Benefit Telephone Seminars - Training Resources

Current Issues in Real Estate Title and Title Insurance ...BenefitsThis teleconference is a nuts-and-bolts program designed to give you real life practical information to facilitate the closing of commercial and residential real estate transactions. You'll gain insight into the workings of the title industry to better prepare you to anticipate problems and assist in developing solutions to ultimately close the transaction. This teleconference will  more...

Telecommuting: The Next Wave of Wage and Hour Litigation ...BenefitsMany employers offer their employees the opportunity to work from home either on a regular or temporary basis. While the flexibility of a telecommuting arrangement can benefit both the employer and the employee, allowing a nonexempt employee to work at home can lead to a minefield of wage and hour issues that you must carefully navigate to avoid potential liability. As telecommuting has  more...

Drafting Document Retention Policies ...BenefitsThere can be little question in today's world that a thoughtful, well-designed document retention policy is a must for every corporation. Yet many have failed to take this important step to protect their companies. And many more have failed to effectively implement their document retention policies after they have been adopted. The cost of these shortcomings is significant. A  more...

Evaluating Your Third Party Administrator: Are You Getting What You're Paying For? ...BenefitsUsing a third-party administrator is ubiquitous with all types of employee benefit plans. However, proper administration by TPAs should not be taken for granted. As with all facets of employee benefit plans, TPAs need to be monitored and evaluated to ensure proper plan administration and fulfillment of a plan sponsor's fiduciary responsibility. This teleconference explores the key roles  more...

Ethical Implications for Attorneys Transitioning to New Firms ...BenefitsIn today's legal market, attorneys transition between law firms and other professional associations with great frequency. The movement of attorneys implicates some fundamental ethical issues, such as confidentiality and conflicts. Not knowing and understanding these ethical issues and implementing procedures to avoid a violation of the pertinent rules may lead to claims against the  more...

The Art and Science of Ethically Firing a Client ...BenefitsSo you think distancing yourself from an uncooperative client is as simple as saying, in the words of Donald Trump, 'You're fired.'? Not so. Both ethical and fiduciary considerations come into play when a lawyer seeks to withdraw from ongoing representation of a client. This teleconference will provide a detailed discussion of those ethical rules, as well as the impact of withdrawal on  more...

Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors: What You Need to Know About ABC's ...BenefitsThis teleconference will give you an overview of the basics to general assignments for the benefit of creditors, a state law alternative for the liquidation of a distressed business that while long available under state laws, has had little use outside of states such as California, Illinois, Florida and Massachusetts. The fiduciary nature and responsibilities of the assignee will be  more...

End of Employment Payroll Issues ...BenefitsThis will be a comprehensive look into issues that arise when an employee terminates. Topics that will be discussed will go from when an employee needs to receive their final pay to how an employee death's final pay best practices and taxation. This teleconference will cover special situations when an employee terminates such as benefit deductions, state minimum hours requirements and  more...

Appealing Standards: Determining the Applicable Standard of Review ...BenefitsThis teleconference is designed to help you with your two most important jobs: prediction (telling clients what appellate courts are likely to do with a given case) and persuasion (getting the appellate courts to do it). The two most common mistakes in appellate advocacy are (1) taking the standards at face value, uncritically assuming that they mean what they say and that the court  more...

A Primer on International Estate Planning ...BenefitsIndividuals are increasingly 'international' today - especially wealthy ones. More and more clients work or study abroad, own property in more than one country, find their spouses abroad and qualify as citizens or residents of multiple nations. All of this can subject clients to the competing property, succession and tax laws of multiple jurisdictions. This teleconference will help you  more...

Legal Ethical Issues ...BenefitsEthical issues present themselves in all aspects of an attorney's professional life. Knowledge of these ethical standards will assist you in properly representing a client and at the same time protect you from the adverse consequences of a violation of the ethical standards. This teleconference will provide an overview of typical ethical issues affecting the various areas of the  more...

Curing Title Exceptions ...BenefitsTitles are often subject to outstanding interests and claims, some genuine but others unsubstantial or baseless. What types of defects, liens and encumbrances impair the title to real estate? When, as the result of tangible matters revealed by a search and examination of the title, is the title unmarketable? Learn what to look for when reviewing the title commitment, and what  more...

