Course Accreditations
and Registration Information

Registration Form

Planning Committee

Registration Confirmations

Back to CLE Home Page

South Texas College of Law
21st Annual
EMPLOYMENT LAW CONFERENCE
July 24, 2008
Houston, Texas
Scroll down to view the complete schedule

Accredited by the State Bar of Texas for 14.0 MCLE hours (14.75 with the Early Bird Roundtable Topic), including 3.0 hours of legal ethics.

This program has been approved for 13.5 credit hours toward receritification through the
Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).

Thursday, July 24, 2008

8:00 REGISTRATION and Continental Breakfast

8:25 Welcome and Opening Remarks
  • James J. Alfini, Dean and President, South Texas College of Law - Houston
    •
  • Lisa L. Dahm, J.D., LL.M-Health, Director of CLE and Adjunct Professor, South Texas College of Law - Houston

Morning Moderator:
Thomas M. Anderson, SPHR, Money Management International

8:30 Fifth Circuit Update
The federal Appeals Court covering Texas is in the thick of employment law. Hear what it is saying.
  • William C. Murley, Raytheon Company - Dallas

9:00 Texas Law Update
Pro-Employee? Pro-Employer? Hear the answer from The Professor.
  • Professor Richard Carlson, South Texas College of Law - Houston

9:30 Investigative Insight: When the Accused Did It (.25 hour of ethics)
The investigation is complete and all signs point to guilt. What do you do then? Get the answer now, not later.
  • DeDe Church, DeDe Church & Associates, LLC - Austin

10:00 Morning Break

10:15 EEOC Confidential
You don't often get to hear what's on the minds of those at the EEOC. Don't miss this chance!
  • Suzanne M. Anderson, Supervisory Trial Attorney, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Dallas

10:45 Five Tips on EEOC Responses
Will you win or lose before the EEOC? Learn what makes the difference.
  • Buena Vista Lyons, Ford & Harrison LLP - Dallas

11:00 Melting Borders: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; Transborder Employees; Expat Agreements, Extraterritorial Appliaction of U.S. Laws, and Much More
For Texans, employment law crosses borders. Not a theoretical discussion. Here's what you need to know now!
Moderator:
  • Marc W. Joseph, Haggar Clothing Co. - Dallas
Panelists:
  • Elaine V. Brzezinski, Nokia Siemens Networks - Irving
  • Dianne Carlson Hoofard, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP - Dallas
    •
  • Samantha Barlow Martinez, Muskat, Martinez & Mahony, LLP - Houston

11:50 Lunch Break
(pick up lunch and return to the auditorium)

12:05 Lunch Presentation
Corporate Counsel Insider
Learn how in-house counsel think. Understand their needs. A must-see for human resources, corporate counsel, and plaintiff's lawyers.
Moderator:
  • Karen J. Guest, Lee Enterprises, Inc. - Davenport, IA
Panelists:
  • John B. Gessner, Texas Wings, Inc. - Dallas
  • Abel Martinez, Esq., H.E.B. Grocery Company - San Antonio
    •
  • Leonard C. Sherer, J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc. - Plano

12:50 After Lunch Break


(Return to top)

Afternoon Moderator:
Samantha Barlow Martinez, Muskat, Martinez & Mahony, LLP

1:10 Electronic Discovery: Do It Right or Pay the Price (.25 hour of Ethics)
Electronic Discovery is important and affects every employment case. If you haven't learned what e-discovery is all about, learn it now.
Moderator:
  • Rachel M. Smith, Baker Hostetler LLP - Houston
Panelists:
  • Ryan D. Murphy, Equivalent Data - Houston
    •
  • Charles H. Wilson, Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. - Houston

1:45 FLSA: Spent Force or Rising Tsunami?
Has the FLSA jumped the shark or is it just revving up? Hear about the latest cases and the newest tactics.
  • Melissa A. Moore, Moore & Associates - Houston

