NELA
Empowering Workers' Rights Attorneys
Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis
Spring Seminar Program
Friday, March 28, 2025 |
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| 8:00–9:00 a.m. | Registration & Continental Breakfast |
| 8:45–9:00 a.m. | Welcome & Opening Remarks |
| 9:00–10:15 a.m. | Protecting Workers in 2025 and Beyond Representing workers has never been more important—or more potentially challenging. Join workers’ rights experts and representatives from the Department of Labor 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. |
| 10:45–11:45 a.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| Handling a Wage & Hour Case from Intake to Trial 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 & hour case for the first time. |
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| Revisiting Swales, Clark, and Bristol-Myers Squibb—The Latest in FLSA Certification & Jurisdictional Issues 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. |
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| 1:15–2:15 p.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| State Laws & Regulations You Should Know With an increasingly unpredictable federal landscape for workers, it is increasingly important for states to protect workers. Hear from practitioners 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. |
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| Using Damages in the Context of Settlement and Trial 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. |
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| 2:30–3:30 p.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| The Nuts & Bolts of the Settlement Process 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 dont's of a successful settlement. |
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| Never Heard of It! Obscure FLSA Regulations You Need to Know 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. |
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| 4:00–5:15 p.m. | A Conversation with AAA and JAMS Join our experienced practitioners 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 |
Saturday, March 29, 2025 |
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| 7:00–9:00 a.m. | Registration & Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00–10:00 a.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| What’s New in ESI & AI 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 practitioners will discuss the latest in ESI and how AI could become a valuable part of your litigation toolbox. |
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| Every Minute Counts—Updates on Off-the-clock Work 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-the-clock 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. |
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| 10:30–11:30 a.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| Ethical Issues in Wage & Hour Cases 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. |
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| Effectively Drafting State Wage & Hour Laws Wage and hour practitioners can be a vital part of drafting state laws that can support workers where federal laws may fall short. From anticipating potential challenges to providing feedback on the real-world impacts of pending legislation, our panelists will share how you can get involved at the state level. |
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| 1:00–2:00 p.m. | CONCURRENT SESSIONS |
| Effective Mediation Strategies 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 counsel, defense counsel, and mediator 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. |
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| Protecting Low Wage & Immigrant Workers With an incoming administration that has a notable anti-immigrant bent, how do we represent and support immigrant and other vulnerable low-wage 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. |
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| 2:30–3:45 p.m. | Wage & Hour Case Law Update Since we last met in 2023, the world of wage and hour law has undergone some important changes. Our leading experts 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. |
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