Workout Strategies for Troubled Condominium Projects ...BenefitsThe present economic downturn has affected real estate projects of all types but perhaps none as significantly as condominium projects. To further complicate matters, strategies to cope with failing and failed condominium developments must address multiple overlays of statutory and other legal requirements and limitations, as well as the often conflicting rights and concerns of the many  more...

Directors' and Officers' Liability Insurance: Current Topics and Key Issues ...BenefitsIn the era of the subprime mortgage crisis, directors and officers are acutely aware of the potential for liability and the importance that directors' and officers' liability insurance afford sufficient coverage to provide for a defense and indemnity for any settlement or judgment. This teleconference will provide you with insight into common issues and trends that arise during a claim  more...

Access Management Design and Development ...BenefitsAccess management is a critical element of every private and public roadway or site development project. As a transportation engineer and/or planner, understanding the basics of access design and access development is crucial in delivering a successful project to your client. Driveway access to a site can have positive or negative consequences on the amount of potential business a  more...

Bankruptcy Retention and Disclosures: Knowing When and What to Say ...BenefitsBankruptcy is a specialized practice quite different than typical litigation. In general litigation, secrecy and limited disclosures are the norm. However, the filing of a bankruptcy and one's involvement in it, either as a debtor, professional or even creditor, requires specific and often extensive disclosures to protect the interests of the estate and the integrity of the bankruptcy  more...

False Claims Act Update ...BenefitsThe False Claims Act is one of the most important weapons of the federal government in its efforts to combat fraud, waste and abuse in federal contracting and grants. This teleconference will identify and analyze many of the critically important issues in the interpretation and enforcement of the statute, and will review mandatory disclosure of credible evidence of False Claims Act  more...

Enforcement of Judgments ...BenefitsThis teleconference will present the fundamentals of locating and collecting assets to enforce a civil judgment. Topics will include asset search methods, the elements of a debtor's examination, obtaining liens against assets, executing on judgment liens, using garnishment procedures to collect assets, domesticating foreign judgments, handling bankruptcy filings and many other issues  more...

Avoiding Waiver of the Attorney-Client Privilege ...BenefitsThis teleconference will discuss the doctrine of attorney-client privilege: the scope of the privilege, exceptions to the privilege, procedural aspects of asserting the privilege, waiver of the privilege and the related but distinguishable doctrine of attorney work product. It should be useful for attorneys who represent individuals and organizations who are concerned about asserting  more...

A Primer on Social Security Disability Law ...BenefitsThe Social Security law encompasses the Social Security regulations which span nearly a full volume of the Code of Federal Regulations, many volumes of law reporters, dozens of separately issued Social Security rulings and many volumes of internal regulations. This is why most lawyers do not want to develop an expertise in this area. This teleconference is designed to give you a broad  more...

White-Collar Defense Strategies and Developments ...BenefitsWhite-collar criminal defense is very different from the defense of other criminal cases. It must be approached uniquely from the time an attorney first learns of a client's target status in an investigation through trial. Failure to understand these differences and nuances can be fatal. This teleconference will examine some of these most important distinctions, and discuss the proper  more...

New Federal Rule of Evidence 502 - Preservation or Waiver of the Attorney Client Privilege and Work Product Protection in Federa ...BenefitsKnowing and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protection is a fundamental for most litigators. Rule 502 of the Federal Rules of Evidence has been adopted to clarify and resolve a common dispute regarding the effects of certain disclosures otherwise protected by the privilege or work product, including inadvertent disclosures and the agreement of the parties  more...

Commercial Lease Escalation Issues ...BenefitsHow can landlords and tenants protect themselves against rent risks and risks relating to property expenditures in an economy which is as unpredictable as ours? This teleconference will address the details of escalation clauses as they apply to rent, common area maintenance costs and even security deposits. It will address a variety of means whereby both landlords and tenants can try to  more...

