Hot topics in ADA Law (Presented by the Federal Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section)

Mary Smith, Principal | Jackson Lewis P.C.

Mary A. Smith is a principal in the New York City, New York, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She serves as a trusted advisor to clients on a broad range of litigation and counseling matters, helping them to understand how developing workplace issues and trends impact their businesses. Mary defends employers against claims of discrimination (gender, race, age, disability and national origin), sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, misappropriation of confidential information and related tort claims. She defends employers in state and federal courts, in arbitral forums such as AAA and administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, New York State Division of Human Rights, and the New York City Commission of Human Rights. As a member of Jackson Lewis’ Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition group, she regularly drafts and reviews employment agreements, confidentiality agreements, and noncompetition agreements, and handles related litigation. Mary is also a member of Jackson Lewis’ Financial Services, Real Estate, Healthcare, and Technology industry groups and is well versed in the workplace issues unique to those industries.

Jon Wall, Member | Higgins Benjamin PLLC.

Jon Wall practices employment litigation with Higgins Benjamin, PLLC, in Greensboro, N.C. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Employment Law Section of the Federal Bar Association, and he is a past chair of the employment law sections of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. A graduate of Duke University and Washington & Lee University School of Law, Wall currently sits in the Board of Advisors of Elon University School of Law and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Lauren Fisher White, Partner | Christian & Barton, LLP.

Lauren Fisher White chairs the firm’s Labor and Employment practice group and is a partner in its Litigation group. She counsels company owners, human resource executives, and boards of directors on complex employment matters, ranging from executive onboarding and departures to contested terminations and resulting litigation. Ms. Fisher White serves as a trusted advisor to non-profit, government, and for-profit entities, from startups to publicly traded companies. Her skill in navigating difficult personnel situations with clients, coupled with her thorough understanding of the legal framework underlying such matters, makes her an invaluable resource for the firm’s many clients that regularly consult with her. For example, Ms. Fisher White regularly counsels clients on the viability of independent contractor designations or risks associated with disciplinary actions and equips them with language tailored to minimize risk while achieving the desired business result. Ms. Fisher White brings her extensive employment knowledge to her litigation practice, where she represents clients in state and federal courts. She also regularly engages with members of the firm’s corporate group, managing the employment side of business mergers or divestitures, and serves in a consulting capacity with companies seeking to modify their business structure to maintain compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act or other employment laws. She assists in the investigation of and response to claims of harassment, discrimination and retaliation, and revises employee handbooks to account for updates to Virginia and federal law. Ms. Fisher White is an engaging speaker who provides regular employment law training to managers and supervisors, equipping them with the knowledge necessary to identify and report claims and aiding her clients’ defense against future litigation.

I. ADA level setting: ADA “basics” with a twist, emphasizing the areas of the law that are frequently litigated | 2:00pm – 2:15pm

II. Mary Smith of JacksonLewis will identify recent ADA issues that have arisen in her practice and the creative solutions she has crafted to reduce risk | 2:15pm – 2:30pm

III. Jon Wall of Higgins Benjamin will discuss how he identifies and combats an employer’s failure to engage in the interactive process | 2:30pm – 2:45pm

IV. Lauren Fisher White of Christian & Barton, LLP will discuss ADA concerns she has counseled her clients through ADA landmines, avoiding or minimizing the impact of litigation | 2:45pm – 3:00pm