Ogletree Deakins Podcasts

In this episode of our Defensible Decisions podcast series, shareholders Scott Kelly (Birmingham/Washington) and Lauren Hicks (Indianapolis/Atlanta) examine what happens when AI produces written content that is inconsistent, biased, or legally problematic in the employment context. Scott, who is chair of the firm’s Workforce Analytics and Compliance Practice Group, and Lauren cover how large langu...

In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Jim Paul (St. Louis/Tampa), Aimee Parsons (Portland (ME)), and Carolyn Russell (Houston) break down the EEOC’s shifting enforcement priorities under Chair Andrea Lucas, including the rescission of the 2024 harassment guidance and the agency’s stance on unlawful DEI. The speakers also examine the Supreme C...

In this episode of our Defensible Decisions podcast series, shareholder Scott Kelly (Birmingham/Washington) is joined by Pete Bell and Chrissy Blantz from the firm’s Data Analytics team to introduce the firm’s Talent Risk Assessor—a comprehensive dashboard built to help employers identify workforce risk across the entire employment lifecycle. Scott, who is chair of the firm’s Workforce Analytics a...

In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Simone Francis (St. Thomas/New York) and Lauren Hicks (Indianapolis) explore the fast-moving legal landscape surrounding AI ethics in the workplace, from the ethics rules that already govern attorney AI use to the cautionary tales of real cases with real consequences. Lauren and Simone unpack the emerging...

In this episode of our Litigation Lens podcast series, Michael Nail (shareholder, Greenville) is joined by Sarah Zucco (shareholder, New York) and Olivia Orlando-Donovan (associate, New York/Stamford) to break down Judge Lyman’s April 2026 opinion in Lively v. Wayfarer Studios —a 152-page decision arising from the production of It Ends With Us . The speakers examine the court’s independent contrac...

In this installment of our Payroll Brass Tax podcast series, Mike Mahoney (Morristown/New York) and Megan Menguc (Washington) break down the most common strategies for consolidating payroll across related entities. Megan and Mike, who is chair of the firm’s Employment Tax practice group, walk through three distinct approaches, examining the practical benefits and limitations of each: (1) captive e...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Samantha Duncan (Washington) and Justin Tarka (London) tackle the UK’s Employment Rights Act 2025, the most sweeping overhaul of British employment law in decades, with changes rolling out across 2026 and into early 2027. The speakers walk global employers through the staggered timeline, from February’s industrial action updates and Apri...

In this installment of our  Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026  podcast series, shareholders Tina Bengs (Chicago/Indianapolis), Joseph Cartafalsa (New York), and Michael Riccobono (Morristown) walk through a comprehensive compliance checklist covering mandatory leave and accommodation obligations for disability, pregnancy, and religion, along with family and medical leave laws. The speakers als...

In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Robert Niccolini (Baltimore/Washington) and Anne Larson (Chicago) examine the full lifecycle of managing a challenging employee, from early identification of common types (including the workplace bully and the chronic social butterfly) to targeted strategies for communication, discipline, and documentatio...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (San Diego) and Goli Rahimi (Chicago) examine a growing trend of companies citing AI adoption as a basis for workforce reductions and how courts around the world are beginning to weigh in on whether those terminations are legally defensible. The speakers discuss how recent rulings from China and Spain reached different conc...

In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Scott Kelly (Birmingham/Washington) and Nonnie Shivers (Phoenix) break down key compliance considerations in today’s enforcement environment, including how to identify and mitigate DOJ False Claims Act risks tied to unlawful “proxy” discrimination, the permissibility of recruiting practices in higher educ...

In this installment of our  Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026  podcast series, shareholders Cynthia Bremer (Minneapolis), Scott James Preston (Indianapolis), and Bethany Wagner (Pittsburgh) examine the evolving landscape of workplace investigations, with a focus on how AI and remote work are reshaping the types and complexity of complaints employers face. The speakers discuss why thorough, wel...