Drafting Settlement Agreements in Personal Injury Cases: A Primer ...BenefitsPersonal injury cases can present unique challenges when drafting settlement agreements. Personal injury cases often involve multiple parties, special ethical considerations, the necessity of court approval and the participation of known (or unknown) nonparties who may hold liens or other claims on the impending settlement payment. It is important that the lawyer drafting a settlement  more...

Understanding Your Summary Plan Descriptions ...BenefitsEmployers who sponsor ERISA covered health and welfare plans are required to communicate the terms of the plan to participants in a summary plan description. The SPD is an important disclosure document that describes, in understandable terms, the rights, benefits and responsibilities of participants and beneficiaries in ERISA covered health and welfare benefit plans. The SPD must  more...

Juvenile-Onset Bipolar Disorder: Discussion, Diagnosis and Treatment Considerations ...BenefitsThis teleconference is for those interested in current thinking and diagnostic skills necessary to diagnose and treat bipolar children and their families. The missing pieces will also be discussed which is adequate educational planning. How to work collaboratively with a treating psychiatrist and how to be an advocate for the child and family if the child is not receiving the most  more...

Updated Best Practices for Legal Holds In Civil, Criminal & Business Contexts ...BenefitsThis teleconference will teach you how to avoid the devastating problems that your clients may face if they do not plan for effective legal holds in anticipation of legal proceedings. Specifically, you will learn how courts and government investigators are interpreting the basic requirement to preserve information in 'reasonable anticipation' of litigation or other formal proceedings.  more...

Everything You Wanted to Know About Drug and Alcohol Testing but Were Afraid to Ask ...BenefitsMost companies that care about safety in the workplace have implemented a drug and alcohol testing program. An added benefit to companies is a reduction in their workers' compensation insurance premiums. What makes an effective program? What kind of safeguards should there be to ensure accuracy? What does a drug test really measure? What is the best sample: urine, hair or oral fluid?  more...

Construction Contract Bid Errors ...BenefitsThe pressures on contractors to obtain work have never been greater. The competition for contracts, often coupled with precarious financial health, leaves very little margin for error - yet bid mistakes are on the increase with adverse consequences for owners, contractors and subcontractors. This teleconference analyzes the legal consequences of bid errors and how to avoid them. Those  more...

Document Retention and Destruction: What Human Resource Professionals Must Know ...BenefitsCorrectly handling the documentation of employees is one of the most difficult and tedious tasks that human resources professionals need to perform for their organizations. Knowing the proper procedures to follow to document employees in the workplace is a key skill needed by most human resources professionals. This teleconference will provide you with information on the key concepts  more...

Taking and Defending Effective Depositions ...BenefitsIn the legal world where the use of mediation and arbitration has increased dramatically in recent years, the deposition of opposing parties and key witnesses often takes the place of the trial. Cases are evaluated and often settled based on information obtained at depositions. You will learn the fundamental concepts involved in taking and defending depositions. Included in this  more...

Trucking Litigation ...BenefitsLitigation involving trucking and bus companies seems straightforward. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Come hear how to negotiate the waters and learn how the myriad of confusing federal and state regulations could torpedo your case. Hear from the former top U.S. D.O.T. trucking lawyer on how to utilize federal and state information to help bolster your case. You  more...

Data Mapping and Electronic Information Management (EIM) - Risk Management for Daily Efficiency and Litigation-Preparedness ...BenefitsIn the digitized world of the twenty-first century, it is more important than ever for every organization to know as much as possible about the information it creates, stores, receives and maintains. As an attendee at this teleconference, you will learn from an expert how to develop multipurpose menus or charts of key storage locations and contents and use data-mapping to achieve  more...

Efficiency Estimations and Payback Periods for New Equipment ...BenefitsEnergy savings is possible for nearly every electric motor application but there are obstacles to buying and installing a higher efficiency motor. Practical considerations of the real world such as initial purchase, accounting system roadblocks, and installation and operating cost, must be part of the decision process. This teleconference will explain basic principles of electric motor  more...

