The Massachusetts Bar Association welcomes back our Labor & Employment
members to the 45th Annual Labor & Employment Spring Conference. This year’s
conference will be an in-person event at Suffolk University Law School on
Thursday, May 9. Faculty presenters include a number of judges and accomplished
attorneys who have provided significant thought leadership in the areas of labor
and employment law.
This year's keynote speaker will be Karla Gilbride, general counsel of the
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Gilbride was nominated by
President Joe Biden on Jan. 3, 2023, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Oct.
17, 2023, to a four-year term.
Conference Agenda
9:00- 9:30 a.m.: Registration
9:30-9:35 a.m.: Welcoming Remarks
9:35-10:45 a.m. Employment Law Update
Moderator Sujin Han, Cengage
Group, Boston
Panelists:
Michelle De
Oliveira, Kenney & Sams, P.C., Southborough
Michaela May, Bennett & Belfort P.C., Cambridge
Mark Macchi, Gunderson Dettmer, Boston
Adam Gutbezahl, Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C., Boston
10:45-11:00 a.m. Networking Break
11:00-12:10: Labor Law Update
Moderator, Katie Lev, Lev Labor,
LLC
Panelists:
Kier Wachterhauser, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP,
Braintree
Patrice Dixon, Jackson Lewis P.C., Boston
Thomas Henry, Krakow, Souris & Landry,
LLC, Boston
Paige McKissock, Segal Roitman, LLP, Boston
12:10-1 PM Lunch & Networking
1:00– 2:15 p.m.: Keynote Speaker, EEOC General Counsel Karla
Gilbride
2:15-2:30 Networking Break
2:30 -3:40 p.m.: The Impact of Recent US Supreme Court Decisions on
DEI: Misconceptions, Intersectionality and Ramifications in the Employment
Context.
Moderator, Stesha Emmanuel, McCarter & English, LLP, Boston
Panelists:
Ari
Kristan, Hirsch Roberts Weinstein, LLP, Boston
Michael Kippins, Lawyers
for Civil Rights, Boston
Kiana Pierre-Louis, Northeastern University School of
Law, Boston
3:45-4:00 p.m.: Networking Break
4:00-5:00 p.m.: Annual Judicial Panel
Moderator Richard Loftus, Hirsch
Roberts Weinstein, LLP, Boston
Hon. Scott Lewis Kafker, Associate Justice,
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Hon. Valerie A. Yarashus, Associate
Justice, Massachusetts Superior Court
Hon. Patrick J. King, Settlement
Counsel, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
5:00-5:10 p.m.: Closing Remarks
5:15-6:00: Networking Reception
Registration for the conference is required by noon on Monday,
May 6.
Faculty:
Kimberly A. Alley, Esq., Conference Co-chair
Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C., Boston
Kathleen Ann Kearney-Berney, Esq., Conference Co-chair
Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP, Boston
Karla Gilbride, General Counsel, Keynote Speaker
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington
Hon. Scott L. Kafker, Associate Justice, Panelist
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Hon. Patrick J. King, Settlement Counsel, Panelist
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Hon. Valerie A. Yarashus, Associate Justice, Panelist
Massachusetts Superior Court
Stesha A. Emmanuel, Esq., Moderator
McCarter & English LLP, Boston
Sujin Han, Esq., Moderator
Cengage Group, Boston
Katie Lev, Esq., Moderator
Lev Labor, LLC
Richard S. Loftus, Esq., Moderator
Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP, Boston
Michelle De Oliveira, Esq., Panelist
Kenney & Sams PC, Southborough
Patrice Dixon, Esq., Panelist
Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP, Boston
Adam G. Gutbezahl, Esq., Panelist
Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C., Boston
Michael A. Kippins, Esq., Panelist
Lawyers for Civil Rights, Boston
Arielle B. Kristan, Esq., Panelist
Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP, Boston
Michaela C. May, Esq., Panelist
Bennett & Belfort, P.C., Cambridge
Mark Macchi, Esq., Panelist
Gunderson Dettmer, Boston
Paige Walker McKissock, Esq., Panelist
Segal Roitman, LLP, Boston
Kiana Pierre-Louis, Esq., Panelist
Northeastern University, School of Law, Boston
Thomas T. Henry, Esq., Panelist
Krakow, Souris & Landry, LLC, Boston
Kier Wachterhauser, Esq., Panelist
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP, Braintree