2023 Spring CLE Conference
Friday, April 21 - Saturday, April 22, 2023

Register Here by April 14th

Hyatt Regency Rochester
125 E. Main Street
Rochester, NY 14604

Hotel Reservations by March 30th

Friday, April 21, 2023

2:30pm - 3:00pm
Registration or Log On 

3:00pm - 3:50pm
Employment Discrimination Law for Workers Compensation Attorneys:  What you Need to Know
Perry S. Friedman, Esq.
(1 CLE Credit: Areas of Professional Practice)
This presentation will deal with aspects of employment discrimination law that would be of interest to workers compensation attorneys including the process of bringing a discrimination claim in general, a brief discussion of NY Workers Compensation Law Sec 120 and the basics of the Americans With Disabilities Act and the New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws as they relate to Disability Discrimination. 

Perry S. Friedman is an experienced litigation attorney who has been practicing in the New York Metropolitan Area for over 30 years. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in contract and corporate disputes as well as employment discrimination, disability discrimination and sexual harassment legal actions and appeals. He was the appellate counsel in Lenzi v. Systemax 944 F.3d 97 (2019) which held that a plaintiff bringing a pay discrimination claim does not have to prove that she was being paid less than someone with the same job, but only has to show that she was receiving lower pay for a discriminatory reason. Lenzi also set forth the elements that would comprise a hostile work environment.  A 1981 graduate of the University of Miami Law School and a graduate of Stony Brook University, Perry S. Friedman is admitted to the New York State Bar, as well being admitted to practice in the federal courts, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

3:50pm - 4:00pm
Break

4:00pm - 4:50pm
How to Ethically Introduce Yourself to Reporters
Janet L. Falk, Ph.D., Chief Strategist, Falk Communications and Research
Christopher M. Stringham Esq., Partner, MVC Law
(1 CLE Credit: Ethics and Professionalism)

Did you see your colleague quoted in the news? Why are reporters calling her and not you? The answer could be that reporters call the people they know. They don't call an attorney they never heard of. Therefore, it is critical to learn how to ethically introduce yourself to the media as a source for comment.

When you do get a call from a reporter, do you know where to draw the lines to ensure you follow the Rules of Professional Conduct? Are you prepared to safely speak about your own case? Are you ready to comment on a case in the news or explain how a change in regulation will affect the status quo?

Janet L. Falk, Ph.D., Chief Strategist, Falk Communications and Research, and Christopher Stringham, Partner, MCV Law, will present the tactics and ethics requirements for connecting with and talking to the media. They will:

• Address the ethical issues of presenting yourself to reporters as a source (15 minutes)
• Review the ethical issues of speaking to reporters about a case your own firm filed in court (15 minutes)
• Discuss how to develop brief biographical material to introduce yourself to the media as a credible source on legal and business issues (15 minutes)
• Offer suggestions on how to prepare material (press release) to announce a decision by the NYSWCB (15 minutes)

A sample Media Profile and Press Release will be provided.

Janet Falk, Ph.D., is a Communications professional with more than 30 years of experience in-house and at public relations agencies. As Chief Strategist at Falk Communications and Research (www.JanetLFalk.com), she advises attorneys at small law firms and with a solo practice on Media Relations and Marketing Communications to: attract new clients, remain top of mind with prior clients, keep in touch with referral sources, help recruit associates, generate a news story about litigation that puts pressure on opposing counsel and achieve business goals. Janet leads workshops on these topics and advises on media relations, website, LinkedIn profile, articles in non-legal industry trade publications and client newsletters, among other areas. She has published articles on Media Relations and Marketing in The New York Law Journal, The New Jersey Law Journal and Marketing the Law Firm and is a frequent speaker on webinars and podcasts about Public Relations and Legal Marketing.

Christopher Stringham has been an attorney with MCV Law since 2010. A graduate of Western New England College School of Law, he manages the workers' compensation practice, and is admitted to all New York Courts and the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Chris is a member of the Central New York Occupational Health Clinic Advisory Board and serves on the Executive Board of the Injured Workers’ Bar Association of New York.

Saturday, April 22, 2023

8:00am - 9:00am
Registration and Breakfast

9:00am - 9:50am
What Practioners Should Know About Long Covid
Anna Masileka, Esq., Schotter Millican
(1 CLE Credit: Skills)
The Covid-19 pandemic may be declared over, but more and more workers are suffering from Long Covid. To serve this increasing population of injured workers, practitioners should learn about the many facets of this complex emerging infectious disease.
Anna Masilela is an advocate for New Yorkers who were injured on the job. She has represented workers who suffered from accidents, diseases, and injuries such as hearing loss, chemical exposure, miscarriages, and PTSD. She is a member of the Injured Workers Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association, and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association. She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association, where she is Vice-Chair of the Life Insurance and Employee Benefits Committee of the Trusts and Estates Law Section and is working on proposed legislation to better protect surviving spouses of New York government employees. She previously spoke on employee benefits after the Dobbs decision at the Spring 2022 meeting of NYSBA's Labor and Employment Law Section. Ms. Masilela received her J.D. from NYU School of Law and her B.A. from Swarthmore College. 

9:50am - 10:00am
Break

10:00am-10:50am
Business Meeting (Members Only)

10:50am - 11:00am
Break

11:00am - 11:50am
MSAs From the Basics to Best Practices
Paul Sighinolfi, Esq., Senior Managing Director, Ametros
(1 CLE Credit: Areas of Professional Practice)
This presentation will give those in attendance an appreciation for the origins and evolution of the Medicare Secondary Payor process required under the Medicare Secondary Payor Act. With a foundation in place there will be a discussion focused on  what the obligations are under the Act and best practices for meeting those obligations. 

Paul provides thought leadership, leads regulatory and policy initiatives, and provides meaningful strategic direction and insight at Ametros.  Prior to Ametros, Paul was the Executive Director and Chairman of the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board. Previously, he was a partner at Rudman & Winchell, where he was a member of the firm’s litigation department and directed the workers’ compensation practice group. In his practice he represented both plaintiffs and defendants, and coauthored Maine Employment Guide: Workers’ Compensation.  Paul was a member and Chair of the Board of Bar Overseers, an appointment by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Paul was also appointed to the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, where he was the Fund Chair.  He is a fellow of the American Bar Association, College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, was on the Executive Committee of the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrator, and served on the board of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC). Paul is also the Vice President of Kids Chance Maine. Paul earned his master’s degree at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and his law degree at the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America, in Washington, D. C.

11:50am
Closing

Attendee Information

• This event is being planned as a hybrid event, both in-person in Rochester and virtually on Zoom.
• Registration is the same whether you attend in-person or virtually.
• Agenda subject to change.
• The content of this program is appropriate for experienced attorneys, as well as newly admitted attorneys.
• This continuing legal education program has been approved in accordance with the requirements of the Continuing Legal Education Board.
• Financial aid is available for this program.  Please click here for more information.
• If you register but find yourself unable to attend, you must cancel your registration by no later than noon on Monday, April 7th, or IWBA will be charged and, therefore, must then pass the cost along to you. If you cannot attend, please contact the office to have a substitute individual on your behalf.

Registration Information

Conference Registration Deadline: Friday, April 14, 2023 by noon.

If you already have an IWBA profile, please sign in and register under your profile. 

Register Here by April 14th

Hotel Reservations by March 30th

Information and Registration

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING THE SPRING CLE?
Deadline: Friday, March 24, 2023

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Thank You to our 2023 Spring Sponsors!

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