Mintz's Annual Employment Law Summit 2025 - New York

May
1
2025

Date: May 1, 2025

Time: 9:00AM - 3:00PM (EST)

Location: Convene, 601 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022

Employers are navigating a seismic shift as the workplace landscape has seemingly changed overnight, and businesses are bracing for further legal changes under the Trump administration. The January Executive Orders were just the beginning. Employers need to stay apprised of rapidly evolving federal developments while also accounting for state/local requirements and their own foundational corporate principles. Planning ahead for these adjustments will be crucial to ensuring stability and success.

Join us as we examine recent updates and expected future actions, including on topics such as new enforcement priorities, the latest discrimination and harassment trends, the DEI terrain in this new reality, the state of artificial intelligence in the workplace, employee data privacy issues, employee mobility, and so much more. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical guidance and strategic insights to help your organization stay ahead of tomorrow’s workplace challenges. 

This year, we are thrilled to feature a keynote panel of members of the Executive Team of the New York State Human Rights Division: Melissa Franco, General Counsel; Erin Sobkowski, Deputy General Counsel; and Abbey Marr, Associate Counsel.

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

 

 

Breakfast & Check-In (9:00 - 9:25 AM) 

Opening Remarks (9:25 - 9:30 AM)

Setting the Stage: The Current Trump Administration and the Resulting Legal Landscape (9:30 - 10:20 AM)

The legal landscape has shifted quickly in the first months of the Trump administration. Employers need to be aware of how executive actions and potential changes to important employment and immigration laws and regulations will impact their business to deftly navigate these developments. This segment will cover recent changes to rules and enforcement priorities at federal agencies, what to expect from the Trump Administration regarding important employment and immigration issues, evolving judicial trends with respect to agency rulemaking, and how all these issues impact employer policies and practices.

Presenters: John Quill and Corbin Carter, Mintz

The State of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace (10:20 - 11:10 AM)

Our panelists will discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in 2025 and offer practical guidance when accounting for diversity, equity, and inclusion during various stages of the employment life cycle, including recruiting, retaining, and supporting all employees, whether they work for public or private companies or for federal contractors. Our panelists also will address recent issues they have encountered during this period of uncertainty around the contours of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. If you have a question that you’d like the panelists to address, be sure to email it to [email protected] or include it when you submit your Summit registration.

Presenters: Narges Kakalia, LisaMarie Collins, and Nikki Rivers, Mintz

Break (11:10 - 11:25 AM)

The Devil is in the Details: Navigating Employee Restrictive Covenants for a Multi-Jurisdiction Workforce in 2025 (11:25 - 12:15 PM)

This interactive session tackles today’s complex challenge of advising employers on effectively utilizing employee restrictive covenants—such as non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements—across a multi-jurisdictional or nationwide workforce. The session will begin with an overview of key federal legislative and enforcement developments, including more recent legislative and regulatory efforts to limit non-competes. The Mintz panelists will address the evolving state-level legal landscape, with an emphasis on states in the Northeast, including New York. And finally, using live audience feedback, the session will conclude with a discussion of current best practices and strategic tips on how to successfully design, implement, and enforce employee restrictive covenants in 2025.

Presenters: Mark Lerner, Brendan Lowd, and Katy Droumbakis, Mintz

Break for lunch to be served. (12:15 - 12:30 PM)

Lunchtime Keynote (12:30 - 1:20 PM) 

Featuring a discussion on efforts to combat discrimination and harassment in the workplace in New York State in a changing federal landscape with members of the Executive Team of the New York State Human Rights Division, including Melissa Franco, General Counsel; Erin Sobkowski, Deputy General Counsel; and Abbey Marr, Associate Counsel.

Short Break (1:20 - 1:25 PM)

Discrimination and Harassment: New Developments and Trends (1:25 - 2:15 PM) 

In this segment, we will discuss several of the most noteworthy discrimination-related developments and trends over the past year. It will include a review of recent Supreme Court and other notable cases and regulatory guidance, and the interplay between federal and state law. We will also share perspectives and offer strategies and other insights for effectively navigating these complex issues and reducing exposure.

Presenters: Andrew Bernstein, Natashia Tidwell, and Talia Weseley, Mintz

The Intersection of AI, Data Privacy, and Employment Law (2:15 - 3:05 PM)

Artificial intelligence has grown exponentially in prominence over the last several years and has reshaped how we think about a host of traditionally “human” activities, including many in the workplace. As companies increasingly explore the capabilities of AI, compliance with a rapidly evolving set of employment, and data privacy laws are essential to ensure that employers balance innovation with the protection of employee rights. This segment dives into these distinct but interrelated areas of the law and examines the growing mosaic of employment, AI, and data privacy laws across the country. Beyond offering an overview of the legal landscape, we will also explore data privacy safeguards and guardrails that are essential in the age of AI as well as considerations and strategies to help employers and relevant stakeholders remain compliant with this constantly evolving set of laws and regulations governing data privacy and data breaches and the protection of personal and confidential business information in the workplace.

