NELA’S 2025 Wage & Hour Update March 28-29, 2025
Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis, Missouri
SSID: NELAWIFI
PW: NELA2025
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2025
8:00–9:00 a.m. 2025 Spring Seminar Registration Desk Open Khorassan Pre-Function West
8:00–9:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
Khorassan West
8:45–9:00 a.m. Welcome & Opening Remarks Khorassan Main
9:00–10:15 a.m. Protecting Workers in 2025 and Beyond
Moderator: M. Nieves Bolaños
Speakers: Mark Hanna & Jessica Looman
Representing workers has never been more important or more potentially challenging. Join workers’ rights experts and former Department of Labor Wage & Hour Administrator Jessica Looman to discuss how the new administration’s priorities will affect our work and develop strategies for dealing with regulatory rollbacks and a loss of deference.
Khorassan Main
10:15–10:45 a.m. Break Khorassan West
10:45–11:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Fundamentals of Wage & Hour Practice
Handling a Wage & Hour Case from Intake to Trial
Moderator/Speaker: Rachhana T. Srey
Speaker: Sara A. Faulman
Whether you are an experienced practitioner looking to take on more wage and hour cases or a new practitioner learning the ropes, this session is for you. From determining whether a case should be a class or collective action (or both!) to avoiding landmines in this practice area, our panelists will leave you well prepared to take on a wage and hour case for the first time.
Revisiting Swales, Clark, and Bristol-Myers Squibb—The Latest in FLSA Certification & Jurisdictional Issues
Moderator: Clif Alexander
Speakers: Harold L. Lichten & Rebecca A. Ojserkis
Cases addressing issues of FLSA certification have been litigated across the circuits since Swales was decided in 2021. So, what is the lay of the land now? Join our experts as they 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.
Khorassan Main
Lindell C&D
12:00–1:15 p.m. Luncheon Khorassan West
1:15–2:15 p.m.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
State Laws & Regulations You Should Know
Moderator: Asher Morse
Speakers: Mark Hanna & Scott Moss
With an unpredictable federal landscape for workers, it is increasingly important for states to protect workers. Hear from a practitioner and state-level officials as they discuss the current landscape of state prevailing wage laws and how to engage with your state legislatures to ensure fair pay for workers.
Using Damages in the Context of Settlement and Trial
Moderator/Speaker: Sarah Schalman-Bergen
Speakers: Rebecca E. King & Vivianna Morales
This practical panel will guide you through the methodology of appropriate sampling, how to find the right expert to provide accurate damages calculations, and how to frame your damages when meeting and conferring with defense counsel.
2:30–3:30 p.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Fundamentals of Wage & Hour Practice
The Nuts & Bolts of the Settlement Process
Moderator: Phoebe M. Wolfe
Speakers: Jessica Riggin & Melissa Lardo Stewart
Our panel of experienced litigators will teach you how to navigate the wage and hour settlement process. From drafting a fee petition to finding your plaintiffs, this session will give you the dos and don'ts of a successful settlement.
Never Heard of It! Obscure FLSA Regulations You Need to Know
Moderator/Speaker: Lauren E. Braddy
Speakers: Ryan C. Cowdin & Mark J. Gottesfeld
Khorassan Main
Lindell C&D
Khorassan Main
Hidden deep in the depths of the Federal Register lie important FLSA regulations you may have forgotten about (or may have never heard of). This session will unearth important FLSA regulations that you should know about. From record keeping to calculation of bonuses at different rates, knowing these regulations will help ensure you leave no stone unturned when representing your clients. Lindell C&D
3:30–4:00 p.m.
4:00–5:15 p.m. A Conversation with AAA and JAMS
Moderator: Shannon Liss-Riordan
Speakers: Ann Lesser (Vice President, AAA) & Jonathan Moss (Vice President, Operations & US Market Expansion, JAMS)
Join our experienced practitioner along with representatives from AAA and JAMS for a dialogue about the current landscape of the arbitration process, how providers deal with mass arbitrations, and how practitioners and providers can ensure fair and successful arbitration proceedings.
