Mintz's Annual Employment Law Summit 2024 - Boston

2024 continues to present employers with a significant number of workplace challenges. The regulatory climate remains increasingly complex, the concept of the employment relationship continues to be altered, and employer and employees alike are navigating their way through a bevy of new issues driven by technologic and social changes. Understanding the larger picture but also the nuances of these issues is critical for employers to thrive.

Join us on May 7, 2024 for Mintz’s Eighth Annual Employment Law Summit as we bring together thought leaders to discuss the employment law hot topics of the day.

This year, we are thrilled to feature U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Director of the Boston Area Office, Kenneth An, as our keynote speaker. 

Who should attend? C-Level executives, compliance officers, in-house counsel, and HR professionals from all industries.

Breakfast & Check-In (8:30 - 8:55 AM)

Opening Remarks (9:00 - 9:05 AM)

Non-Competes Under Fire: The Changing Landscape of Non-Competition in the Workplace and the Rising Importance of Trade Secret Protection (9:05 - 9:55 AM)

This panel will focus on recent legal changes impacting employee mobility and the increased importance of implementing or enhancing employer trade secret and confidentiality protections. This discussion will dive into best practices when onboarding and offboarding employees, how to navigate state restrictions when employees are located across the nation, including an overview of non-compete jurisdictions, and steps all employers should take to assess and protect the information vital to their business.

Moderator: Geri Haight, Mintz

Panelists: Danielle Bereznay and Brad Scheller, Mintz

2024 Wage and Hour Developments (9:55 - 10:45 AM)

Wage and hour continue to be a critical area of focus for our clients, as a misstep with respect to wage payment practices can lead to serious repercussions, ranging from poor recruiting/retention to government investigations to class action lawsuits.  This session will provide a summary of the wage and hour topics that our clients find most pressing right now: (i) the DOL’s updated rules on FLSA exemptions, (ii) the DOL’s updated rules on independent contractor classification, and (iii) state wage transparency laws.

Moderator: Drew Matzkin, Mintz

Panelists: Katy Droumbakis and Tom Pagliarini, Mintz

Break (10:45 - 10:55 AM)

What Would You Do? DEI and Affirmative Action Edition (10:55 - 11:45 AM)

This interactive program will explore the DEI landscape in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s affirmative action decisions and will engage seminar participants in a discussion exploring current challenges and potential solutions that further DEI concepts in a legally compliant and practical manner.

Presenters: Danielle Dillon, Geri Haight, and Nikki Rivers, Mintz 

Lunchtime Keynote: EEOC Director of the Boston Area Office, Kenneth An (11:45 - 12:40 PM)

Director An's remarks will be followed by a Q&A.

Break (12:40 - 12:45 PM)

Negotiating Do’s and Don’ts for an Executive Employment Agreement in 2024 (12:45 - 1:35 PM) 

This interactive panel featuring an employment lawyer, two executive compensation lawyers, and a private equity industry professional will walk the audience through an executive employment agreement negotiation set for 2024, stopping along the way to focus on key negotiating points: (a) Cause and Good Reason definitions; (b) Severance; (c) Incentive and Equity Compensation; (d) Restrictive Covenants (non-compete and non-solicit obligations); and (e) Dispute Resolution (court, arbitration, etc.). 

Presenters: Anne Bruno, Ben Ferrucci, and Brendan Lowd, Mintz and James Ward, Artemis Capital Partners

Key Discrimination & Harassment Developments for Massachusetts Employers (1:35 - 2:25 PM)

Mintz's Employment team will discuss several of the most noteworthy discrimination and harassment-related developments at the federal and state levels over the past year. This segment will include a review of the EEOC’s 2024-2028 Strategic Enforcement Plan and how it impacts employers (including with respect to topics such as artificial intelligence in the hiring process); an overview of employers’ obligations under the recently enacted Pregnant Workers Fairness Act; considerations for handling political issues in the workplace; and a discussion of recent Massachusetts-related developments.

Presenters: Delaney Busch, Corbin Carter, and Natalie Groot, Mintz and Virginia Johnson, Aspen Aerogels

Closing Remarks (2:25 - 2:30 PM)

CLE and HR credits are available.

For any additional questions, please contact [email protected].

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