Ogletree Deakins Podcasts

In this episode of our Litigation Lens podcast series, shareholders Michael Nail (Greenville) and Heather Ptasznik (Detroit (Metro)) discuss a recent Sixth Circuit decision affirming a jury verdict for an employee on ADA disability discrimination and retaliation claims based on night blindness. The speakers review how this ruling reinforces that night blindness can qualify as an ADA-protected disa...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (shareholder, San Diego) and Goli Rahimi (of counsel, Chicago) discuss India’s significant labor law reform: more than five years after their passage, India finally implemented four consolidated labor codes in November 2025. These codes replace 29 existing labor laws and cover wages, industrial relations, social secur...

In this inaugural episode of Ogletree Deakins’ Defensible Decisions podcast, Scott Kelly (shareholder, Birmingham) sits down with Nonnie Shivers (office managing shareholder, Phoenix) to unpack the EEOC’s renewed emphasis on systemic, pattern-or-practice enforcement in the wake of a restored quorum and recent leadership moves. This shift highlights the agency’s alignment with current administratio...

In this episode of our Defensible Decisions podcast, shareholders Scott Kelly (Birmingham) and Chris Near (Columbia) unpack OFCCP’s updated jurisdictional thresholds for Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 503) and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). Effective October 1, 2025, basic coverage thresholds increased to $20,000 under Section 503 and to $200,...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Goli Rahimi (Chicago) and Kate Thompson (New York, Boston) unpack Singapore’s new Workplace Fairness (Dispute Resolution) Bill to explain how the new grievance and dispute resolution process will work, and what procedural safeguards and employee protections will come into effect. The speakers outline timelines toward an anticipated 2027...

In this episode of our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, shareholders John Surma (Houston) and Frank Davis (Dallas) break down a new Amarillo federal lawsuit that challenges OSHA’s authority to issue safety standards as an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power. The speakers analyze how the case intersects with recent Supreme Court trends post- Loper Bright , dis...

In this episode of Dirty Steel-Toe Boots , Phillip Russell (shareholder, Tampa) and Lance Witcher  (shareholder, St. Louis), discuss how to empower your workforce through developing, training on, and executing effective OSHA inspection protocols. From definitions of rights and responsibilities, to how to handle document requests and employee interviews, Lance and Phillip provide practical insights...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Shirin Aboujawde (New York) and Goli Rahimi (Chicago) discuss major employment law changes in Poland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Goli and Shirin, both of whom are members of the firm’s Cross-Border Practice Group, highlight a Polish Labor Code provision that significantly impacts how length of service is calculated, thereby affecting...

Holiday gifts feel generous—but for payroll they’re often taxable. In this episode of Payroll Brass Tax , Mike Mahoney (shareholder, Morristown/New York) and Stephen Kenney (associate, Dallas) break down when gifts, gift cards, and raffle prizes count as wages, and how the de minimis fringe benefit rules really work. The speakers also discuss the mechanics of valuation, timing, withholding, and gr...

In part two of this two-part Payroll Brass Tax podcast series, Mike Mahoney (shareholder, Morristown/New York), who is the chair of the Employment Tax Group, and Stephen Kenney (associate, Dallas) continue their conversation about unemployment tax rate notices. The speakers discuss managing claims to protect employers’ rates and different strategies like voluntary contributions, with special guida...

n this podcast recorded at our 2025 Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Tiffany Stacy (office managing shareholder, San Antonio) and Lisa Burton (office managing shareholder, Boston, Portland, ME) explore the complexities of conducting investigations of highly sensitive issues. Lisa and Tiffany offer insights and tips for handling claims involving sexual harassment, alleged...

