Topic: Coming & Going: Hiring and Recruitment/Corrective Action, Discipline and Termination

Speakers: Shannon Gatlin, Senior Counsel, Cokinos Laura Alaniz, Partner, Porter Hedges, Tony Stergio, Shareholder, Andrew Myers

In this two-hour webinar, employment attorneys from Andrews Myers, Cokinos | Young, and Porter Hedges will discuss a number of issues that can arise at the beginning and the end of the employment relationship that employers will want to be aware of.

Each of the presenters and their respective law firms has extensive experience advising and defending client companies in the construction industry, and the webinar is geared toward helping construction companies identify potential legal issues in the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding process. In addition, the presenters will also discuss best practices for handling corrective actions and disciplinary issues if and when they arise.

Finally, the panel will give insights on the steps employers can take to reduce their potential liability if the employment relationship must end by way of an employee termination. We hope you will join us to hear what our panel of experts has to say.

Shannon Gatlin, Senior Counsel, Cokinos

Shannon Gatlin has been Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2014, and has practiced almost exclusively in employment law since 2009. Mr. Gatlin has extensive experience briefing cases before state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels, including the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Gatlin represents clients with labor and employment issues in both government agency actions and in litigation in state and federal courts nationwide. In August, Mr. Gatlin joined South Texas College of Law here in Houston as an Adjunct Professor in addition to his duties as Senior Counsel at Cokinos | Young, creating and teaching a new course focused on drafting and negotiating employment agreements. Mr. Gatlin has also written and presented regularly on a wide variety of employment law topics, including participating in weekly Zoom conferences by local trade organizations to discuss how employers should respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Laura Alaniz, Partner, Porter Hedges
Laura Alaniz is a partner at Porter Hedges in the Houston office and is Board Certified in Labor and Employment by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She is an experienced advisor and litigator who represents management in all aspects of labor and employment law matters. She has particular experience with issues related to wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment and discrimination, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, wage and hour disputes, disability accommodation, and suits for violation of state and federal statutes, such as the FLSA, FMLA, WARN, and the Texas workers’ compensation retaliation statute. She also counsels clients regarding hiring and terminating employees, leaves of absence, layoffs, unemployment compensation, employment handbooks and policies, and conducting employee and management training.

Tony Stergio, Shareholder, Andrew Myers

Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Mr. Stergio has extensive experience in the defense of State and Federal employment discrimination claims, wage and hour compliance and claims, OSHA compliance and contests, Davis-Bacon Act compliance, noncompetition agreements, Department of Labor and TWC investigations and employment policy design and review. He speaks frequently at employment-related seminars and also counsels clients regarding developments in various areas of State and Federal employment law. In 2017, Tony received an AV© Preeminent™ Judicial Rating from Martindale Hubbell, the nation’s leading legal services resource. He scored a 5 out of 5 rating, the highest rating achievable in both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards. He previously received an AV© Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating from Martindale Hubbell in 2011.