Employee Safety and Health Systems: Cutting Injuries Using the Team Approach ...BenefitsTraditional safety committees involve a small number of employees and are often managed by the individual responsible for the facility safety and health system. The problem is that the success of the committee, and thus the system success, is predicated by the authority given to the committee and its leadership which in most cases is low to nonexistent. The bottom line is that employee  more...

The UCC Article 9 Update ...BenefitsThe revisions to Article 9, which generally became effective in 2001, substantially changed the law. Now, with a few years of experience, the case law is beginning to emerge and develop, and practitioners are beginning to identify issues not contemplated by the drafting committee. The changes to the Article 9 filing system were significant and the prevalence of filing cases suggests  more...

8 Issues When Doing Business or Contracting With Native American Tribes ...BenefitsThere are more than 500 federally-recognized American Indian tribes in the United States, each established under a constitution unique to the tribe. Each tribe, through its constitution and subsequent legislation, has developed its own laws and regulations addressing issues of contracting, jurisdiction and waivers, if any, of sovereign immunity. Individuals and entities seeking to do  more...

Conducting Background Checks ...BenefitsAn ever increasing number of employers are recognizing the benefits that can be derived from conducting background checks on both current and prospective employees. While background checks can be an effective tool for weeding out questionable employees, legal limitations on how such checks can be performed (and how the resulting data discovered can be used) must be understood or  more...

Substance Abuse and the State Bar Disciplinary Process BenefitsThis teleconference will give an insider's view of the state bar and how it handles matters that have substance abuse as an element of a case. The program will also discuss the scientific basis for addiction and how it can impact your law practice. This program is primarily designed for attorneys. Other legal professionals may also benefit from attending.  more...

Medicare Secondary Payer Act - Protecting Medicare's Interest in Insurance Settlements ...BenefitsPursuant to 42 USC Section 1395y(b)(2), commonly known as the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, Medicare may not make payment for medical benefits where 'payment has been made or can reasonably be expected to be made under a workmen's compensation law or plan of the United States or a state or under an automobile or liability insurance policy or plan (including a self-insured plan) or under  more...

Covenants Not to Compete and Trade Secrets ...BenefitsThis teleconference will provide an overview and general principles of the law and legal theories related to protecting competitive business interests and confidential business information - one of the fastest growing areas of intellectual property law outside of traditional patent, copyright and trademark concerns. You'll learn about covenants not to compete, nonsolicitation  more...

Impact of Confidentiality Rules in Bankruptcy Proceedings ...BenefitsDistressed companies struggle to protect their proprietary and strategic information against the assumption that a bankrupt's financial affairs are public. Since 2005, creditor committees have similarly confronted their statutory obligation to share information with creditors with their practical duties in working through a Chapter 11. This teleconference will provide both a relevant  more...

Ethical Issues in Effective Settlement Negotiations ...BenefitsThis teleconference will outline the key ethical rules and parameters faced by lawyers during negotiations of litigated matters, and emphasize the recent guidance from the ABA and various state and federal courts on matters ranging from basic duties of disclosure to the often murky rules affecting class actions and the settlement of complex litigation affecting numerous parties. This  more...

Developing a Community Nonemergency Response System ...BenefitsCitizens are demanding fast, easy access to government services in an efficient manner that optimizes their investment. Municipal executives are consistently seeking government solutions to improve service without increasing budgets. Elected officials know the quality of services can mean the difference between re-election and defeat. This teleconference will provide municipal leaders  more...

Drafting Clear and Enforceable Contracts ...BenefitsCommercial contracts have become increasingly complex in our litigious society. Why can't contracts just be written in plain language with the common words (and sentence structures) we use in everyday conversation? The truth is - they can! This teleconference is an introductory course on drafting clear and enforceable contracts in a business environment - using language that everyone  more...

Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities Under ERISA ...BenefitsMaintaining an employee benefit plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 requires that people managing the plan or investing plan assets become fiduciaries. You need to know when they might become an ERISA plan fiduciary. You must understand your legal obligations to plan participants and beneficiaries. This teleconference will provide you with an overview of  more...

