Join us for Kutak Rock's 18th Annual Employment Law Seminar

This full-day, in-person seminar will explore practical strategies for navigating the latest legal developments in employment law, and will help HR professionals, in-house counsel, and business leaders navigate the shifting tides of workplace regulations, litigation risks, and compliance obligations.

Scott Conference Center
6450 Pine St, Omaha, NE 68106

Five (5) hours of CLE credit in Nebraska and Iowa are pending as well as HRCI and SHRM credit.

Seminar Agenda

8:30 - 9:00 AM | Registration
 
9:00 - 9:30 AM | Gigi O'Hara | What to Do When OSHA Docks
Do you know what to do when OSHA shows up at your workplace? Employers facing an OSHA inspection, or hoping to avoid one, should understand their rights and responsibilities, as well as the best tips for mitigating the risk of a citation. Gigi O’Hara has defended clients in hundreds of OSHA investigations and will address these issues and more in this presentation.

9:30 - 10:00 AM | Rob Toth | Navigating the AI Current: Charting a Course for Workplace Compliance 
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape workplace operations, employers must proactively steer through shifting legal tides. Rob Toth will explore recent developments in AI regulation, spotlight evolving risks—including bias, data misuse, and employee monitoring—and offer practical guidance for drafting workplace policies that keep your organization compliant and future-ready.

10:00 - 10:20 AM | Break
 
10:20 - 10:50 AM | Marcia Washkuhn | Tackling Tricky Leave and Accommodation Dilemmas
Not every request fits neatly into the handbook. During this session, Marcia Washkuhn will explore some of the most perplexing and unconventional leave and accommodation scenarios—and how to navigate them without running aground legally. 

10:50 - 11:50 AM | Kasey Cappellano, Meaghan Gandy | Batten Down the Hatches: Prepare Your Team for the Rough Waters of Employee Challenges 
In this interactive presentation, Kasey Cappellano and Meaghan Gandy will provide practical advice for HR professionals and legal counsel who regularly manage employees. Topics will include: USERRA, the NLRA for all workforces, ways to protect the organization’s assets including confidential information, concerns arising during workplace investigations, and more.

11:50 AM - 12:30 PM | Lunch
 
12:30 - 1:30 PM | Todd Kinney | Adrift to Anchored: One Professional’s Journey to Inner Peace (ethics credit pending)
Kutak Rock partner Todd Kinney, who frequently speaks to members of the legal community about his journey to wellness, will share highlights from his memoir, I Didn't Believe It Either: One Dad’s Discovery That Everything Is Better Without Alcohol. Todd’s memoir chronicles his path to sobriety and the transformative impact it has had on his life as a parent, husband, and lawyer. By removing the one thing he thought he couldn’t live without, Todd cracked the code on what he calls the greatest secret life hack out there. As a former life-of-the-party guy, Todd is amazed at his alcohol-free life.

1:30 - 1:45 PM | Break
 
1:45 - 2:25 PM | Clete Samson & Bob Wees | Anchoring Down Worksite Compliance: Updates and Insights on Immigration Changes Impacting U.S. Companies and Their Workers
Clete Samson and Bob Wees will provide insights and strategies to manage recent immigration enforcement activity and reforms impacting employers including proper management of employee work authorization as a result of parole program terminations, ICE’s increased worksite and I-9 audits, and USCIS’ increased scrutiny of business visa petitions.

2:25 - 2:45 PM | Marcia Washkuhn & Gigi O'Hara | Charting a Course Through Executive Orders and Other Recent Employment Law Updates
This quick-hitting update provides essential guidance on new legislation, agency action, and decisions affecting employers in 2025. Marcia Washkuhn and Gigi O’Hara will highlight key employment law developments and offer actionable insights for business leaders, HR professionals, and in-house counsel.

2:45 - 3:00 PM | Break
 
3:00 - 3:30 PM | Brian Bartels | Avoiding Choppy Seas: Navigating the Wave of Employee Benefits Changes
Employers face multiple challenges in providing attractive, competitive, and compliant benefit packages. This session will address important employee benefit changes under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 2025,” recent trends in employee benefits litigation, changes to mental health parity and HIPAA requirements, and other developments affecting employee benefit plans and their sponsors.

3:30 PM | Adjourn