HR Legal Insights: A Symposium for Bankers
Attendee Portal
Join us for the first HR Legal Insights tailored specifically for community banks, where industry leaders, legal experts, and HR professionals converge to tackle the most urgent human resources challenges of 2025. This year’s summit will focus on the evolving legal landscape, workforce transformation, and strategic compliance practices that are reshaping the banking sector.
Gain actionable insights, network with peers, and leave with a toolkit of strategies to protect your institution, empower your people, and lead with confidence in a rapidly changing environment.
Agenda & Session Descriptions
| 8:30-9:00am | Registration |
| 9:00-9:10am | Welcome & Announcements |
| 9:10-9:55am | Employment Compliance Priorities for Community Banks in 2025 Steve Greene, Esq | Employment Law Compliance, Inc. |
| During this session, we will discuss in detail announcements by the Trump Administration which impact employment compliance expectations in the banking industry. As 2025 has progressed, we have obtained more specific guidance from the various federal agencies detailing community bank obligations. In this session, we will discuss diversity compliance, the actions which remain permissible as well as the activities which are now viewed as reverse discrimination. Discrimination as enforced by the EEOC and the OFCCP, will be examined given the significant changes to the enforcement priorities. And then finally, we will discuss recurring challenges in the industry as we confront employee requests which have both ADA, FMLA, and PWFA implications. We will provide, take and use resources for program attendees which will include the most recent industry guidance both published and unpublished, from the federal regulators. | |
| 9:55-10:45am | Artificial Intelligence & Employment Law: Risks, Opportunities, and Best Practices for HR Professionals Nicole Y. Drew, Esq | Drew Legal Consulting, LLC |
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Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) can help with many HR tasks but it comes with legal and ethical risks. By the end of the session, you will be able to:
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| 10:45-11:00am | Networking Break |
| 11:00-11:45am | Bank Employee Classification – What Every HR Banker Needs to Know Steve Greene, Esq | Employment Law Compliance, Inc. |
| Properly classifying positions for overtime payment purposes, continues to be a material liability risk in the banking industry. We continue to confront roles which fail to neatly fit the regulatory standards which have become a bit antiquated. In this session we will focus on the four primary overtime exemptions applying to financial institutions, but then really address these borderline roles. We will discuss mortgage lenders, credit analysts, branch managers and assistant managers, staff accountants, IT administrators, and similar roles. In this session we will also provide self-audit checklists for attendees to address exemption, regular rate, and hours worked compliance. | |
| 11:45am-1:00pm | Lunch & Legal Roundtable Discussion |
| 1:00-2:00pm | Conducting Workplace Investigations Karen Michael, PLC | Karen Michael Consulting |
Human Resources serves a critical role in conducting objective and legally compliant workplace investigations, but few have the training to confidently conduct them. This training gives the investigator the tools to conduct the investigation correctly, which will enable the organization to uncover if there are issues to be addressed which will create a positive work culture and avoid legal liability. Key topics discussed include:
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| 2:00-2:10pm | Networking Break |
| 2:10-3:30pm | HR Legal Panel
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| 3:30pm | Adjourn |
Session Materials
Employment Compliance Priorities – Steve Greene
AI & Employment Law: Risks, Opportunities and Best Practices
Bank Employment Classification – What Every HR Bankers Needs to Know – Steve Greene
Workplace Investigations – Karen Michael
Legal Panel Scenarios (not password protected)
Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act
The password to access the session materials is HRLegal2025.
Speaker Information
Steven D. Brown is a Partner in Isler Dare’s Richmond office. Steve understands the business operations of the private and public employers he represents and he provides creative strategies to manage labor, employment, and business issues. He has over thirty-four years of experience in defending employers in a variety of industries in cases under various federal and state labor and employment laws before administrative agencies, state and federal courts, and before arbitration panels all over the United States. His practice includes defending employers in single plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, collective actions, and class actions. With cases either decided favorably at the summary judgment stage before trial or obtaining a favorable verdict after a jury or bench trial, Steve is an experienced and effective trial lawyer. He has also successfully argued appeals before the Second, Fourth, and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals as well as before the Connecticut Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Virginia. He also provides daily legal and strategic advice related to all labor and employment issues, including, but not limited to, hiring, employment agreements, wage and hour, progressive discipline, performance evaluations, investigations, leave issues under the FMLA, ADA, and Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, workplace safety issues, termination of employment, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, trade secrets, non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality covenants, severance and release agreements, employment and business related tort claims, workplace violence issues, labor and employment law audits, and labor and employment due diligence. Steve has authored many articles and lectured on a local, regional and national level on a variety of labor and employment law subjects. In April 2024, the University of Richmond Board of Trustees awarded Steve with the title of Adjunct Professor Emeritus.