2:15 Employers Who Get Sued; Employers Who Don't
Learn the secrets of the first and avoid becoming the second from a plaintiff's lawyer, a jury consultant, a General Counsel, and a top HR executive.
Moderator:
  • John B. Gessner, Texas Wings, Inc. - Dallas
Panelists:
  • Colleen Dutton, Rice University - Houston
  • Samantha D. Holmes, Ph.D., R&D Strategic Solutions - Memphis, TN
    •
  • Paul Schorn, Attorney at Law - Lockhart

3:00 Afternoon Break

3:15 United State Supreme Court Update
Four cases. 15 minutes. What you need to know.
  • Erin O'Driscoll, Powers & Frost, L.L.P. - Houston

3:30 Bad Economy, Good Practices: WARN Act, Releases, Reductions in Force, Early Outs, Severeance Plans, and much more.
Do them right or get burned.
Moderator:
  • Janie Perelman, Guaranty Bank - Dallas
Panelists:
  • Michelle Hoogendam Cash, Phillips & Reiter PLLC - Houston
  • Tonya A. Jacobs, Baker & Hostetler LLP - Houston
    •
  • Michael J. Muskat, Muskat, Martinez & Mahony, LLP - Lockhart

4:15 Do the Right Thing (1.0 hour of Ethics)
Easy to say, harder to do. Get the scoop from the new book by the former GC and CEO of a Texas original, Southwest Airlines.
  • James, F. Parker, Attorney at Law - Dallas

5:15 Adjourn to Book Signing and Reception

Accreditation for Thursday = Accredited by the State Bar of Texas for 7.75 MCLE hours, including 1.50 hours of legal ethics.

(Return to top)


South Texas College of Law
invites you to attend a book signing and reception honoring Keynote Speaker

James F. Parker

Thursday, July 24, 2008
5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Emilie Slohm Conference Room - 6th floor of the Fred Parks Law Library

 sponsored by
Platinum-Level Reception Sponsor

Ford & Harrison LLP

Gold-Level Reception Sponsor

Muskat, Martinez & Mahony, LLP

Silver-Level Reception Sponsors

• Baker Hostetler LLP    • Burleson Cooke L.L.P.    • DeDe Church & Associates, LLC

• Texas Employment Law Letter    • Hermes Sargent Bates, LLP

• Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.    • Powers & Frost, L.L.P.

R.S.V.P. to Jean Zoch at jzoch@stcl.edu or (713) 646-1760.



Friday, July 25, 2008

7:30 Continental Breakfast

8:00 EARLY BIRD ROUNDTABLE TOPICS - in the atrium
    The EEOC Sues: The Whys, the Whens, the Whats
  • Suzanne M. Anderson, Supervisory Trial Attorney, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Dallas


    • Immigration Status and Employment Discrimination: The EEOC's Approach to Litigation
  • Robert A. Canino, Regional Attorney, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Dallas


    • Lost in Translation: Keys to Cultural Training for TransBorder Employees
  • Sharon M. Schweitzer, JD, PHR, Protocol & Etiquette Academy, LLC - Austin


    • ADA: Who is Disabled, and Who is Not, and What to do About It
  • Mark J. Oberti, Seyfarth Shaw LLP - Houston


    • Emerging Causes of Action: Today's Heresy, Tomorrow's Truth
  • Michael P. Maslanka, Ford & Harrison LLP - Dallas


    • The Solo Life of a Plaintiff's Employment Lawyer: On Your Own as an Employment Lawyer? Get The Ins and Outs
  • Paul Schorn, Attorney at Law - Lockhart


    • What's Up with Texas Non-Competes?: Confused by Non-Competes? Who Isn't? Get Clarity
  • Timothy T. McInturf, Littler Mendelson P.C. - Houston


    • Labor Law 2009: A New Administration? New Labor Laws? Bet On It
  • Mark R. Flora, Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLC - Austin


    • TWC Insider: Learn the Winning and Losing of Unemployment Claims from a former Administrative Judge
  • Ami D. Desai, Desai Law Firm, PLLC - Austin


    • A Talk With The Regional Director: The NLRB's Top Texas Lawyer. Hear the Latest from the Board
  • Martha Kinard, Esq., Regional Director, National Labor Relations Board - Fort Worth