Executory Contracts in Bankruptcy: What Every Attorney Needs to Know ...BenefitsBankruptcy filings can unexpectedly disrupt the expectations, rights and remedies of contract counterparties. This teleconference seeks to demystify the idiosyncrasies of Bankruptcy Code Section 365. You'll hear strategies for avoiding traps for the unwary and protecting the value of contract rights from the perspectives of both the debtor and the nondebtor counterparties. This program  more...

Daubert Motions: Challenging Expert Opinions ...BenefitsSince the U.S. Supreme Court decided Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals in 1993, the federal law governing expert testimony has undergone a radical transformation. The courts of most states have also now adopted Daubert to some extent. Every litigator needs to understand the impact of Daubert and its progeny. Used properly, Daubert can be a powerful tool for excluding expert  more...

Collective Bargaining and Construction Labor Contracts ...BenefitsThe construction industry is rife with contractors who sign collective bargaining agreements and later find out that the agreements do not accurately represent the verbal understandings they had reached with the union. Many of these contractors soon learn they are bound to the collective bargaining agreements for longer periods of time than expected and that the agreements cover all  more...

Form 5500 Reporting Update ...BenefitsEmployers who offer an employee benefit plan must file an annual report regarding the plan's financial condition, investments and operations, unless specifically exempt by law. Filing the Form 5500 will satisfy this. This teleconference will help you understand when you need to file a Form 5500 and what you need to file, and will focus on some recent changes that may impact your  more...

Restructuring the Commercial Loan ...BenefitsA commercial loan restructuring requires a working knowledge of a number of commercial law aspects, e.g., bankruptcy, transactional and litigation issues. This teleconference will help provide you with an understanding of these issues from inception through the end of the commercial loan restructuring process. Listen to our panel of experienced counsel provide seasoned advice so that  more...

Director and Officer Liability: A Focus on Creditor Issues ...BenefitsLearn the new theories of director and officer liability and what can be done to protect directors and officers from personal liability. The world of director and officer liability is changing. Creditors and trustees are the new plaintiffs asserting new and evolving theories of liability. The causes of action range from failing to take action to avoid insolvency to failing to implement  more...

Reductions in Force Litigation Update ...BenefitsWith the continued recession, employers have been faced with significant challenges to reduce costs. Since personnel accounts for a major proportion of overhead, one possible area of consideration is that of a reduction in the workforce. While reaching and implementing such a decision will, in optimum circumstances, involve significant input from counsel experienced in both employment  more...

Protecting Attorney Work Product in Communications With Testifying and Consulting Experts ...BenefitsTechnology has rendered communications with critical expert witnesses as easy as an email, a text message or a voice mail. Many attorneys fall into the trap of engaging in informal communications with experts that are later revealed through discovery. Experts also create materials or communicate in a way that is subject to disclosure. These communications and materials can undercut the  more...

Understanding the Complexities of OCIPs and CCIPs Insurance Programs ...BenefitsOwner-controlled insurance programs and contractor-controlled insurance programs, sometimes referred to as wrap-ups, are becoming more popular, as they can result in significant savings if properly structured and managed. While historically available only on the largest of projects, more recently these programs have been used on projects as small as $25 million in construction costs.  more...

Pitfalls of Participant Loans in Retirement Plans ...BenefitsParticipant loans in a qualified employee benefit plan are a common problem area due to their complex administration. Plan sponsors of qualified employee benefit plans need to be aware of many pitfalls to avoid tax consequences. Even worse than tax consequences is the possibility of the entire plan losing its preferred tax status. This teleconference will explain the regulations of  more...

Metadata Scrubbing and Mining - Legal, Ethical and Practical Implications ...BenefitsMetadata lurks in every electronic document each of us creates and edits. Every computer application and platform we use also generates metadata. The consequences of human error are greatly magnified in the 21st century by the prevalence of electronic communication and the ability of anyone with a web browser to download - for only $0.08 per page - a copy of any document electronically  more...

Collection Issues for Attorneys: Practical and Ethical Considerations ...BenefitsYou have worked many hours on your client's matter and obtained a good result, only to find yourself in a dispute with your client over the payment of your fee. The client may complain about the quality of the service or may claim that they cannot pay your fees. Whatever the excuse, it is a problem that can be lessened. This teleconference is designed to provide you with practical and  more...

