Invites you to attend our next monthly brown bag lunch:

Leaves of Absence: Local and State New and Emerging Laws
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When:
Tuesday, January 8, 2013, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: 
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, 1201 Third Ave., Floor 22, Seattle, WA 98101

**NEW EASTSIDE LOCATION FOR GROUP CALL IN AND NETWORKING**
Hanson Baker Ludlow Drumheller P.S., 2229 - 112th Avenue NE, Suite 200, Bellevue, Washington 98004-2936

RSVP:  through Big Tent (preferred if you are a MAMAS member) or by email to heathercoldwell@dwt.com.  Please identify if you will attend in person in Seattle or Eastside or if you will participate by phone.

Are you pregnant?  Are you adopting?  Do you or your child have illnesses that require you to miss work?  There are a host of laws that protect pregnant moms, new parents, those who are ill and those who have family that are ill.  Come learn about the various protections in place including the new Seattle Sick and Save Paid Leave Ordinance that went into effect a few months ago.  In addition, learn about the Economic Opportunity Institute’s efforts to promote legislation for a Family Medical Leave Insurance program in Washington state that would allow new parents who wouldn’t otherwise have paid parental leave the opportunity to have partially paid leave from work to care for their new child. 
Laurie Johnston is a partner at Gordon and Rees LLP. Her practice focuses on defense of employers in employment litigation and preventive employment counseling.  Laurie has litigated a broad range of subjects, including claims for employment discrimination and harassment, class actions, defamation, wage and hour violations, FMLA compliance, employee disability and other workplace legal issues.  She has also defended charges and suits brought before the EEOC, the Washington Human Rights Commission, and Labor & Industries.  Added to that, Laurie provides general advice to employers on a full range of workplace issues, including harassment, discrimination, terminations, disability accommodations, religious accommodations, the FMLA and ADA.  She also helps employers prevent problems by developing policies, forms, practices and training that address both the employer's legal needs and its business realities.  Laurie has two children: Connor, a four-year-old boy, and Alex, a seven year-old-girl.

Stephanie Berntsen focuses her practice in employment advice and litigation and securities litigation representing national and regional clients. Ms. Berntsen has served as lead counsel in numerous employment and securities disputes, assisted clients in resolving matters by defense up to and including at trials and arbitrations, including FINRA matters. She recently defended clients in two employment discrimination jury trials -- gender discrimination and Title VII retaliation -- both resulting in defense verdicts. She speaks regularly on employment related issues, including Seattle's Safe and Sick Leave, wage and hour, disability law, discipline and termination, and trade secrets. She currently serves as the assistant practice group leader for the firm's employment law group. For the past seven years, Ms. Berntsen has been recognized for inclusion in Thomson Reuter's Washington Rising Stars list, an annual roster of the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state.  Stephanie has two children:  Samantha, age 4, and Madeline, age 2.

Marilyn Watkins is Policy Director at the Economic Opportunity Institute, a nonprofit policy research institute that focuses on restoring opportunity and rebuilding economic security for working people and their families. She led the successful campaign for paid sick days in Seattle and chairs the Washington Work and Family Coalition. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services at the University of Washington, and has been appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Transforming Washington’s Budget, the Joint Legislative Taskforce on Family Leave Insurance, and serves on the executive committee of the Family Values @ Work Multi-State Consortium.  She earned a B.A. at Harvard and Ph.D. in history at the University of Michigan. Before joining EOI in 1999, she worked as a historical consultant for Northwest Indian tribes and taught courses in Pacific Northwest and American women's history.

We encourage you to attend our brown bag meeting in person to facilitate both networking and a lively discussion. 

Please bring your lunch and join us for this presentation, and meet fellow MAMAS members!  Cookies will be provided. 

For those who cannot attend in person, we offer the option to participate by phone.
Call in #: 888-757-0729;  Passcode: 1396142354#

When attending via telephone, please do not place the call on hold.  Some firms have hold music, which is disruptive to the presentation.  If you need to leave the call briefly, please hang up and call back in when you are able.

MAMAS would also like to thank our

Platinum sponsors:
Garvey Schubert Barer
Navigant Consulting, Inc.
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

and Gold sponsors:
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
K&L Gates LLP
Microsoft Corporation
Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt
Susman Godfrey L.L.P.

 

www.MAMASeattle.org