    • Public Employers: Public Entities are in Their Own Employment Law Universe. Don't Venture Out Without a Guide
  • Jay R. Aldis, Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP - Houston


8:55 Welcome Remarks
  • Lisa L. Dahm, J.D., LL.M.-Health, Director of CLE and Adjunct Professor, South Texas College of Law

Morning Moderator:
Sharon M. Schweitzer, J.D., PHR, Protocol & Etiquette Academy, LLC

9:00 FMLA's New Regs: Be the First to Hear
Will your life be easier? Will it be harder? Know now.
Moderator:
  • Vianei Lopez Robinson, Robinson Law Firm - Abilene
Panelists:
  • Mary Michelle Mahony, Muskat, Martinez & Mahony, LLP - Houston
  • Carolyn A. Russell, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. - Houston

9:45 Arbitration in Texas
Has it had its 15 minutes?
  • Fred Gaona, III, Spencer Crain Cubbage Healy & McNamara, PLLC - Dallas

10:00 Morning Break

10:15 Betrayed!
When employees breach their fiduciary duties.
  • Monte K. Hurst, Hermes Sargent Bates, LLP - Dallas

10:45 Adventures in Representing C-Level Executives
Dealing with the Top Dogs. A lawyer's guidance.
  • Barbara J. Gardner, Tucker, Vaughn, Gardner & Barnes, P.C. - Houston

11:15 Mandated Wellness Programs
Making employees take their medicine. Good business or litigation risk? Get the diagnosis.
  • Russell D. Chapman, Littler Mendelson P.C. - Dallas

11:45 Managing the Pregnant Employee
Her rights. The employer's needs. A never-ending story.
  • V. Loraine Christ, Vinson & Elkins LLP - Houston

12:00 Lunch Break
(pick up lunch and return to the auditorium)

12:15 Lunch Presentation
Diversity: Training, Tips, and Tactics
Texas is changing and changing fast. Get ahead of the curve.
  • DeDe Church, DeDe Church & Associates, LLC - Austin
  • Ronetta J. Francis, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - Bentonville, AR

1:05 After Lunch Break


(Return to top)

Afternoon Moderator:
Rachel M. Smith, Baker Hostetler LLP

1:20 When An Employee's Private Life Becomes Your Business
Blogs. YouTube. Divorce. Garnishment. Workplace violence. You don't just hire a pair of hands, you hire a person.
Moderator:
  • Andrea M. Johnson, Burleson Cooke L.L.P. - Houston
Panelists:
  • Terry Hatcher, Stewart Stevenson, LLC - Houston
  • Karen P. Miles, ExpressJet Airlines - Houston
  • Julie Pastel, Pappas Restaurants - Houston

2:05 Multiple Choice Ethics (.50 hour of ethics)
Hear the scenario. Vote for your solution. Test your skills.
  • Sharon M. Schweitzer, Protocol & Etiquette Academy, LLC - Austin

2:35 Representing the Guilty Client (.66 hour of ethics)
Not every client is an angel.
  • Dennis Herlong, Law Offices of Dennis Herlong - Houston
  • Edward M. "Ted" Smith, Cornell Smith & Mierl, L.L.P. - Austin

3:15 Afternoon Break

3:30 The Art of Persuasion of How I Learned to Stop Hating and Start Loving the Reptile Brain (.50 hour of ethics)
Judges, Juries, Government Agencies, Bosses, Colleagues. All need to be persuaded. Two top trial lawyers and a jury consultant tell you how.
Moderator:
  • Michael P. Maslanka, Ford & Harrison LLP - Dallas
Panelists:
  • Joseph Y. Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos, P.C. - Houston
  • Samantha D. Holmes, Ph.D., R&D Strategic Solutions - Memphis, TN

4:20 Door Prize Drawings

4:35 Adjourn

Accreditation for Friday = Accredited by the State Bar of Texas for 6.25 MCLE hours, including 1.50 hours of legal ethics.

(Return to top)


Back to CLE Main Page

 

.