Baird Holm’s 38th Annual Labor Law Forum

From 05/14/2026 7:00 a.m. until 05/14/2026 4:50 p.m.

Baird Holm’s 38th Annual Labor Law Forum

You are invited to join us for Baird Holm’s 38th Annual Labor Law Forum!
Our speakers will analyze current and emerging labor and employment issues, and provide our attendees with practical insights about how to successfully navigate them.

Baird Holm’s 38th Annual Labor Law Forum is complimentary for current Baird Holm clients. The registration fee for guests is $399 per person. This year our attorneys are offering twenty-one distinct educational sessions from which you will have the choice of attending nine. Registration also includes access to the 2026 digital Forum book (containing the speakers’ written materials), access to the Forum mobile app (containing the speakers’ PowerPoint slides), and a continental breakfast. Lunch is not included with complimentary or paid registrations.

This event will not be offered virtually. We look forward to seeing you in-person!

When:
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Breakfast & Registration: 7:00 – 8:15 a.m.
Early Bird Sessions: 7:15 – 8:00 a.m.
Main Event: 8:15 a.m. – 4:50 p.m.

Where:
CHI Health Center Omaha
455 N 10th St.
Omaha, NE 68102

Cost:
$399 for guests
Complimentary for clients

Hotel Information:
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn Omaha Downtown/Old Market. To reserve a room, please click here or call 402-917-9948 and ask for Baird Holm’s Labor Law Forum room block. Rooms are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Register:
We have separate registration sites for clients and guests. Please choose the appropriate site to complete your registration.

CLIENT REGISTRATION:
Clients should click here to access the client registration site. To access this page, you must enter the client code provided in the email you received. The client code is the password that is needed to enter the secure client registration page.

GUEST REGISTRATION:
Guests and non-clients can register for the Forum here.

If you have questions, please contact Callie at csutton@bairdholm.com.

AGENDA

7:00 – 8:15 a.m. | Breakfast & Registration

7:15 – 8:00 a.m. | Early Bird Sessions

Employment Law 101
Mark J. Goldsmith & Allyse M. Noel
An introductory level session for those who are newer to Human Resources, Mark and Allyse will provide an overview of the employment laws most relevant to HR professionals. This presentation will review Title VII, wage and hour laws, and leave laws to guide employer compliance in the context of the lifecycle of an employment relationship from hiring to termination.

Form I-9 Workshop
Rose A. Laughlin & Sapphire M. Andersen
Rose and Sapphire will provide a practical workshop focused on properly completing and maintaining the Form I-9, particularly during a changing employment immigration legal landscape. The discussion will include common Form I-9 errors and corrections, work authorization updates, and internal review recommendations to help employers with compliance and prepare for a visit or audit from Homeland Security Investigations or ICE.

OSHA Inspections & Citations: The Basics
R.J. (Randy) Stevenson & Brian D. Moore
OSHA’s enforcement priorities, penalty amounts, reporting rules, and on‑site inspection procedures continue to evolve. In this practical session, Randy and Brian translate the latest requirements into concrete steps your team can use before, during, and after an OSHA inspection—so you can protect your people and your business. Randy and Brian will cover inspection strategy, interview dos and don’ts, settlement levers, and recent agency changes.

Cracking the Code on Executive Compensation
Jeremy T. Christensen & Morgan L. Kreiser
Attracting and retaining talent has never been more important in today’s tight labor market. But employers of all sizes – and for both tax-exempt and private companies – must be careful to avoid tax traps. In this session, Jeremy and Morgan will discuss the various tax-advantaged and tax-deferred ways in which employers can incentivize their executives and key employees.

8:15 – 8:30 a.m. | MAIN 1 | Welcome & Introductions
Christopher R. Hedican & Kara E. Stockdale

8:30 – 9:15 a.m. | MAIN |Artificial Intelligence Is Here To Stay: Practical Considerations for Responsible Workplace Implementations
Christopher R. Hedican, AriAnna C. Goldstein, Steven D. Davidson & Allison D. Balus
Like it or not, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (i.e., the Artificial Intelligence Revolution) will create innumerable new issues for employers to manage, but as always, Baird Holm attorneys are prepared. In this session, Baird Holm Managing Partner, Chris Hedican, will begin by addressing how AI can transform the workplace by automating routine processes while freeing time for high-value creative and strategic roles. Then, Baird Holm partner and patent attorney, Ari Goldstein, will share critical tips to ensure employees are safely and responsibly utilizing AI at work. Our third speaker, Baird Holm General Counsel, Steve Davidson, will explain the standards and ethical issues employers should consider when engaging third parties who will use AI in the performance of their services. Finally, Baird Holm partner and recent inductee to The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Allison Balus, will share her perspective on how AI will impact future employment disputes and, more broadly, the employer-employee relationship as a whole.

