2009 California Employment Law Update -- Speakers Page

ERI is proud to bring you leading employment law experts from around the state. Speakers for the California Employment Law Update include:

	Marjorie Fochtman, Esq. Nixon Peabody, LLP Fochtman heads Nixon Peabody’s West Coast Wage/Hour Team. She has extensive experience in wage and hour matters, representing employers in Department of Labor and California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement audits, labor commissioner hearings, and in state and federal court, both in individual wage claims and class actions. She also represents employers in preventive employment and labor law; discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful discharge litigation; employment training; and preparing personnel policies and procedures.
	Dan M. Forman, Esq. Carlton DiSante & Freudenberger, LLP For almost 20 years, Forman has helped his clients obtain the efficient resolution of trade secret, complex commercial and a broad range of employment and labor issues and disputes. A wide range of enterprises and individuals place their confidence in Forman’s advice and counseling, including non-profit corporations, entertainment companies, service providers, financial institutions, garment manufacturers, retail establishments, high tech companies, hospitals, partnerships, and agricultural enterprises.
	Bonnie Glatzer, Esq. Nixon Peabody, LLP Glatzer’s practice covers a wide range of labor and employment representations, including litigation, collective bargaining, NLRB advice and representation, and agency proceedings and advice work. She has served as lead counsel in jury trials involving alleged sexual harassment, sex, race and disability discrimination, wrongful termination and breach of employment contracts; bench trials involving discrimination, trade secrets and labor injunction issues; and numerous mediated and negotiated settlements in lawsuits involving the full range of labor and employment issues.
	Laura Innes, Esq. Simpson, Garrity, Innes & Jacuzzi, PC Innes is engaged exclusively in the practice of labor and employment law. She has practiced extensively in state and federal court and before state and federal agencies including: the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal Department of Labor (DOL), the Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Program (OFCCP), and the state Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). In addition to litigation and preventive counseling, Innes effectively employs alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation and arbitration, to efficiently and effectively resolve sensitive employment disputes.
	Marc Jacuzzi, Esq. Simpson, Garrity, Innes & Jacuzzi, PC Jacuzzi has broad experience in employment law matters. He has represented numerous employers as defendants in civil rights actions (including claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and other state discrimination statutes), trade secret misappropriation claims, wage claims, and wrongful termination claims.
	Allen Kato, Esq. Fenwick & West, LLP Kato’s practice concentrates exclusively on representing management in wage and hour, affirmative action and EEO compliance, unfair competition and trade secret matters and litigating individual and class action wage and hour, wrongful discharge employment discrimination, and unfair competition matters before courts and agencies. He also trains managers & HR professionals on a regular basis.
	Kristine Kwong, Esq. Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP Kwong is a business and corporate transactions attorney with particular focus on labor and employment law. She represents both private and public sector employers in federal and state courts throughout California in counseling and litigation. Kwong advises and counsels clients on a wide range of business and employment issues, including wage and hour matters, non-compete and restrictive covenant agreements, executive compensation packages, the full range of disciplinary matters, discrimination, harassment, and leaves of absence.
	Myron D. (Mike) Moye, Esq. Hanson Bridgett, LLP Moye specializes in litigation and counseling related to employment and labor law matters. He represents employers in employment disputes in state and federal court, arbitrations, administrative hearings and before government agencies. In addition, he provides preventive advice, counsel and training to employers on a variety of employment law issues, including union organizing activity and collective bargaining.
	Seth Neulight, Esq. Nixon Peabody, LLP Neulight has extensive experience representing employers in a wide range of labor and employment matters. He defends employers in individual cases and class actions before state and federal courts involving claims such as discrimination and harassment, wage and hour violations, unfair competition, breach of contract, torts, and injunctive relief. He also counsels clients on best practices to avoid the risks of employment litigation and ensure full compliance with labor laws, and has been recognized as one of Super Lawyer's "Rising Stars" by the publishers of the Northern California Super Lawyers magazine for 2009.
	An Nguyen Ruda, Esq. Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro LLP Nguyen is an associate in the firm’s Labor & Employment department. She has handled litigation matters, including product liability cases, Federal Employer Liability Act claims and passenger injury claims for various railroad clients, as well as claims against municipalities. While in law school, Nguyen clerked at the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. She was also part of the founding class of the Northern California Innocence Project, a wrongful conviction clinic at Santa Clara University, and its volunteer coordinator in Spring 2001.
	Sandra Rappaport, Esq. Hanson Bridgett, LLP Rappaport is experienced in all aspects of labor and employment law. She has extensive litigation experience, including defending employers against discrimination, wrongful termination, whistleblowing, and sexual harassment claims in both state and federal court. She has substantial experience litigating on behalf of employers in other forums as well, including labor arbitrations and other administrative proceedings.
	Rebecca Speer, Esq. Speer Associates/Workplace Counsel Speer’s professional activities place her on the leading edge of today’s employment issues. As founder and principal of Speer Associates/Workplace Counsel, she brings over twenty years of experience to her work with a wide range of organizations, providing employment law services with a specialized focus on internal investigations, employee relations management, and the prevention of workplace violence, discrimination, harassment, and other employee misconduct. Clients have included major corporations across a variety of industries, public-sector organizations, and professional firms.
	Allison West, Esq., SPHR Employment Practices Specialists, LLC As principal for Employment Practices Specialists, West specializes in developing and delivering training programs that address employment law and human resource issues both in the US and internationally. Her expertise also includes conducting workplace investigations; one-on-one sensitivity training for managers and employees concerning harassment, discrimination and diversity awareness issues; coaching managers and employees with disciplinary and/or behavioral problems; providing expert witness assistance; and customizing employee handbooks, policies and procedures.