2025 Seacoast Employment Law Update
Date: October 30 Time: 8:00 am - 12:30 pm
Cost: $150
Portsmouth, NH 03801 United States
McLane Middleton’s annual Seacoast Employment Law Update will take place on October 30, 2025. This year, we are doing a deep dive into one of the most challenging aspects of managing a workforce – managing difficult employees. Our group of experienced employment attorneys will guide you through essential strategies for effectively managing performance issues, accommodation requests during a performance matter, and other challenging behavior in the workplace. This live, interactive seminar will provide you with the skills needed to quickly identify and effectively resolve workplace issues while minimizing personal and organizational legal liability.
8:00 a.m. – Registration
8:20 a.m. – Welcome
8:30 a.m. – News You can Use
Presenters: Jennifer Parent and John Rich
An overview of all of the latest developments in employment law and workplace regulations. This session will highlight recent legal updates, trends, and practical takeaways that employers can apply immediately to manage risk, stay compliant, and improve workplace practices.
9:15 a.m. – Navigating internal investigations by developing a fair and consistent approach to determine if discipline is appropriate
Presenter: Peg O’Brien
Internal investigations are among the most challenging responsibilities for HR and management teams. This session will explore best practices for conducting investigations that are thorough, impartial, and legally sound. We will discuss how to assess credibility, evaluate findings, and determine whether discipline is appropriate—all while ensuring consistency, fairness, and risk mitigation.
10:00 a.m. – Break
10:15 a.m. – Discussing best practices in responding to complaints involving off duty conduct
Presenter: Amanda Brahm
When employee behavior outside the workplace raises concerns, employers face complex questions about when and how to respond. This session will address best practices for evaluating off-duty conduct complaints, balancing employee privacy with organizational values and legal obligations, and determining when discipline or intervention is appropriate.
10:45 a.m. – Reviewing best practices for addressing ADA accommodation and leave requests during a performance or disciplinary issue
Presenter: Brian Garrett
Requests for accommodation or leave often arise just as an employee is facing performance concerns or disciplinary action, creating legal and practical challenges for employers. This session will review best practices for handling these situations in compliance with the ADA and related laws.
11:30 a.m. – Exploring benefits of separation agreements and releases
Presenter: Madeline Lewis
Separation agreements and releases can provide valuable protections for employers while offering clarity and closure for departing employees. This session will explore the key benefits of using these agreements, common provisions to include, and strategies to minimize legal risk.
12:00 p.m. – Litigation lessons learned – The problem employee – what can be learned from the case law.
Presenters: Sean LaPorta and Amanda Archambault
Managing challenging employees can carry significant legal risk. This session examines real-world case law to highlight common pitfalls and key lessons employers can learn when addressing performance, conduct, and disciplinary issues.
12:30 p.m. – Conclusion
COST: $150.00
Fee includes continental breakfast, electronic copies of materials, and credits.
Payment can be made via credit card and are fully refundable until Friday, October 24, 2025.
Presenters
Peg O’Brien is chair of the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group. She assists employers with legal compliance and risk management in all phases of the employment relationship, as well as defense of employers in matters pending before government agencies and courts. Peg provides on-site and virtual training for employees and supervisors on harassment prevention and documentation and discipline best practices, and other employment law matters. In addition, Peg conducts workplace investigations as an internal or outside independent investigator, and recently completed the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination’s Certified Course on Conducting Discrimination Complaint Investigations.
Brian focuses his practice on understanding and serving the needs of independent day and boarding schools, colleges and universities, and early child care programs. Brian partners with many of the country’s leading independent schools to provide comprehensive advice on all aspects of school operations, including establishing new schools, student and parent issues, employment matters, school governance and leadership, and general risk management. He works closely with board chairs, heads of schools, financial officers, and other senior leadership members in tackling complex matters affecting school communities.
John is a director and chair of McLane Middleton’s Tax Department. He advises clients regarding compliance with ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, COBRA, HIPAA and other complex federal laws applicable to employee benefit plans. John has extensive experience in helping clients assess and manage fiduciary liability and litigation risks associated with retirement and employee health and welfare plans.
Amanda Brahm represents employers and educational institutions in legal matters related to students, employees, and school and workplace policies. Amanda’s work encompasses federal and state court litigation of employment discrimination claims, breach of contract issues, and claims arising under Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the federal and Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Acts. She has also successfully defended charges before administrative agencies, including the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
Amanda advises businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions on a wide range of labor, employment, and education law matters. Her practice includes counseling clients on employee relations, leave law compliance (FMLA, PFML, ADA), performance management, workplace investigations, and terminations. Amanda also has experience advising independent schools on legal issues involving school operations, student conduct, family matters, and risk management
Sean has focused his practice on serving the needs of both students and educational institutions as they navigate legal and practical issues. He has extensive experience working closely with small to large educational institutions, where he provides advice and analysis on a wide variety of issues, including employment and board of trustee policies. Sean provides services regarding employment contracts, waivers, severance agreements, compliance, risk analysis, and navigating state and federal laws.
Madeline is a corporate and tax attorney with extensive experience advising businesses and individuals on compensatory, employee benefits and employment-related matters in corporate transactions and in day-to-day business management. She assists clients to establish, develop, acquire and sell companies and to solve challenging business and legal issues.