9:30 – 10:15 a.m. | Breakout Session 1

California Law Update
Mark J. Goldsmith
In this session, Mark will provide his annual review of the California statutory changes that took effect on January 1, 2026, notable recent decisions from the California courts, and some of the unique characteristics of California employment law.

Play That Back: Responding to Workplace Challenges
Danielle L. Rowley, Kiley N. Schmidt, & Sally L. McGill
Employment law meets improv as Danielle, Kiley, and Sally act out real world workplace scenarios involving medical accommodations, harassment complaints, and drug policy violations. Through short skits and audience participation, Danielle, Kiley, and Sally will unpack what went right, what went wrong, and how HR and management can respond in ways that reduce risk while still getting it right from a people perspective.

When Computers Do The Payroll: The HR Professional’s Survival Guide to AI and Wage and Hour Compliance
Allison D. Balus
In this session, Allison will equip HR professionals with the knowledge to harness AI’s efficiency while avoiding expensive wage and hour violations. Discover how artificial intelligence is reshaping fundamental concepts like “hours worked,” and learn practical strategies to keep your organization compliant. From AI-driven timekeeping systems that may miss compensable time to algorithmic scheduling that triggers overtime issues, Allison will address the real-world challenges HR teams face today.

Immigration Update: What Employers Need to Know
Kara E. Stockdale & Rose A. Laughlin
Rose and Kara will provide an overview of the latest immigration updates impacting employers. This presentation will review the various immigration-related executive orders, such as the $100k H-1B visa fee, restrictions on visas from certain countries, changes to employment authorization, Temporary Protected Status, and other humanitarian programs. Kara and Rose will also discuss strategies for employers seeking to employ foreign nationals and best practices in the event of immigration enforcement at the workplace.

Trial Lessons 2025
George E. Martin III, Scott P. Moore & Heidi A. Guttau
This session will distill key lessons from recent employment law trials and highlight how those takeaways can help employers better prepare for litigation risks in 2026. Heidi, George, and Scott will discuss how juries are responding to employer policies, documentation practices, and managerial testimony, and provide practical insights employers can use to strengthen compliance and defense strategies before disputes arise. Additionally, Heidi, George, and Scott will focus on evolving jury expectations, evidentiary trends, and practical insights that employers and counsel can use to strengthen their approach in the courtroom.

2026 Employee Benefits Update
Jeremy T. Christensen & Morgan L. Kreiser
In this session, Jeremy and Morgan offer their annual employee benefits update. This year’s update will feature important SECURE 2.0 changes and recent case law trends related to employee benefits. Jeremy and Morgan will provide an overview of these important topics to help employers attract and retain talent while avoiding compliance pitfalls.

10:30 – 11:15 a.m. | Breakout Session 2

Hiring With Algorithms: Assessing Compliance for AI and Automated HR Tools
R.J. (Randy) Stevenson & Sapphire M. Andersen
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are all the buzz in the HR world, but the legal framework has not caught up with today’s technology. Randy and Sapphire will break down recent developments and compliance considerations for emerging AI rules and risks within the employment hiring processes. They will discuss new state and local laws and federal policy priorities that could impact an employer’s ability to recruit nationally and in the online space, and weigh the benefits and legal risks of new AI hiring tools.

The Juggling Act: Best Practices for Managing Leaves, Injuries, and Accommodations
Sarah M. Huyck, Brian D. Moore & Josh R. Baumann
Employee accommodation requests present some of the most complex legal and practical challenges for employers. In this session, Sarah, Brian, and Josh will demystify the interactive process and discuss how to confidently navigate employee requests for leaves of absence, modified work schedules, and other similar accommodation requests. This presentation will review accommodation requests under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and also the intersection of the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, providing practical strategies for managing leave requests, implementing accommodations, and minimizing legal risk.