5:30–7:00 p.m. Reception
Generously co-sponsored by the National Institute for Workers’ Rights
Khorassan Main
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2025
7:00–9:00 a.m. 2025 Spring Seminar Registration Khorassan Pre-Function West
7:00–9:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet Khorassan West
9:00–10:00 a.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
What’s New in ESI & AI
Moderator/Speaker: Sarah J. Arendt
Speakers: Jeffrey W. Chivers & Daniel S. Stromberg
As the workplace is increasingly digitized and automated, so too is discovery. From HR systems, emails, driver tracking, and timekeeping systems, how do you ensure you have what you need to succeed? Our experts will discuss the latest in ESI and how AI could become a valuable part of your litigation toolbox.
Every Minute Counts Updates on Off-the-clock Work
Moderator: Lesley Tse
Speaker: Clara Coleman
Across the country, courts and legislators are taking on the issue of off-the-clock work. This session will examine the ever-changing landscape of travel time, rounding, meal breaks, and other off-theclock work that can be vital to the livelihood of workers. Learn how you can use these new developments to get your clients the compensation they deserve.
Khorassan Main
10:00–10:30 a.m. Break Khorassan West
10:30–11:30 a.m.
Ethical Issues in Wage & Hour Cases
Moderator: Larry A. Johnson
Speakers: Timothy J. Pierce (Ethics Counsel for the State Bar of Wisconsin) & Pooja Shethji
Wage and hour cases (particularly class and collective actions) come with unique ethical challenges. This session will highlight the important ethical rules governing communications (especially with potential class members, non-represented employees and insiders), settlements, and more.
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Lunch (On Your Own)
1:00–2:00 p.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
Effective Mediation Strategies
Moderator/Speaker: Andrew Santillo
Speakers: Brendan J. Donelon & Jason C. Marsili
Mediation is a vital part of alternative dispute resolution in the wage and hour sphere, and knowing how to effectively navigate this process is crucial. Learn from experienced wage and hour plaintiffs’ counseland mediators regarding what works at mediation. From the timing of mediation to addressing attorneys’ fees (and everything in between!), this session will ensure you are prepared for your next mediation.
Khorassan Main
Khorassan Main
Protecting Low Wage & Immigrant Workers
Moderator/Speaker: Bryce W. Ashby
Speaker: Rachel Dempsey
With an administration that has a notable anti-immigrant bent, how do we represent and support immigrant and other vulnerable lowwage workers? These workers are often subject to retaliation, potential raids, and trafficking. Our panelists will discuss working with unions, worker centers , and legal aid organizations to combat wage left, TRAPs, and employer coercion.
2:00–2:15 p.m. Break
2:15–3:15 p.m. Wage & Hour Case Law Update
Speaker: Richard J. (Rex) Burch
Since we last met in 2023, the world of wage and hour law has undergone some important changes. Our expert will discuss the significant wage and hour cases of the past few years and how these decisions are changing the landscape for workers and practitioners.
3:15 p.m. Closing
Lindell C&D
Join us in Baltimore this June for three days of enriching education, inspiring conversations, and steadfast solidarity. In this era of unprecedented attacks on workers’ rights, building robust networks and alliances among workers’ rights advocates is not just important—it is essential for preserving the dignity and economic security of working people.
2025 NELA Annual Convention June 25–28, 2025
Marriott Baltimore Waterfront Early-bird Rates Through May 16
Program Tracks
Fundamentals of Employment Law
Protecting Workers' Rights in Uncertain Times
Trial Advocacy
Representing Federal Employees
NELA's signature event would not be complete without our perennial favorite, “Year in Review: Significant Developments in Employment Law.” Other cutting-edge sessions include the art of co-counseling, emerging trends for immigrant workers, ethical and practical considerations of AI in legal practice, representing LGBTQ+ workers, wellness for lawyers, and more.
www.nela.org/empower-reclaim-transform
