Breakfast and Check-In

Plenary 1 | The Labor and Employment Law Year in Review

• Aimee Delaney, Speaker | Partner, Chicago
• Amanda Tzivas, Speaker | Associate, Chicago

This year-in-review session provides a comprehensive overview of the most significant employment law developments at both the state and federal levels.

The first hour covers key Illinois legislative updates, including new requirements around AI in employment, amendments to the Workplace Transparency Act and the Human Rights Act, expanded leave protections, and changes to Chicago's paid leave ordinances, along with a preview of laws taking effect January 1, 2027.

The session then shifts to critical federal developments, including DOL guidance on salary thresholds and independent contractor classification, EEOC activity around DEI, and recent NLRB updates.

Plenary 2 | The Baker’s Dozen – Recurring and Emerging Employment Issues and How HR Professionals Can Navigate the Law and Minimize Risk

• Tom Luetkemeyer, Moderator | Partner and Leader, Labor & Employment, Chicago
• V. Brette Bensinger, Speaker, Partner, Chicago
• Ambrose McCall, Speaker, Partner, Peoria
• Corey Swinick, Speaker, Partner, Milwaukee

Hinshaw lawyers have identified 13 emerging and recurring workplace issues that HR professionals often need to address. Each issue, if not handled properly, poses significant legal risk. Panelists will discuss each topic, identify the legal issues, and offer practical methods for handling the problems, in addition to providing recommendations on best practices.

Plenary 3 | ERISA Compliance Check: A Practical Overview of SECURE 2.0 and Other Employee Benefit Plan Issues

• Anthony Antognoli, Speaker, Partner, Chicago
• Elizabeth James, Speaker, Associate, Chicago

Stay ahead of the evolving employee benefits landscape in this timely update on the legal developments shaping benefit plans and programs. The session will spotlight the approaching year-end deadline for retirement plan sponsors to amend plan documents in response to SECURE 2.0, as well as newly issued guidance from the IRS and the Department of Labor on participant notices, disclosures, and compliance obligations. The panel will also examine noteworthy litigation trends and recent cases that may impact plan administration and risk management.

Plenary 4 | What is Happening in the Agencies: How to Navigate Shifting Enforcement and Agency Initiatives

• Mellissa Schafer, Moderator | Partner and Leader, Labor & Employment, Los Angeles
• Tom Luetkemeyer, Speaker | Partner and Leader, Labor & Employment, Chicago
• Alexander Baggio, Speaker | Partner, Minneapolis
• Aimee Delaney, Speaker | Partner, Chicago
• Ian Wagreich, Speaker | Partner, Chicago

This panel will provide up-to-the-minute updates on what is happening at the government agencies, kicking off with an overview of escalating enforcement efforts across federal agencies, emphasizing the overlap between labor, employment, and immigration compliance. We will detail key shifts in the agencies regulating immigration, including USCIS and the Department of Labor, focusing on H-1B structural reforms, proposed changes to the PERM labor certification process, and strict worksite audit practices.

The discussion continues by covering workplace and discrimination mandates, including shifting policies at the EEOC and the NLRB, highlighting updated procedural protocols for unfair labor practice changes alongside evolving litigation and enforcement priorities.

The panel will conclude with concrete strategies and best practices for HR and legal compliance, offering actionable guidelines on navigating new and overlapping regulatory demands.