Don't Bet the Company: Understanding and Avoiding Class Actions in Labor and Employment Law! ...BenefitsYou have all seen in the news media reports of companies settling employment-related class actions for many millions of dollars. The horror of class actions is that a small claim among a few employees can mushroom into a huge claim worth millions of dollars once some ferocious plaintiff's lawyers get their teeth into it and add hundreds of additional claims through the simple process of  more...

Effective Use of Medical Records in Personal Injury Litigation ...BenefitsPersonal injury litigation requires the effective and efficient use of medical records. In order to present your case persuasively, you must have an understanding of how to collect medical records, how to use them during discovery and how to present them to a jury. This teleconference discusses both plaintiff and defendant perspectives, and it will explain the role of medical evidence  more...

Best Practices to Manage Your Multistate Payroll ...BenefitsPayroll personnel are continually faced with legal and practical challenges associated with employee benefits, overtime, nonexempt employee requirements, employee bonus payments, confusing payroll forms, etc. Not only do you have to know your own state laws but often times neighboring state laws if you have employees across state lines. The taxability of employee benefits is confusing  more...

Paperless Payroll: Essentials to a Seamless Transition ...BenefitsIn today's economic environment, every organization is looking to reduce costs. Paperless processes have the potential to be a healthy boost to the bottom line without eliminating employees. The notion of paperless payroll has come a long way since the introduction of direct deposit in the 1970's, but despite the advances, most companies are still distributing paper checks, pay advices  more...

Surface Parking Lots Development and Design ...BenefitsThis teleconference will be of great benefit to architects, engineers, developers and contractors. You will learn how to acquire a potential property, how to design and maintain surface parking lots. This teleconference will not only devote time to surface features, such as pavements, drainage and striping, it will also discuss the importance of paying attention to soil preparation and  more...

Value Engineering Change Proposals in Government Contracting ...BenefitsMany federal contractors are greatly focused on achieving cost reductions in their production processes, such as through lean manufacturing and Six Sigma programs, to become more competitive and increase profits. However, few contractors take advantage of a contractual tool, the Value Engineering ('VE') contract clause, which was established specifically to provide increased profits  more...

Voir Dire: Effective Techniques for Getting and Using the Information You Need nVoir dire is one of the most important phases of a jury trial. However, the rules and procedures governing the jury selection process are often informal, subject to the broad discretion of the trial court, and can vary widely between jurisdictions, judges and even different cases before the same judge. A trial lawyer's strike decisions are some of the most important strategic decisions made in  more...

Benchmarking your Health Benefit Program: How Do You Stack Up? ...will work through several methods to evaluate your health benefit program's cost, design and impact on employees with an eye to comparing your plan to others - regionally and nationally. In addition, we will discuss the trends in health benefits and give you benchmarking statistics on the current landscape for including that trend in your health benefit package. During this 90-minute  more...

Paid Sick Leave Update: Policies and Procedures in an Evolving Workplace ...ployees to use these voluntarily-provided paid sick leave benefits for reasons beyond those covered by the employer's program. In some cases, states and localities have begun to mandate that employers provide employees with a minimum paid sick leave benefit if an employer does not already do so. And while currently federal law only mandates unpaid leave for covered employers, in the near  more...

Enforcing Arbitration Agreements: 14 Penn Plaza and Other Recent Developments in Arbitration of Statutory Employment Claims nIn 14 Penn Plaza v. Pyett, 07-581 (S. Ct. April 1, 2009), the Supreme Court held that a union-negotiated arbitration agreement can bind individual employees to arbitrate statutory age discrimination claims. This decision continues the trend of enforcing agreements to arbitrate employment discrimination claims. 14 Penn Plaza should cause all legal professionals to consider the advantages of  more...

Writing an Employee Handbook nAre you overwhelmed with the task of revising your existing employee handbook or of preparing a new employee handbook? Are you unclear about what types of employment policies are required by federal law? Stop worrying and attend this teleconference. You will learn which policies are required by law and what employment laws apply to employee handbooks. Take the first step to creating your employee  more...

