Risk Management & Loss Prevention Challenges in the Hotel & Restaurant Industries (Presented by HospitalityLawyer.com)

Jordan B. Schwartz, Partner | Conn Maciel Carey LLP

Jordan B. Schwartz is a partner in the Labor & Employment practice at Conn Maciel Carey LLP, working from the firm’s Washington, DC office. His counseling and litigation work spans discrimination and harassment defense, trade secret and restrictive covenant disputes, and wage and hour claims. A substantial part of his practice involves representing property owners and managers against accessibility claims brought under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and he works extensively with clients in the hospitality, club, and retail sectors.

• Education & Credentials

Jordan earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2002 and holds a B.A. from Duke University, awarded cum laude, in 1999. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. His federal court admissions include the U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia, the District of Maryland, the District of Colorado, and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.

• Recognition & Leadership

Jordan practices as a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment group, with a concentration in ADA accessibility and wage and hour compliance. He is a frequently invited speaker, with recent engagements including the Choice Hotels International Annual Convention, The Hospitality Law Conference, the New England Inns (NEIRA) Annual Conference, the Resort Hotel Association (RHA) Annual Conference, and the Club Management Association of America.

• Professional Involvement

Jordan speaks regularly on workplace safety and employment topics and presents for the firm’s Labor & Employment Webinar Series. His practice areas at the firm include ADA Accessibility, Labor & Employment, Wage & Hour, Trade Secret and Restrictive Covenant matters, Whistleblower and Retaliation defense, Workplace Litigation, Audits and Internal Investigations, and Workplace Violence Prevention. Alongside his litigation work, he conducts employer training on harassment, discrimination, and diversity, and advises on drug testing policies and marijuana-related workplace questions.

• Experience

Jordan has defended hospitality owners and operators against Title III ADA suits brought by guests with disabilities over physical accessibility barriers, and has represented hotels, restaurants, and retail stores in litigation claiming their websites failed to comply with the ADA. His ADA counseling work includes onsite inspections, policy reviews, and website compliance assessments. His wage and hour matters include the defense of a retail company in a class action under the New York Labor Law concerning compensation of manual workers, and the defense of an employer in a case addressing child labor, overtime, meal break, and regular rate of pay compliance. He obtained a default judgment against a former employee and a successor employer arising from destruction of evidence and misappropriation of trade secrets. He has also defended religious discrimination claims tied to COVID-19 vaccine mandate compliance, defended a retail company against sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and retaliation claims, and conducted internal and external wage and hour audits.

Maria Venditti, Ph.D., Entomologist | J.S. Held

Maria Venditti, Ph.D., is an entomologist in the Environmental, Health, and Safety practice at J.S. Held, working from the firm’s Redmond, Washington office. Her work spans both urban and agricultural entomology, and she advises clients on identifying insect and nematode problems and on the remediation and prevention strategies that follow. She supports healthcare, academic, commercial, and residential facilities, and is fluent in English and Spanish.

• Education & Credentials

Maria holds a Ph.D. in Crop Sciences with a focus on entomology and a Master of Science in Plant Pathology with a concentration in nematology. She earned both degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• Recognition & Leadership

Maria practices as an entomologist within the J.S. Held Environmental, Health, and Safety group, where her assignments include litigation support and environmental risk management.

• Professional Involvement

Maria is a member of the Entomological Society of America. Her areas of expertise at the firm include environmental investigations, environmental risk management, regulatory compliance consulting, epidemiology consulting, litigation support, product stewardship, chemical registration, health risk management, and the assessment and remediation of PFAS and PCBs.

• Experience

Maria has supported clients across healthcare, academic, commercial, and residential facilities in identifying insects and nematodes, including bed bugs, carpet beetles, termites, fleas, cluster flies, nonbiting midges, fungal gnats, moth flies, and springtails. Her assignments have included recommendations for both remediation and preventive strategies.

Justin Shannon, M.A.Ed., Property & Casualty Advisor | HUB International

Justin Shannon, M.A.Ed., is a Property & Casualty Advisor with the Hospitality Practice at HUB International, where he specializes in insurance and risk management solutions for hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses. He works closely with owners and operators to identify operational risks, strengthen loss prevention strategies, and develop insurance programs tailored to the unique challenges of the hospitality industry. Justin is an active industry thought leader, regularly publishing insights on hospitality risk management, insurance trends, and emerging operational exposures.

• Education & Credentials

Justin attended Mississippi State University.

• Professional Involvement

Justin is a member of the Hospitality Specialty Practice at HUB International. Alongside hospitality, his brokerage work extends to real estate.

• Experience

Justin’s client work spans hotels, restaurants, and resorts, ranging from boutique properties to large-scale resorts. His assignments cover property and casualty placement as well as the risk management strategies that accompany it, with an emphasis on minimizing risk, protecting assets, and maintaining operational continuity.

SESSION 1 – ADA Compliance in Hospitality: Navigating Service Animals, Accessible Accommodations, and Digital Accessibility | 12:00pm – 12:30pm

ADA compliance continues to evolve, creating new challenges for hotels and restaurants as accessibility obligations extend beyond physical spaces into guest interactions and digital platforms. This session will examine key ADA requirements related to service animals, accessible guest room reservations and inventory management, and website accessibility, while highlighting common compliance pitfalls and recent litigation trends. Attendees will gain practical guidance on reducing liability, strengthening operational policies, and improving the guest experience through proactive accessibility planning.

SESSION 2 – Handling Unwelcome Guests: Proactive Bed Bug Prevention and Response | 12:30pm – 1:00pm

A hotel’s reputation in the hospitality industry is built on its cleanliness, comfort, and the trust it earns from guests. This presentation provides a comprehensive and proactive approach to managing bed bug risks in hospitality properties. It highlights the importance of effective prevention protocols, outlines stepby-step procedures for responding to guest complaints, and presents best practices for documentation, collaboration with pest management professionals, and minimizing legal liability while protecting the property’s reputation.

BREAK | 1:00pm – 1:10pm

SESSION 3 – Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention in Hospitality | 1:10pm – 1:40pm

This session explores one of the hospitality industry’s most common and preventable sources of liability: slip, trip, and fall incidents. Attendees will examine the financial and operational impact of these claims, identify the areas of hotels and restaurants where incidents occur most frequently, and learn practical administrative and engineering controls that can reduce risk, improve workplace safety, and help prevent costly workers’ compensation and general liability claims.