Aniko R. Schwarcz, Director of Civil Rights and Employment Case Development, has been invited to moderate a panel program at by Workplace Fairness’ Advocacy In Action: Conference & Fundraiser on May 1, 2025. The half-day conference will start at starting at 2:30 p.m. and the fundraiser at 5:15 p.m.  The program will be hosted at Outten & Golden in Washington, D.C.

Aniko’s session, From Paychecks to Policy: Uniting Workers for Policy Change, will feature Maureen Conway, Vice President, Aspen Institute and Francisco Diez, Senior Campaign Strategist, Economic Justice, Popular Democracy.

The program promises to be an insightful and action-driven event that unpacks the latest legal trends, workplace rights, and the collective power of workers in shaping policy change.

Phoebe Wolfe, an associate in our Civil Rights & Employment practice, has been invited to moderate a panel program at the 2025 NELA Wage and Hour Update on March 28 at the Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis at 2:30 p.m.

Phoebe’s panel program is titled, “The Nuts & Bolts of the Settlement Process.”

The panel of experienced litigators will discuss how to navigate the wage and hour settlement process. From drafting a fee petition to finding your plaintiffs, this session should give practitioners practical tips on (and common pitfalls) of a successful settlement.

Moderator: Phoebe M. Wolfe, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC

Speakers:

  • Jessica Riggin, Rukin Hyland & Riggin LLP
  • Melissa Lardo Stewart, Outten & Golden LLP

Jan Messerschmidt, a partner in our Securities Litigation & Investor Protection practice, has been invited by the D.C. Bar Association to speak at its program, Breaking Into Corporate, Finance & Securities Law: Career Insights for Aspiring Attorneys. This Zoom webinar will be hosted on April 29, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

Geared toward law students and early-career attorneys, panelists will share their career journeys, discuss key skills for success, and offer practical advice on navigating careers in the dynamic areas of corporate, finance, and securities law.

The speakers include:

  • Michelle Heisner, Partner, Global Corporate and Securities Practice Group, Baker & McKenzie LLP
  • Peter Malyshev, Partner,  Financial Services Group, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
  • Jan Messerschmidt, Partner, Securities Litigation & Investor Protection, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC
  • Mayra Suárez, Counsel, Litigation – White Collar Defense and Investigations, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
  • Debra Sutter, Counsel, Registered Funds, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
  • Spencer Asch, Law Student, Rutgers Law School, Newark (Moderator)

The program is sponsored by the D.C. Bar Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Community. Related Communities of Interest: D.C. Bar Early Career Lawyers Community and D.C. Bar Law Student Community.

Christine Webber, co-chair of our Civil Rights & Employment practice, has been invited to speak at the ABA Labor and Employment Law National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law at the Fairmont San Francisco on March 25-28, 2025.

Christine’s panel program, Strategies for Litigating EEO Class Actions, is scheduled for Thursday, March 27 at 9:00 a.m. PCT.

Her panel will discuss recent trends and developments in EEO class actions and systemic discrimination claims, including class and collective lawsuits addressing gender, race, disability, age and pay equity lawsuits. Panelists will also address notable settlements, significant decisions, as well as the impact of amendments to California’s Private Attorney General Act and other legislative developments. The panel will also explore the EEOC’s continued focus on systemic discrimination enforcement, discuss the important role expert witnesses play in the prosecution and defense of complex EEO actions, as well as share what they expect to see in the near future.

Moderator: Erin Connell, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, San Francisco, CA

Panelists:

  • Katey Foster, APT Metrics, Stamford, CT
  • Roberta L. Steele, Regional Attorney, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, San Francisco, CA
  • Christine Webber, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, PLLC, Washington, DC

Harini Srinivasan, a partner in our Civil Rights & Employment practice, has been invited to speak at the ABA Labor and Employment Law National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law at the Fairmont San Francisco on March 25-28, 2025.

Harini’s panel program, EEOC Investigations: Nuts & Bolts, is scheduled for Thursday, March 27 at 10:30 a.m. PCT.