How To Prevent Construction Projects From Going Bad ...struction process. n nThis teleconference is intended to benefit attendees who want to have a better understanding of the pitfalls of the construction process and how to meet them head on. It will provide a summary level discussion of the aspects of construction that can often lead to a bad project and of the fundamentals necessary to implement a successful project. n nTopic areas will include  more...

Presenteeism: Measurement and Intervention Issues for Employers and Health Plans ...bal company's total compensation (salaries, wages and all benefit costs) were lost due to presenteeism. Work site wellness programs can potentially make many important contributions to the measurement and reduction of productivity losses associated with presenteeism. This teleconference will cover a working definition of presenteeism, the major methodological approaches to its measurement, some  more...

Why Is This Guy Still on My Health Plan? ...es with the eligibility and termination provisions of its benefit plans. This results many times in inactive employees (inactive usually because of a disability or other leave of absence) lingering on employer's health and other benefit plans (dental, group life) where the employer continues to pay premiums despite the employee being no longer eligible under the plan. This teleconference will  more...

Writing to Win: The Fundamentals of Legal Writing nLawyers and other legal professionals are paid to communicate. Your success depends on your words - and now, more than ever, on our written words. This teleconference, taught by a litigator, novelist and screenwriter, will provide you with the insights, skills and confidence needed to write with clarity and precision. Douglas E. Winter's practical, easy-to-implement strategies will improve your  more...

Successful Strategies for Controlling Workers' Compensation Costs nMaintaining workers' compensation insurance is a necessary cost of business, but how do you stop the costs from spinning out of control? An effective workers' compensation program will utilize the available remedies to achieve the goals of reducing injuries, reducing benefit payment and reducing unsuccessful litigation results. This 90-minute teleconference will review the myths and  more...

An Overview of Maritime Law Torts nAdmiralty law is expansive in its reach covering operations in brown water, blue water and offshore industries. The issues are complex and often involve federal and state law conflicts. An overview of maritime law torts addresses the primary and secondary issues arising out of Jones Act, USL&H and OCSLA claims. This teleconference is of practical interest to the occasional and experienced  more...

Community Benefit Agreements ...benefits agreements can increase public participation in the planning process, promote smart growth and environmental justice goals, and bring neighborhoods, local governments, and private interests together to make development projects more sustainable, transparent and accountable. Negotiating a CBA can be a win-win solution for community groups and developers. The community receives  more...

Cumulative Impact Claims nCumulative impact claims may be one of the more common occurrences on projects with multiple changes over the course of the project. However, cumulative impact claims may be one of the most difficult claims to present and prove at trial or in arbitration. Evidentiary issues, logistics of proving what the cumulative impact was and proving damages can prove to be very difficult. Defenses to  more...

Real Estate Market Studies: Critical Decision Tool or Superfluous Information? ...uding the conclusions and understand the output. You will benefit from a better understanding of what is involved in the market study process and how to ensure the most insightful results. The outcome of a market study can make or break a project - be prepared to secure the best decision-making results possible. n nLearning Objectives n- You will be able to identify the best providers of market  more...

Stemming the Tide: 10 Best Practices for Litigation Expense Management nNew rules governing e-discovery, a continued increase in corporate reliance on electronic data and growing sophistication of plaintiffs' counsel have all combined to result in skyrocketing litigation costs with no end to this growth in sight. This comes at a time when pressure from business clients to reduce the cost of legal services is at an all time high. This teleconference will suggest 10  more...

Unrelated Business Income Tax - Tax Information for Charities and Other Nonprofits ...xecutive compensation, tax-exempt hospitals and community benefit, and the current ongoing initiative involving colleges and universities, have securely placed the spotlight on this sector. The Internal Revenue Service has become more sophisticated and active in the arena of unrelated business income tax. The result of noncompliance can be disastrous in terms of revenue and reputational loss to  more...

Paycheck Calculation Basics nThis is an excellent teleconference for those new at withholding payroll taxes or for those who need a refresher course. You will learn tips on how and why to determine if the worker is exempt or nonexempt. We will cover the calculation of and the maximum deductions for Social Security and Medicare taxes in 2009. n nThere are multiple methods of calculating federal withholding, which one should  more...