Presenters: Cynthia Larose, Scott Lashway, and Evan Piercey, Mintz

Wrap Up & Closing Remarks (3:05 - 3:10 PM)

 

 

CLE and HR credits are available.

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

 

Register for Event

Offices

  • New York

    • Speakers

    Michael S. Arnold

    Michael S. Arnold

    Michael Arnold is Chair of the firm's Employment Practice. He is an employment lawyer who deftly handles a wide array of matters.
    John F. Quill

    John F. Quill

    John’s practice encompasses all aspects of immigration and nationality law. John draws on over two decades of experience to help companies and their employees obtain nonimmigrant visas, including B, E, H, J, L, O, and TN visas. He also handles applications for PERM labor certification; extraordinary ability, outstanding researcher, and national interest waiver petitions; adjustment of status procedures; consular processing; and naturalization.
    Corbin Carter

    Corbin Carter

    Corbin Carter is a solution-oriented employment counselor and litigator who guides clients through all aspects of the employment lifecycle. Corbin’s practice covers everything from day-to-day counseling to leading investigations and the management-side defense and prosecution of various employment-related claims.
    Narges M. Kakalia

    Narges M. Kakalia

    Narges Kakalia is Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Mintz. She leads the law firm in developing its DEI strategy and implementing steps that foster a culture that celebrates differences and ensures that every employee has an equal opportunity to succeed.
    LisaMarie Collins

    LisaMarie Collins

    LisaMarie Collins resolves complex legal matters for Mintz clients in the financial industry, handling issues concerning derivatives, commodity futures, civil securities litigation, and general commercial litigation. She also represents clients in class actions, arbitrations, and regulatory investigations.
    Nikki M. Rivers

    Nikki M. Rivers

    Mintz attorney Nicole M. Rivers defends employers in employment litigation and labor matters and advises on employment best practices. She handles cases involving claims of wage and hour violations, harassment, retaliation, discrimination, breach of employment agreements, FMLA violations, and violations of California's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), Family Rights Act (CFRA), and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
    Mark Lerner

    Mark Lerner

    Mark W. Lerner is a preeminent trial lawyer and employment attorney who serves as Chair of the Employment Litigation Practice within the firm’s Employment group. He draws on his prosecutorial background to lead cases and counsel clients on their most complex employment issues. He also conducts major internal investigations for clients and negotiates resolutions of disputes with regulatory agencies. Mark represents clients across a range of industries, including private equity, financial services, hedge funds, real estate, health care, energy, media, and apparel, among others.
    Brendan J. Lowd

    Brendan J. Lowd

    Brendan is an experienced and creative litigator, advisor, and counselor to public, private, start-ups, and closely-held companies. Brendan also represents high-level executives in the negotiation of their employment agreements and compensation.
    Kathryn R. Droumbakis

    Kathryn R. Droumbakis

    Kathryn Droumbakis is a Mintz Associate who litigates employment disputes before state and federal courts and administrative agencies and counsels clients on compliance with employment laws. She also has experience with complex commercial, professional liability, and real estate litigation.
    Andrew J. Bernstein

    Andrew J. Bernstein

    Andrew is a seasoned transactional attorney who advises public and private companies, as well as C-Suite and business executives, on a broad range of sophisticated compensation matters.
    Natashia Tidwell

    Natashia Tidwell

    Natashia Tidwell is a Member at Mintz who focuses her practice on white collar defense and government investigations. She leverages her experience as a former federal prosecutor and police officer to provide pragmatic counsel to schools on federal and state constitutional issues and to advise individuals, companies, and institutions on government enforcement actions.
    Talia R. Weseley

    Talia R. Weseley

    Talia R. Weseley is an Associate at Mintz who represents and counsels clients on various employment matters before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Her practice covers a wide array of employment matters, including employee handbooks and company policies, employment and separation agreements, restrictive covenant issues, leaves and accommodations, and discrimination, harassment, and retaliation investigations and litigation.
    Cynthia J. Larose

    Cynthia J. Larose

    Cynthia J. Larose is Chair of the firm's Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice, a Certified Information Privacy Professional-US (CIPP-US), and a Certified Information Privacy Professional-Europe (CIPP-E). She works with clients in various industries to develop comprehensive information security programs on the front end, and provides timely counsel when it becomes necessary to respond to a data breach.
    Scott T. Lashway

    Scott T. Lashway

    Scott T. Lashway is a globally recognized privacy and cybersecurity disputes attorney who servers as Co-chair of Mintz’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice. He guides clients through high-stakes incident response and breach investigations, complex and bet-the-company litigation, government investigations, and enforcement actions and provides strategic counsel on privacy, cybersecurity, data governance, and AI issues. Scott primarily represents clients in the health care, financial services, technology, artificial intelligence, and media and adtech sectors.
    Evan M. Piercey

    Evan M. Piercey

    Evan M. Piercey is an Associate at Mintz who litigates employment disputes before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. He also advises clients on a range of issues, including employment agreements and compliance with employment laws.