Join the Massachusetts Bar Association for its 18th Annual In-House Counsel
Conference, which will focus on the theme of “The New (Not So) Normal.” In
keeping with these unusual times, this year’s conference will be offered as a
Zoom webinar.
This program will provide information on current topics of significant
concern to in-house and outside counsel. This year’s conference will
feature:
- A keynote address from Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Karyn
Polito.
- A panel discussion moderated by James Donnelly and Robert Kerwin, and
including panelists Julie Koshgarian, corporate counsel, IPG Photonics
Counsel; and Simon Platt, chair, StoneTurn, addressing traps for the unwary in
the development and administration of record retention programs as employees
resort to new technologies to communicate during the pandemic.
- A nationwide panel discussion moderated by J. Christopher Collins, and
including panelists Doug Baker, vice president and chief legal counsel, UNUM
(Chattanooga, TN); Eileen Riethle, vice president, corporate compliance and
regulatory affairs, Health Plans Inc. (Westborough); and Katharine Weber,
shareholder at Maynard Cooper (Birmingham, AL), regarding roles and
responsibilities that contribute to an effective relationship between in-house
counsel and outside counsel. The panel will discuss the variety of
approaches that are used to provide legal services in today’s corporate
America.
- A panel discussion moderated by Robert Kilroy, of Mirick, O’Connell,
DeMallie & Lougee LLP, including panelists Amanda Baer and Brian Casaceli
of Mirick O’Connell, regarding key employment law issues facing employers due
to the pandemic and recent statutory developments. Discussion will
include: i) employee requests to continue working remotely indefinitely
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a discussion of an employer’s ability
to mandate return to on-site work; ii) employers’ ability to mandate, as a
condition of employment, that employees receive the flu
and/or COVID-19 vaccine once ready for distribution; iii) advantages to
enacting a furlough of employees instead of a layoff; and iv) the interplay of
the commonwealth’s Paid Family Medical Leave Act, the federal FMLA, the
commonwealth’s Parental Leave Act, and employer paid time off policies.
- A presentation by Peter MacDonald, general counsel, loanDepot, regarding
doing business in multiple states.
The conference will also offer moderated breakout sessions, where attendees
may remotely network with other counsel in a less formal setting.
This year's conference is co-sponsored by the New England Corporate Counsel
Association Inc. Members of the New England Corporate Counsel Association who
are not MBA members can enjoy a special discounted rate of $25. To register,
please contact the Massachusetts Bar Association Member Service Center at (617)
338-0530.
This conference will be hosted using Zoom. Registration is required
by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26, to participate in this program. After
you register with the MBA, please look for an email from MassBar
Education
with the Webinar ID and Password. The email will be sent before the conference
on Jan. 28.