Arounds

Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own).

Welcome and Introductions

Mark Fahleson, Rembolt Ludtke LLP, Lincoln, NE
Brian H. Leinhauser, MacMain Leinhauser PC, West Chester, PA

The Year in Review

Sid Steinberg and Stan Graham will provide a review of key cases, important decisions, and trending issues in employment litigation from the last year.

Stan Graham, Holland & Night, Nashville, TN
Sidney Steinberg, Pierson Ferdinand, LLP, Philadelphia, PA

Settlement v. Trial - Calculating Client Exposure, Value of Fess and Jury Awards, and Impact of Litigation Tolerance of Clients

Inflation of Litigation Costs, increase defense and investigation costs, possible fee shifting and trends in jury awards are all considerations for clients where employment litigation is concerned. This session will examine how to determine a client’s litigation tolerance, what contributors have the most impact on the cost of litigation as a means of developing a strategy, including the effective use of scheduling orders as a strategic use.

Geri Lynn Arrindell, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, St. Louis, MO
Robert Luskin, Chartwell Law, Atlanta, GA

Skillfully Dealing with Stress and Difficult People: Mindfulness Strategies for Lawyers

Lawyers often deal with people going through the hardest times in their lives. This means that the work of being a lawyer often includes dealing with difficult people and opposing counsel. How can lawyers manage a case effectively amid this? How can lawyers work with people who do not manage their own stress and sometimes engage in adverse behaviors while staying well themselves? This session is intended to offer practical tips rooted in mindfulness and compassion that can help as well as the peace of mind of knowing that you aren't alone. Defense lawyer, author, blogger, and mindfulness teacher, Claire E. Parsons will review the challenge of dealing with difficult people as it arises in legal matters. She will explain how these issues trigger and compound the stress associated with law practice. She will also share strategies and practices that any legal professional can adopt to support themselves and maintain ethical standards while navigating these conflicts.

Claire Parsons, Bricker Graydon Wyatt, Ft. Wright, KY

DRI Networking Lunch

How to Deal with Employees and Discipline Involving Social Media Posts and Public Statements

Where employee Social Media use in the private sector creates strain on the workplace, when can an employer discipline an employee? What policies are permissible in limiting employee reference to the workplace on social media? How can employers avoid difficulties with third parties that bring employee conduct to the company’s attention? This presentation will address cases and regulations governing Social Media use for private sector employers.

Mark Bakker, Maynard Nexsen PC, Greenville, SC

Networking Reception
Sponsored by: Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP

Join fellow seminar attendees at our Premier Networking Reception. More details to come.

Dine-Arounds

Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own).

Welcome and Announcements

Sarah Sloan Batson, Maynard Nexsen, Greenville, SC

Judge Speaks

An open discussion with a retired judge regarding the effect of good writing in advocacy, including questions from the committee members that you have always wanted to ask a judge.

Hon. Thomas Rueter (Ret.), JAMS, Philadelphia, PA
Sarah Sloan Batson, Maynard Nexsen, Greenville, SC

The Winds of Change in EEO Litigation

2025 saw some significant changes to discrimination litigation. The standard for when an employer must make a religious accommodation was “clarified,” the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published guidance on how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs can be discriminatory, majority group discrimination (i.e., reverse discrimination) is easier to establish, and the EEOC is out of the disparate impact business (for now). This session will cover the changes and trends so you can advise your client on the latest interpretations.

Eric Kinder, Spilman Thomas & Battle, Charleston, WV

That Could Have Been Me! Don’t Let It Be You! Lessons Learned as an Attorney Ethics Complaint Investigator

Employment and labor law attorneys often find themselves in tricky situations that implicate rules of professional responsibility, especially when asked to jointly represent employers and individuals accused of wrongdoing. This interactive session will cover war stories and hypotheticals taken from real world situations where attorneys have found themselves very close to or over the line of what was considered ethically permissible. Insight will also be offered on the nature of ethics complaint investigations, including recommendations for how to respond if you find yourself on the receiving end of a complaint. Bring your cellphone because your anonymous audience participation through your mobile device will be required.

Randi Winter, Spencer Fane, Minneapolis, MN