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Saturday, September 7, 2019 @10am
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Guest Host:
 Tawny Alvarez
Partner
Verrill
Tawny is a partner in Verrill’s labor and employment practice group. She believes that a company’s culture defines its business and prides herself on assisting clients comply with the law, while simultaneously creating an amazing place to work.
Tawny centers her practice on the understanding that the employment landscape is ever-changing and that many organizations do not have the time or resources to keep abreast of all of these changes—from medical (and recreational) marijuana’s effect on drug testing, to the effect of social networking in the workplace and mobile devices’ effect on wage and hour issues. In this evolving landscape, she recognizes that for companies to remain profitable and successful they must be proactive, as opposed to reactive, to these employment issues.
Guest:
Robert Brooks, Partner
Verrill
rbrooks@verrill-law.com
Rob provides advice and representation to management on all aspects of the employment relationship. He works with clients engaged in construction, health care, manufacturing, transportation, utilities and other industries throughout the country. Rob has successfully handled matters related to union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining, unfair labor practice charges, strikes and arbitration.
Rob routinely handles claims for wrongful discharge, discrimination, unpaid wages, breach of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements and other disputes before judges, juries and administrative agencies, and has successfully represented clients at all levels of the state and federal court systems. Rob also regularly provides advice and assistance to clients on proper termination procedures, Family Medical Leave Act issues, labor relations, disability issues, stock option and employee benefit disputes, and other matters.
Rob has a particular focus on negotiating Project Labor Agreements for large-scale construction projects. Rob has also advised public and private entities concerning the lawful use of project labor agreements in the context of a state’s competitive bidding laws.
Relevant Experience
- Provided management counseling and litigation representation to employers throughout the country.
- Drafted and negotiated project labor agreements for construction projects throughout the country. Sample projects include pipelines, bridges, tunnels, highways, manufacturing facilities, marine terminals, water treatment facilities, nuclear waste treatment facilities, and environmental remediation sites.
- Successfully represented employers before state administrative boards, EEOC and courts on issues involving sex discrimination, race, disability and age-related cases.
- Successfully represented employers before the National Labor Relations Board on issues related to unfair labor practices, collective bargaining issues and organizing campaigns.
- Frequent lecturer on issues of labor and employment law.
Education
- University of Maine School of Law (J.D.)
- Harvard University (A.B.)
Public Service
- Chair, Harvard College Schools and Scholarships Committee for Southern Maine (1996-present)
Bar Admissions
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
Memberships
- Maine State Bar Association
Honors
- Recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business under Labor & Employment
- Recognized by Best Lawyers® as the 2017 Portland, Maine Litigation – Labor and Employment Lawyer of the Year
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© under Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment,
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers, and Employment Law – Management
- Selected by peers for inclusion in New England Super Lawyers© under Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation: Defense and Workers’ Compensation
To learn more about third-party ratings and rankings, and the selection processes used for inclusion, click here.
Court and Other Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maine
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Saturday, August 31, 2019 @ 10am
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Guest:
 Debra Weiss Ford
Office Managing Shareholder
Litigation Manager
Jackson Lewis LLP
Unconscious Bias in the Workplace –
Weiss Ford is Managing Partner and Litigation Manager of the Portsmouth, NH office. Ms. Ford has over 30 years of experience representing employers in litigation matters before the state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Ms. Ford also represents employers before the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New Hampshire Department of Labor, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and the Massachusetts Department of Employment Training.
Ms. Ford also lectures frequently at seminars in New Hampshire and Massachusetts on issues related to employment law, including discrimination, wrongful discharge, reductions in force, termination issues, personnel issues, and contractual issues. She regularly advises clients on employment-related matters.
Ms. Ford received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Drew University in 1979 and her J.D. from Temple University of School of Law in 1982. She is an approved federal and state mediator. She is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Massachusetts Bar Association, Maine Bar Association, American Bar Association, New Hampshire Trial Lawyers Association, American Arbitration Association, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the National Association of College and University Attorneys.
She is admitted to practice in the State of New Hampshire, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State of Maine, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, United States District Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States Claims Court, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Ms. Ford was a member of the New Hampshire Board of Bar Examiners from 1993 to 2005. She was appointed by the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to serve on the Merit Selection Panel to consider the reappointment of the incumbent magistrate. In 2003, she was appointed to serve on the Federal Court Advisory Committee. Ms. Ford is listed by Chambers as one of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. She is the author of the New Hampshire chapter of Workplace Privacy, a legal reference book for managers and human resource professionals, published by the Thompson Publishing Group, a division of West Publications. Ms. Ford was elected as a Fellow to The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in June 2006.