The Trump Administration’s Impact on the National Labor Relations Board and Common Mistakes Made by Uninformed Employers
Mark E. McQueen, David P. Kennison & Connor J. Oldenburg
In this presentation, Mark, David, and Connor will examine President Trump’s first year impact on the National Labor Relations Board, prospective changes employers should expect, and unintentional mistakes often made by union and union free employers.

Difficult Workplace Conversations in Focus: Communicating Discharge Decisions
George E. Martin III
As a follow-up to his 2025 presentation “Difficult Workplace Conversations: How to Prepare to Confidently & Effectively Execute,” George will dive deeper into the art of safely, respectfully, and effectively communicating discharge decisions to employees. While no two discharge discussions are exactly the same, supervisors should generally process the same list of considerations before each one. George will review and explain those considerations, and how that preparation will benefit you (and your listener) when the moment arrives.

Retaliation: The Most Dangerous Claim Employers Face — How to Prevent It, Defend It, and Win It
Christopher R. Hedican
Allegations of retaliation often arise during an investigation itself, so employers must avoid changes that may appear punitive. Protected activity is broad, and employees can win retaliation claims even if their underlying complaint wasn’t valid. In this presentation, Chris will discuss how timing, documentation, and consistency in discipline decisions are the employer’s biggest litigation risks, while outlining strategies for employers to minimize those risks.

The Value of Two Scotts: How Preventative Measures Make Employment Complaints Defensible and Often Avoid Them Altogether
Scott P. Moore & Scott S. Moore
For the first time in Labor Law Forum history, employment litigator Scott P. Moore and compliance advisor Scott S. Moore take the stage together to give practical advice on how to avoid employment discrimination complaints or at least set the stage for a favorable outcome if the employer faces a discrimination claim.

11:20 a.m. – 12:55 p.m. | Lunch Break

11:40 a.m.- 12:40 p.m. | Lunch Breakout Sessions

Lunch and Learn
Mark J. Goldsmith, Scott S. Moore, David P. Kennison, Morgan L. Kreiser, & Josh R. Baumann with moderator Sarah M. Huyck
Grab your lunch and join our panel of attorneys as they take questions from Forum attendees.

Legal Ethics: FaceChat, SnapGram, and InstaBook. Don’t let X B Y U R DQ’d
David J. Kramer
Social media is a powerful tool, but for lawyers, it requires strict adherence to ethical guidelines. In this presentation, David will review how lawyers can effectively utilize social media while maintaining professional boundaries, avoid unintentionally creating attorney-client relationships, and ensure social media posting is consistent with ethical, advertising, and evidentiary standards.

12:55 – 1:00 p.m. | MAIN 2 | Introduction
Kara E. Stockdale

1:00 – 1:45 p.m. | MAIN | The (Court) Room Where it Happens: 2026 Employment Case Law Update
Kelli P. Lieurance
The U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts issued several important decisions impacting employers in the last year. In this fast-paced, entertaining presentation, Kelli will discuss the practical implications of these decisions for employers to best ensure compliance. Remember, it’s better to learn from the mistakes of others than find yourself in the midst of an indefensible lawsuit.

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. | Breakout Session 3

3:00 – 3:45 p.m. | Breakout Session 4

4:00 – 4:05 p.m. | MAIN 3 | Closing Remarks & Introduction
Kara E. Stockdale

4:05 – 4:50 p.m. | MAIN | “Small Bites” with Heidi Guttau
Sapphire M. Andersen, Sally L. McGill & Kara E. Stockdale with moderator Heidi A. Guttau
Heidi and her guests will provide brief updates on the latest developments in the enforcement of the Nebraska Sick Leave Law, immigration worksite enforcement, and what the recission of the EEOC’s 2024 Harassment Guidance means for employers.

Thank you to our 2026 Exhibitors!

Exhibitors:

Continuing Education Credits:

This event is approved for the following continuing education credits:

NE, IA, FL, MO, UT CLE
HR Continuing Education Units by SHRM

This event is pending approval for the following continuing education credits:

NE CPE
IL, CO, KS, MN, ND, WY CLE
HR General Recertification Credits through HRCI