Panelists will discuss what really happens after a charge is filed, start to finish, including:

  • Utilization of the E-file portal for attorneys to file charges, selection of charges for EEOC’s mediation program, identification of potential class charges by the EEOC and whether they are treated them differently from individual charges, processing of “intake” interviews,
  • The process for Respondent position statements and rebuttals,
  • Utilization of onsite investigations and subpoenas by the EEOC,
  • The determination process, including when the EEOC finds cause, conciliation, factors that are considered by EEOC when deciding to file suit.

Moderator: Leslie Silverman, Fortney Scott, Washington, DC

Panelists:

  • Ryan Leach, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Boston, MA
  • Victoria A. Lipnic, Resolution Economics LLC, Washington, DC
  • Lisa Morelli, Director of Field Management Programs, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington, DC
  • Harini Srinivasan, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, Washington, DC

Ryan Wheeler, an associate in our Employee Benefits/ERISA practice, has been invited to speak at Practising Law Institute’s (PLI) ERISA Fiduciary Investment Basics 2025 on March 18 at 2:00 PM EDT.

Ryan’s panel program, titled “Fundamentals for 401(k) Plan Fiduciaries” will cover key definitions and fiduciary concepts that apply to defined contribution plans (e.g., 401(k) plans) where the participant is responsible for directing investment of his or her account.

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the basic fiduciary responsibilities in the context of a 401(k) plan
  • Identify how participant direction of account investments can limit fiduciary responsibility
  • Recognize the key areas of possible fiduciary liability exposure (including recordkeeping and other fees)

Rebecca A. Ojserkis, an associate in our Civil Rights & Employment practice, has been invited to speak at the 2025 NELA Wage and Hour Update on March 28 at the Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis.

Rebecca’s panel program is titled, “Revisiting Swales, Clark, and Bristol-Myers Squibb—The Latest in FLSA Certification & Jurisdictional Issues.”

Swales was decided in 2021. Panelists will discuss how courts are dealing with FLSA certification issues, how to respond to defense arguments regarding Swales and how jurisdictional issues create access to justice issues for plaintiffs.

Moderator: Clif Alexander, Anerson Alexander, PLLC

Speakers: Rebecca A. Ojserkis, Cohen Milstein and Harold L. Lichten, Lichten & Liss-Riordan, P.C.

Molly Bowen, a partner in our Securities Litigation & Investor Protection practice, has been invited to speak on RJI Investor Strategies Briefing: Derivative Lawsuits. The program will be held via Zoom on March 10, 2025 at 01:00 PM EST.

Molly’s briefing will focus on various strategies to continue and advance the necessary work of corporate accountability, amidst a rapidly changing regulatory and legal landscape. Specifically, she will focus on shareholder derivative lawsuits. Her briefing will also include updates and conversation around recent developments in corporate law in the state of Delaware.

Sharon Robertson, a trial lawyer and partner in our Antitrust practice, has been invited by the American Bar Association to speak on the FTC’s bench trial against Meta, scheduled for April 14, 2025.  The webinar, hosted through the ABA’s Antitrust Law Section, will be held on February 20, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

The lawsuit, Federal Trade Commission v. Meta Platforms, Inc. (D.D.C.),  raises many questions sure to influence future Section 2 of the Sherman Act enforcement, including how to analyze a course of conduct, when the government should challenge completed acquisitions, and how to craft effective remedies. Please join us for a discussion of the issues likely to be in the headlines throughout the trial.

The ABA program will be moderated by Koren W Wong-Ervin, Jones Day. The panelists include:

  • Sharon Robertson, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC
  • David Kully, Holland & Knight
  • Fiona Scott Morton, Yale School of Management
  • Joseph Coniglio, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation

Lyzette Wallace will speak on the webinar “Doing What Needs to Be Done in Ediscovery Without a Litigation Support Team” on January 30 at 1:00 p.m. The webinar, hosted by Everlaw, will explore how firms with limited resources can keep up with the growing demands of modern ediscovery.

In addition to Lyzette, the webinar panel will feature:

  • Renner Walker, Hausfeld
  • Sophia Khan, Everlaw
  • Brittany Resch, Strauss+Borrelli

Visit the event page to register for the event or learn more.