This event has completed.

9/25/2026
9:30 AM - 6:45 PM EST

Fall 2026 Full Day Conference
September 25, 2026 (9:30 AM - 6:45 pm Eastern)
@ Fordham Law School - and online, via Zoom Webinar

Rates: Member $350; Non-member $425; Non-profit Attorney $175 ; Student/Para $150 - includes 2 meals, all day snacks, and cocktails
Virtual (Zoom Webinar) Rates: Member $200; Non-Member $250; Non-Profit Attorney $100; Student/Para FREE

If you would like to apply for financial aid, please email nelany@nelany.com for the application.

Breakfast, snacks, lunch and happy hour are all included in your in-person registration fee!

6 total CLE for full day attendance / Presentation order and timed agenda will be published soon

1) Turning the Tables: Litigation-Related Retaliation Claims and Defeating Employer Counterattacks​ (1.5 CLE, Professional Practice)
 
Retaliation claims don't end when the complaint is filed, and sometimes they don't even start there. Employers file defamation suits, dredge up faithless servant theories, and introduce punitive terms in settlement agreements, e.g., do not darken my door clauses, overly broad non-competes, confidentiality “preferences.” Gain practical strategies for pleading, litigating, and negotiating around retaliation at every stage of representation: draft well-pleaded retaliation claims to survive motions to dismiss, shut down retaliatory lawsuits with Anti-SLAPP motions, defeat loyalty-based counterclaims that rarely survive the high burden of proof, and negotiate your client out of settlement traps.
 
Panelists:

• Molly Smithsimon, Smithsimon Law & Mediation (Moderator)
• Laurie Morrison, Law Offices of Laurie E. Morrison
• Siobhan Klassen, Goddard Law PLLC
• Evan Richardson, Harman Green
• Christopher Marlborough, The Marlborough Law Firm, P.C.

2) Getting Paid and Staying Ethical: Fee Arrangements and Ethics Updates for the Plaintiff’s Employment Lawyer​ (1.0 CLE, Ethics)
 
This ethics presentation has two parts. The first focuses on fee arrangements. As plaintiff's counsel, we usually represent our clients on a contingent basis, although we have a choice - we can also charge our clients an hourly or flat rate, or even a hybrid model. This part of the training focuses on the ethics to consider when coming to a fee arrangement with your client. The second part is an overview of recent ethics decisions that might come up when practicing employment law. 

Panelists:

• Deborah Karpatkin, Law Office of Deborah H. Karpatkin
• David O'Brien, Giskan Solotaroff & Anderson LLP

3) Federal Employment Case Law Developments (1.0 CLE, Professional Practice)

Second Circuit and Supreme Court update on employment discrimination and labor law.

Panelists:

• Stephen Bergstein, Bergstein & Ullrich, LLP
• Rita Sethi, Special Professor of Law at Maurice Deane School of Law at Hofstra University

4) Mastering Mass Arbitration: Practical Strategies, Ethics, and Case Law Update​ (1.0 CLE, Professional Practice)

Representing multiple employees against a single employer in arbitration presents unique logistical, procedural, and ethical hurdles. In this panel,  attendees will get a comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap for handling dockets of 20+ claimants—from spotting systemic claims at intake through final settlement management. Learn how to navigate the latest AAA and JAMS rules on mass filings, evaluate the strategic tradeoffs of consolidation, avoid common aggregate settlement ethical traps, and effectively manage holdouts. Join us for a practical look at recent landmark filings and the real-world mechanics of mass employment disputes.Second Circuit and Supreme Court update on employment discrimination and labor law.

Panelists:

• Shane Seppinni, Seppinni Law
• LaDonna Lusher, Virginia.& Ambinder, LLP

5) Hackers Know Where the Money Is—And They’re Coming for Your Law Firm (1.5 CLE, Cybersecurity)
 
Law firms and attorneys have become increasingly attractive targets because they sit on a goldmine of sensitive information, financial assets, and confidential client communications. But what happens after the breach, and how should the claim be handled? Join an experienced Breach Counsel attorney and the Head of North American Claims of a cyber/technology-focused MGA for an inside look at the latest cyber insurance and claims trends.  Our guest speakers will discuss topics surrounding the incident response process, from both a breach counsel and insurance carrier perspective including ransomware, social engineering, business interruption and class action litigation.  This isn’t a discussion about hypothetical cyber threats—it’s about what happens when the threat becomes your claim.

Panelists:

• Scott Jacobson, Alkeme Insurance – Lawyers Malpractice Insurance, Management Liability and Cyber Insurance (Moderator)
• Gregory Bautista​, Mullen Coughlin LLC – Cybersecurity attorney and Civil litigator
• Scott Tenenbaum, Esq​, Resilience - Head of North American Claims