In this podcast, Shir Fulga , Erin Schachter , and Susan Ivimey discuss important changes to employment standards in Canada that took effect on January 1, 2026, focusing on the extension of long-term illness leave in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and new rules in Saskatchewan that prohibit employers from withholding tips. Additionally, they cover the introduction of new job-protected leaves...

The Department of Justice’s reclassification of certain marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III marks a significant shift in federal drug policy, and employers are now facing new questions about how to respond. In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Christina Mallatt (Indianapolis) and Tae Phillips (Birmingham), who co-chair the fir...

As social and political expression in the workplace grows more charged, employers face mounting pressure to set clear boundaries—and enforce them consistently. In this installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2026 podcast series, shareholders Brandon Shelton (Charlotte/Indianapolis), Mike Bell (Denver/Dallas) and Virginia Wooten (Charlotte) explore the legal framework governing employee...

In this podcast, shareholders Kevin Bland (Orange County) and Karen Tynan (Sacramento) discuss strategies and tactics that Cal/OSHA attorneys commonly employ during administrative trials, including how they handle opening statements, inspector testimony, hearsay evidence, and cross-examination. Karen, who is chair of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, and Kevin offer practical...

In this podcast, shareholders Lauren Hicks (Indianapolis/Atlanta) and Chris Near (Columbia) deliver a quick update as of May 2026 on the current state of OFCCP, breaking down recent developments in data collection, pending rulemaking, changes in agency leadership, and the White House’s proposal to again defund OFCCP in next year’s budget.

In this podcast, shareholders Lauren Hicks (Indianapolis/Atlanta) and Chris Near (Columbia) walk federal contractors and subcontractors through the key compliance obligations triggered by Executive Order (EO) 14398 and the FAR Council’s guidance implementing it. Lauren and Chris break down the new contract clause requirements, False Claims Act implications, and what the “known or reasonably knowab...

In Washington, D.C., there is a saying: “personnel is policy.” In this episode of our Dirty Steel-Toe Boots podcast series, shareholders Phillip Russell (Tampa) and Jim Plunkett (Washington) break down the significance of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s departure and the rise of Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling for employers. They examine how Sonderling’s background and his time as deputy s...

In this podcast, Kathryn Bird (Toronto), Erin Schachter (Montréal), and Shir Fulga (Toronto) examine the Ontario Divisional Court’s 2025 decision in Bokhari v. Top Medical Transport Center Services , which reviewed the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario’s preliminary dismissal of a disability discrimination claim. The discussion focuses on the tribunal’s use of a “balance of probabilities” standard...

In this episode of our Litigation Lens podcast series, shareholders Michael Nail (Greenville) and Sarah Zucco (New York) examine a recent First Circuit decision addressing whether placing an employee on a performance improvement plan (PIP) constitutes an adverse employment action under the Supreme Court’s Muldrow standard. The speakers discuss the specific factors courts will weigh when evaluating...

In this podcast, Morristown shareholders Justine Abrams and Michael Nacchio break down the latest developments shaping New Jersey employment law. They cover key updates including the expansion of the New Jersey Family Leave Act, new pay transparency regulations, a landmark earned sick leave ruling, and a proposed bill that would effectively ban most non-competes in the state. Employers doing busin...

In this podcast, shareholders Kevin Bland (Orange County) and Karen Tynan (Sacramento), who is chair of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, discuss the unique aspects of Cal/OSHA discovery, which differs significantly from federal OSHA and civil litigation discovery processes. Karen and Kevin cover practical strategies for both the inspection phase and appeals process, including...

In this podcast, Robert Rodriguez (Sacramento) and Tom Bellifemine (Morristown) explore how employers can use restraining orders and injunctive relief as proactive tools to protect their workplaces from violence and disruptive behavior. Tom and Robert, who co-chairs the firm’s Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group, highlight key differences in the legal mechanisms available across jurisdict...

In the fifth and final episode of this five-part podcast series, Karen Tynan (shareholder, Sacramento) and Robert Rodriguez (shareholder, Sacramento), who are co-chairs of Ogletree’s Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group, discuss how employers can build a high reliability workplace violence prevention program that goes beyond basic compliance to become an integral part of company culture. K...