Retirement Benefit Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations and Government Entities ... face many of the same issues regarding use of retirement benefits to attract and retain employees and executives as for-profit companies, but the tools available to them are often more limited. This teleconference will explore both broad-based retirement programs and executive deferred compensation available to nonprofit organizations. It will highlight new rules for 403(b) plans and pending  more...

Updating and Maintaining Wills, Trusts and Estate Plans for the Evolving Client ...state and inheritance tax rules. This teleconference will benefit any attorney who drafts, prepares or reviews wills, trusts and estate plans, and it's an excellent refresher course for the experienced drafting attorney. You'll get information on how other drafting attorneys are addressing certain drafting issues. For an attorney who is beginning or who only drafts occasionally, this  more...

Hot Topics for 501(c)(3) Organizations nThere has been a lot of talk about the revised Form 990 and it's finally here! Whether you love it or loathe it, you can't put it off any longer. We will spend a majority of the time talking about some of the hot-button issues that the new form raises both in terms of simple compliance and in communicating with and involving your board. But wait, there's more! After this teleconference, you'll  more...

Current Trends in Transit-Oriented Development ...help you to better understand what TOD is and how it will benefit under President Barack Obama's plan for a national economic stimulus. You'll find out what states, regional transit agencies and local governments are doing to encourage economic development through TOD and the role for the private sector, including investors and developers looking for new opportunities in our stagnating economy.  more...

Same-Gender Marriage Rulings: Impacts on Employee Benefit Plans Across the Nation nIn May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state cannot deny same-gender couples the right to marry. Same-gender couples - many of them, in fact - flocked to California and started getting legally married on June 17, 2008. But then in November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage going forward. Massachusetts and Canada also allow same-gender  more...

Preparing a Winning Closing Argument n"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we will now hear closing arguments." Even the most experienced trial lawyer may inwardly quake when the judge utters these fateful words. But what makes for an effective closing? Do closings even matter? When should you object? Should you really start preparing your closing the day you get a new case? These are questions that are not addressed in law school, and  more...

Payroll Recordkeeping: What You Need to Know nIn recent years there has been an explosion in the number of lawsuits and claims for overtime and unpaid wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Did you realize that liability for FLSA violations can be enormous? Recent reports estimate that over the last few years companies have collectively paid out more than $1 billion annually to resolve FLSA claims! Learn the role of the FLSA and its  more...

Internet Research for Legal Professionals nThe Internet is a resource for a vast array of legal materials. However, not all legal resources available on the Internet represent authoritative or relevant information to the legal researcher. Legal websites organize information in different ways; documents appear in a variety of file formats; and search engines may or may not index legal materials in concert with the legal researcher's  more...

The Complete Closing Checklist nMany individuals involved in commercial loan transactions never fully understand all the steps and details that go into closing a real estate loan transaction. They understand their participation in the transaction, but do not comprehend everything else that is involved before a transaction can actually close and fund. This teleconference will provide an overview to understand the entire process  more...

Multiplaintiff Settlement Negotiations ...FLSA. Plaintiffs' counsel increasingly are relying on the benefits of Rule 23 certification to bring their wage and hour claims under applicable state wage and hour laws, bypassing the more restrictive FLSA collective action "opt-in" process. Where courts have shown reluctance to certify Rule 23 classes under discrimination laws, plaintiffs' counsel simply bring multiplaintiff cases naming long  more...

Controlling Purchasing Card Risk ...work transaction by two to six weeks. Notwithstanding the benefit to operational efficiency, some organizations express concern about how to effectively control the risk associated with putting charge cards in the hands of employees and occasional news reports heighten fear about card use in an organizational context. This teleconference will provide you with facts about purchasing card use and  more...

Defining Electronic Data Terminology and Concepts nElectronic discovery has fundamentally altered both the corporate and legal worlds. The discovery and production of electronic records is now expected by litigants and courts alike. Attend this session and learn how to determine what is "electronically stored information" and proven methods for litigation readiness in the e-discovery era.  more...