She is named as New Hampshire’s Best Labor and Employment Lawyer by Business NH Magazine. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America by Woodward White, Inc., and has been recognized by New England Super Lawyers as one of the top 50 women lawyers in New England and one of the top 100 lawyers in New England. She is listed in Top NH Lawyers in Labor and Employment in New Hampshire Magazine and has consistently been named the Best Lawyers’ Manchester Employment Law – Management Lawyer of the Year. She is also rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell. Ms. Ford was named one of the “Leaders in their Field” in the 2012 Chambers USA Legal Guide. Ms. Ford serves as a board member for the Portsmouth Music Hall, Family Service, Inc., and Seacoast Human Resources Association, and she is an emeritus board member of the New Hampshire SPCA.
Ms. Ford was rated as a 2013 Top Rated Lawyer” by Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell™ Honors, Awards and Pro Bono Activity
- Named Best Labor and Employment attorney in New Hampshire, Business New Hampshire Magazine
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Labor &; Employment Law)
- Listed in Top New Hampshire Lawyers in Labor and Employment, New Hampshire Magazine
- Elected as a Fellow to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
- Listed in New England Super Lawyers (Top 100 attorneys in New England)
- Listed in New England Super Lawyers (Top 50 Women in New England, Employment &; Labor)
- Listed in Chambers USA as one of the top Lawyers in Labor and Employment artindale-Hubbell, AV Rating
- Voluntary Action, Inc. (Board of Directors, 1984)
- Ballet New England (Board of Directors, 1987-1988)
- Pro Portsmouth, Inc. (Board of Directors, 1988-Present)
- First Night/Portsmouth (Vice President, 1991-1992)
- NHSPCA (Board of Directors, 2004-Present) * 1st Tee (Board of Directors, 2005-2006; Honorary Board Member, 2005-2008)
- Rockingham County Action (Board of Directors, 2009-Present)
- Selected for inclusion in 2010 New England Super Lawyers practices
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Disability, Leave and Health Management
- Drug Testing and Substance Abuse Management
- Labor and Preventive Practices
- General Employment Litigation
- Management Education
- Public Sector Representation
- Reductions in Force, WARN Act
- Non-Competes and Protection Against Unfair Competition
- Wage and Hour Compliance
Education
- Temple University J.D., 1982 Dean;s List
- Drew University B.A., 1979 magna cum laude
Admitted to practice
- U.S. Supreme Court 1992
- 1st Circuit Court of Appeals 1984
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims 1991
- Massachusetts – D. Mass. 2002
- New Hampshire – D. N.H. 1982
- Maine 2010 * Massachusetts 2000
- New Hampshire 1982
Bar & professional association memberships
- American Bar Association
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- American Trial Lawyers Association
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- New Hampshire Bar Association
Saturday, August 24, 2019 @10am
Download the Show Audio Here
Guest Host:
Tawny Alvarez
Partner
Verrill
Tawny is a partner in Verrill Dana’s labor and employment practice group. She believes that a company’s culture defines its business and prides herself on assisting clients comply with the law, while simultaneously creating an amazing place to work.
Tawny centers her practice on the understanding that the employment landscape is ever-changing and that many organizations do not have the time or resources to keep abreast of all of these changes—from medical (and recreational) marijuana’s effect on drug testing, to the effect of social networking in the workplace and mobile devices’ effect on wage and hour issues. In this evolving landscape, she recognizes that for companies to remain profitable and successful they must be proactive, as opposed to reactive, to these employment issues.
Guest:
Lisa Martin
Executive Director
Manufacturers Association of Maine
Lisa G. Martin is executive director of the Manufacturers Association of Maine and has 20+ years in economic, workforce and business development. Since 1989, Lisa has had extensive experience with businesses, state and federal agencies, education institutes and Maine’s workforce.
She leads the effort to build the Manufacturers’ Association as an economically strong industry through partnerships and collaborations with other industries, with state and federal agencies and organizations and within the manufacturing industry.
Lisa sits on the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) Precision Manufacturing Board, a member of the University of Maine, Advanced Manufacturing Center Board of Advisors, Robotics Institute of Maine Executive Board, CEI Capital Management (CCML) Board of Directors and is an Alumni of the Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine Mu Class.
Lisa holds a BA from University of Southern Maine, a Master of Science degree in Community Economic Development (CED) from New Hampshire College and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. Lisa lives in her home town of Portland.
Reach Lisa at lisa@mainemfg.com
Saturday, August 17, 2019 @10am
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Our Guest:
 Nate Wildes
Executive Director
Live and Work in Maine
How Do We Bring 50,000 People to Maine? –
As Executive Director for Live and Work in Maine, Nate is focused on raising awareness about the career opportunities and world-class quality of life experienced by those of us who live and work in Maine.
A University of Maine graduate who followed employment to the mid-west only to come running back to the Way Life Should Be, Nate knows first-hand how under-appreciated life in Maine is – and how much opportunity there is for our future.
Nate is also co-founder of Flight Deck Brewing on Brunswick Landing (the re-developed Brunswick Naval Air Station). The production brewery is open 6 days a week, offering beer, food, and family-friendly events. Also look for cans of Flight Deck beer at your local Maine craft beer store!
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