In part one of this two-part Payroll Brass Tax podcast series, Mike Mahoney (shareholder, Morristown/New York), who is the chair of the Employment Tax Group, is joined by Stephen Kenney (associate, Dallas) to demystify unemployment tax rate notices—the one piece of mail that can swing your payroll costs by thousands or even millions. The speakers unpack how rates are calculated, what to check the...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Shirin Aboujawde (New York) and Patty Shapiro (San Diego) discuss Spain’s new Royal Decree 1155/2024, which clarifies when non-European Union (EU) nationals holding a valid work permit in another EU member state can perform short-term, project-based work in Spain without securing a separate Spanish permit. The speakers explain the criter...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (shareholder, San Diego) and Shirin Aboujawde (of counsel, New York) discuss the complexities of conducting background checks from an international employment law perspective. The speakers review the varying regulations and practices across different jurisdictions, including limitations on criminal background checks, the nu...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Lina Fernandez (Boston) joins Julie Brooks (New York) to discuss Italy’s fast-evolving rules on fixed-term contracts, from the 12- and 24-month thresholds to the new grounds introduced by Law 85/2023. The speakers also explain caps on headcount, fresh prohibitions, heightened damages exposure and the practical steps multinationals must t...

In this podcast recorded at our recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Nonnie Shivers (office managing shareholder, Phoenix) and Scott Kelly (shareholder, Birmingham) discuss the rapidly changing and increasingly complex legal landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, focusing on recent enforcement trends and guidance from the EEOC and Dep...

In this podcast recorded at our recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Tae Phillips (shareholder, Birmingham), Jim Paul (shareholder, St. Louis/Tampa), and Scott Kelly (shareholder, Birmingham) continue their discussion of the EEOC’s evolving enforcement priorities—with a particular focus on gender identity issues. Scott (who chairs the firm’s Workforce Analytics and Com...

In this podcast recorded at our recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Tae Phillips (shareholder, Birmingham), Jim Paul (shareholder, St. Louis/Tampa), and Scott Kelly (shareholder, Birmingham) continue their discussion of the EEOC’s evolving enforcement priorities—this time focusing on disability discrimination. Jim (who is co-chair of the firm’s Disability Access Pract...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Goli Rahimi (Chicago) and Tatjana Serbina (Berlin) break down Germany’s evolving requirements for recording employee working hours. The speakers discuss the 2019 European Court of Justice ruling mandating all EU member states to require employers to establish an objective system of recording employee working hours under the working time...

In this podcast recorded at our recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Tae Phillips (shareholder, Birmingham), Jim Paul (shareholder, St. Louis/Tampa), and Scott Kelly (shareholder, Birmingham) continue their discussion of the EEOC’s evolving enforcement priorities—this time addressing religious discrimination, harassment, and accommodations in the workplace. Jim (who is...

In this podcast recorded at Ogletree’s recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Kristin Higgins (office managing shareholder, Dallas) and Jenn Betts (office managing shareholder, Pittsburgh) discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by employers, including in hiring and recruiting. Jenn, who is co-chair of Ogletree Deakins’ Technology Practice Group, and Kristin prov...

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (shareholder, San Diego) and Goli Rahimi (of counsel, Chicago) focus on the multifaceted Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, home to more than 40 countries, each with its own legal system, language, and business culture. Goli and Patty explore the diverse landscape of employee protections and employer obligations, from hiring and o...

In part one of this podcast series recorded at our recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Scott Kelly (shareholder, Birmingham), Tae Phillips (shareholder, Birmingham), and Jim Paul (shareholder, St. Louis/Tampa) discuss the EEOC’s new enforcement priorities, with a particular focus on national origin discrimination and the agency’s increased emphasis on protecting worke...

In this podcast recorded at our recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Christine Bestor Townsend (shareholder, Milwaukee/Chicago) and Tobias Schlueter (shareholder, Chicago), explore the dynamic landscape of restrictive covenants, offer updates on recent developments, and emphasize the need for employers to adopt thoughtful, tailored approaches to ensure enforceability....

In this podcast recorded at our recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Dee Anna Hays (shareholder, Tampa) and Sarah Kuehnel (shareholder, Tampa/St. Louis) discuss the increasingly complex challenge of complying with a multitude of varying state laws in an era of significant changes in federal policies. Sarah and Dee Anna (who is co-chair of the firm’s Multistate Advice a...