Concurrent Session

Joseph (“Joe”) Beachboard is a nationally recognized employment lawyer who also closely tracks the most important developments at the U.S. Supreme Court impacting the business community. He has more than 30 years of experience representing management in a wide variety of employment and labor matters in perhaps the most challenging state in the nation for employers – California.  Mr. Beachboard speaks regularly before human resource and employer groups on cutting edge employment law topics.  He is a member of SHRM and has been an annual presenter at both the SHRM Annual Conference and the Employment Law and Compliance Conference for two decades.  Mr. Beachboard is frequently quoted in such leading publications as HR Magazine, National Law Journal, Los Angeles Times, NY Times, HR Executive and Workforce, and has been published in dozens of legal and business journals. Throughout his career in Los Angeles, Mr. Beachboard has represented dozens of studios and entertainment properties.  He cites his most interesting project as working with the cast and crew of the television show The Office, from its pilot through the final season.

John Fay is an attorney and technologist with a deep applied knowledge of business immigration, I-9 compliance and E-Verify rules and procedures.  During his twenty-plus year career, John has advised corporations, educational institutions, and individuals on a variety of U.S. immigration and I-9 issues.  At the same time, he has also been uniquely involved in information technology, having designed several immigration and I-9 management software applications.

As Director of Product Strategy at Equifax, John provides strategic leadership and direction in the development and support of Form I-9, E-Verify, and immigration case management software solutions.

Robert A. Boonin is a member of the national law firm of Dykema Gossett and is based in its Ann Arbor office. Rob is an honors graduate from The University of Michigan Law School, holds a Masters in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University, and a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.  Practicing law for nearly 40 years, Rob has litigated employment law matters before federal and state courts across the nation, handles all forms of union matters for employers, and regularly counsels clients on such issues as discrimination, FMLA compliance, and wage and hour law. 

Rob is a recognized leader in his field.  For instance, he is: on the Chambers USA list of top employment law attorneys; listed as a Best Lawyer in Employment Law; repeatedly recognized as one of Michigan’s “Super Lawyers”; a Fellow and a Past-President of the Litigation Counsel of America; a Past Chair of  the national Wage and Hour Defense Institute; a Past Chair of the Michigan Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section; and a Fellow of the distinguished American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  Rob also in an immediate past-chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee (which covers FLSA matters), and serves as an Editor of the most recognized authority on the FLSA, the Bloomberg BNA legal treatise – The Fair Labor Standards Act.

Mindy Chapman is President of Mindy Chapman & Associates LLC and the founder of the acclaimed “Workplace Training that Clicks & Sticks™.” She has been hailed by the nation’s top professional associations including the SHRM, the American Bar Association, and the Ethics & Compliance Officers Association as a top ten national speaker and authority on civil rights compliance training and employment law issues. Federal and state compliance agencies, including the U.S. EEOC and the Department of Justice, have recognized and approved Ms. Chapman’s compliance training because of its unique ability to take complex legal and business concepts and distill them into practical business tools. This memorable approach helps organizations to avoid liability, minimize risk and create a culture of respect and retention of talent.

Mindy is in constant demand for on-site employment law training and risk management. She is also a co-author of one of the best-selling books published by the American Bar Association titled, Case Dismissed: Taking Your Harassment Prevention Training to Trial. Ms. Chapman also writes one of the top-rated national employment law blogs for The National Institute of Business Management called, “Case-in-Point” where she reports on critical cases and the practical lessons that will “click and stick” with us so we don’t end up in court to personally learn the lessons first hand. Mindy is a graduate from Northwestern University School of Law where she was a published member of the Journal of International Law and Business and earned the Lowden-Wigmore Prize for legal scholarship.
 

Follow Mindy on Twitter @mindychapman.

Two themes are woven throughout Lauraine Bifulco's diverse career: a passion for a job well done and a zest for continual learning and improvement.  Lauraine infuses Vantaggio HR with these qualities every day. When she founded the firm in 1994, Lauraine combined her rare talent in understanding what a client needs and her gift of business foresight to create a company that can service the HR and management consulting needs of small and large companies equally well.  Today, Vantaggio serves clients across the country from their offices in California, Hawaii, Colorado, and New York. 

Her Career experience helps employers realize their HR goals and adapt to the shifting HR landscape.  Lauraine is a veteran HR executive and entrepreneur with 25 years of international, corporate, and consulting experience. Her bold career has taken her to employment and business opportunities in Europe and multiple U.S. cities. She serves as co-chair of the California Small Business Administration's committee on Labor Issues which reviews and makes recommendations on pending labor/employment laws, keeping her abreast of legal developments.                                                                            

Delivering over 30 presentations and webinars each year, Lauraine is a well-respected, and highly sought after guest lecturer and speaker on a variety of business management and HR-related topics for both state and national organizations including Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA), American Payroll Association (APA), Next Concept HR Association (NCHRA), Paylocity annual Elevate Conference, and HR Star Conference to name a few. She has been invited to review, develop, and deliver certificate programs for SHRM, and has developed and delivered curriculum for businesses throughout the U.S.                                                                   

Lauraine received a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and conducted graduate level studies in linguistics at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Whitney Warner, SPHR is a Partner with the labor and employment law firm of Moody & Warner, P.C. Her practice includes representation of both employers and employees. Ms. Warner was named one of the Best of the Bar 2010 by New Mexico Business Weekly. She was awarded the 2009 Professional Excellence Award by SHRM of NM, the state’s top honor in the HR field. Ms. Warner and the firm are recognized by “Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” as leaders in employment law in New Mexico. She has been recognized in "Southwest Super Lawyers," a listing of the top 5% of lawyers based on peer nominations. She has been active volunteer leader in local, state and national SHRM activities.

Robert Austin has been in the unemployment industry since 1987 and joined Equifax Workforce Solutions via the TALX Corporation acquisition in 2007. His experience in the industry has been mainly in operations with a concentration on the day-to-day delivery of claim and appellate services to all of Equifax Unemployment Cost clients. Austin has also been a member of the management team for the past 23 years. Currently his main focus is on the end-to-end service delivery of the unemployment service and a direct role in the development of strategic plans to minimize Equifax clients’ unemployment tax costs.