In the community, Steve was installed as the General Counsel for the Virginia Bar Association on January 25, 2025. Steve is a former member of the Virginia Bar Association’s Board of Governors with his term ending on January 25, 2025. Steve is the co-chair to the AI Task Force. Steve is a member of the Montpelier Collective which provides support for student-athletes at James Madison University. Steve also provides mentoring to the James Madison University football program by working with players preparing for life after college football within the applicable NCAA guidelines.
Steve lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife, Alice, and he has two outstanding adult children, a wonderful son-in-law, a great daughter-in-law, and three fantastic grandchildren.
Nicole Y. Drew, Esq is the Managing Partner of Drew Legal Consulting LLC and an accomplished Employment Law attorney with nearly 15 years of experience representing clients in civil rights litigation, workplace discrimination, and a broad range of employment matters.
Before founding her firm, she built a distinguished career in federal service—working as a federal government attorney, prosecuting domestic violence cases, and representing a federal agency in employment discrimination litigation. She later joined a Washington, D.C.–based law firm, where she advised individuals and nonprofit organizations on complex employment issues.
In addition to her legal practice, Nicole has a strong passion for technology and integrates her technology background with her employment law work to deliver innovative, forward-thinking solutions for her clients.
She earned Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Intellectual Property Law from The George Washington University Law School, a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree from Baruch College in New York. Above all, she is the proud mother of one daughter.
Steve Greene, President of Employment Law Compliance, Inc., specializes in employment litigation, employee benefit issues and compensation matters for community banks. He regularly speaks to employment lawyers, compensation professionals and human resources executives concerning application of these legal standards on behalf of SHRM, World at Work, the American Bankers Association, and state banker associations.
During the past 40 years, Steve has assisted employers evaluate overtime exemption compliance and design compliant compensation methodologies. He has also assisted banks in managing Department of Labor and state regulatory investigations across the country. Steve represents employers defending compensation claims brought in individual, collective, and class actions. His work has also included educating and influencing the DOL and members of Congress to reform the federal employment standards.
Steve also oversees employment litigation nationally, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, ERISA, and breach of contract actions brought against banks. Litigation handled by Steve and the firm also include actions where the Bank enforces restrictive covenants, or otherwise pursues trade secrets, duty of loyalty, and business interference claims against departing employees and their new employers.
He received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University, and his B.A. from the University of Maine.
Todd Leeson is the Chair of Gentry Locke’s Employment law practice group. He has over 35 years of experience representing and advising Virginia employers in employment and labor law matters and litigation. He regularly defends employment claims in Virginia courts and before agencies including the EEOC, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), DOL, OSHA (whistleblower and retaliation claims), and the corresponding Virginia agencies (DOLI, OCR). His experience includes the defense of companies as to alleged violations of Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, FMLA, the NLRA, and Virginia employment laws. Todd regularly drafts, enforces, and/or litigates non-compete agreements and executive employment contracts. In addition, he has considerable experience representing management in labor union matters including union avoidance campaigns, unfair labor practice charges and labor arbitrations. He also represents Virginia colleges in various student conduct matters including Title IX and sexual misconduct complaints.
Todd is rated “AV/Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, is repeatedly named one of the Best Lawyers in America in Labor & Employment Law, and has regularly been named to various lists, including Virginia Legal Elite. As recent examples, in 2022, Virginia Lawyers Weekly named Todd a “Go-To Lawyer for Employment Law, and in 2022 Best Lawyers in America named Todd the “Lawyer of the Year” (Labor law-management) in Roanoke. Todd was also honored by Virginia Lawyers Weekly in 2021 as a “Leader in the Law.”
Karen Michael is the President of Karen Michael, PLC, a Richmond-based work law & human resources consulting firm founded in 2008 specializing in management and leadership training, workplace investigations, HR Consulting & Special Projects, and employment law advice. Karen has been an employment lawyer for over 30 years and began her career working in Big Law at McGuire Woods. She served as an executive in human resources for SunTrust Bank and taught at the University of Richmond’s School of Continuing Studies before forming her firm. Karen writes a labor law column for the Richmond Times Dispatch and hosts a weekly podcast, @TheJobJudge, discussing current news on challenges in the workplace. Karen is a nationally recognized workplace expert and sought-after speaker and has presented nationwide, including at the national SHRM conference and the national EEOC conference – EXCEL. She is also the author of “Stay Hired,” an essential guide for those entering the workforce on how to successfully go to work.
Location
In-Person
Virginia Society of CPAs
4309 Cox Road
Glen Allen, VA 23060
9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Virtual/Zoom
Zoom details will be provided at a later date.
Hotel Information
Drury Plaza Hotel Richmond
11049 W Broad St
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Roster
Click here to see who is attending.
Credit
Click here to access the SHRM Professional Development Credits Form. A printed copy will be available for those attending in person.