title: employment law challenges in managing a...
TRANSCRIPT
Title: Employment Law Challenges in
Managing a Global Workforce.
Date: September 3, 2015
Time: 3:15 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Moderator:Name: Pedro Torres-DiazTitle: Office Managing Shareholder, Office Managing Litigation Partner, Miami and San JuanOfficesEmployer: Jackson Lewis, PCEmail: [email protected]
Panelists:Name: Erica V. MasonTitle: Shareholder, Co-Chair, Sports & Entertainment Practice GroupEmployer: Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, PCEmail: [email protected]
Name: Jack ChenTitle: Senior Attorney, Labor, Employment & Immigration PolicyEmployer: Microsoft CorporationEmail
Name: Alix ApollonTitle: Vice-President & Regional Counsel, UPS AmericasEmployer: UPS AmericasEmail
Tab 1 – Biographies or CVs
6/26/2015 Jackson Lewis P.C. | People
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Pedro Jaime TorresDíaz is the Office Managing Shareholder of the San Juan office and a Shareholder inthe Miami office of Jackson Lewis P.C.
Mr. TorresDíaz’s practice concentrates in Employment Discrimination and Wage & Hour Law Counseling andLitigation exclusively on behalf of employers, both in Florida and Puerto Rico.
Mr. TorresDíaz has extensive trial experience before both federal and local courts and administrative forums inPuerto Rico and Florida. His published decisions include RiveraVelazquez v. Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection &Ins. Co., 750 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2014) (affirming dismissal of age discrimination, breach of contract and Fair CreditReporting claims); Bettis v. Toys R Us, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123664, December 30, 2009 (S.D. Fla.) (summaryjudgment in favor of employer in pregnancy discrimination claim); OneSource Facility Servs. v. Mosbach, 508 F.Supp. 2d 1115 (M.D. Fla. 2007) (restrictive covenant matter); Soler v. Tyco Electronics, 268 F.Supp. 2d 97 (D.P.R.2003) (age discrimination claim); and Ramon Jimenez et al. v. General Instruments / NextLevel, 170 D.P.R. 14(2007). In addition, Mr. TorresDíaz has first or second chaired several trial matters for diverse clients in PuertoRico and Florida, including Cruz et al. v. Ethicon (Court of First Instance – Puerto Rico; donninganddoffing wageclaim by 11 plaintiffs); Martínez v. Ethicon (Court of First Instance – Puerto Rico; disability discrimination claim);García v. Clorox Commercial Company of Puerto Rico (U.S. District Court – Puerto Rico; national origindiscrimination claim); OneSource Facility Servs. v. Mosbach (U.S. District Court – Middle District of Florida;restrictive covenant matter); and Stewart v. DaimlerChrysler Financial Services (U.S. District Court – SouthernDistrict of Florida; race discrimination claim dismissed). He has also successfully defended employers in all typesof administrative hearings before local and federal agencies.
Before joining Jackson Lewis, Mr. TorresDíaz was a Partner in the Labor and Employment Law Department of aleading law firm in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he resided and practiced law for eight years.
Throughout his practice in Puerto Rico, Mr. TorresDíaz was a frequent and featured speaker on many subjects in
Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico offices
PEDRO JAIME TORRESDÍAZOffice Managing Shareholder Office LitigationManager
American International Plaza 250 Muñoz Rivera Avenue Suite 404 San Juan, PR 00918 P: (787) 5227305 F: (787) 5227306One Biscayne Tower, Suite 3500, Two South Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33131 P: (305) 5777600 F: (305) 3734466
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the Labor and Employment Law field, in seminars for clients and for organizations such as the Society for HumanResources Management and the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce. Since arriving in Miami, Mr. TorresDíaz hascontinued to participate as speaker on many topics related to workplace law, both for clients and otherorganizations in Florida and elsewhere. Mr. TorresDíaz has also written articles on legal developments in PuertoRico, one of which was published in the American Bar Association's The International Employment Lawyer.
He has been admitted to practice in all courts of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the State of Florida; theU.S. District Courts for the District of Puerto Rico, and the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; and the U.S.Courts of Appeals for the First and Eleventh Circuits.
Mr. TorresDíaz is a member of the Puerto Rico Bar Association; the Florida Bar; the Hispanic National BarAssociation (where he served as General Counsel between 2011 and 2013); the American Bar Association,Employment Law, Litigation, and International Law section; and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. He isfluent in Spanish and English, and conversant in French.
Mr. TorresDíaz graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in businessadministration, and minors in French and Economics. During his undergraduate studies, he completed an Internshipin European Business in the Ecòle Europèenne des Affaires in Paris, France. After completion of his undergraduatestudies, Mr. TorresDíaz worked as a fiscal analyst in the corporate headquarters of McDonnell Douglas in St.Louis, Missouri.
In 1996, he obtained a Juris Doctor (magna cum laude) from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. After hisgraduation from law school, he clerked for Hon. Aida M. DelgadoColón, United States MagistrateJudge (nowChief United States District Judge), at the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
practices
International Employment Issues
Corporate Diversity Counseling
General Employment Litigation
Wage and Hour
education
University of Puerto Rico
J.D., 1996
admitted to practice
1st Circuit Court of Appeals
1997
11th Circuit Court of Appeals
2007
6/26/2015 Jackson Lewis P.C. | People
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Florida M.D. Fla.
2006
Florida S.D. Fla.
2006
Puerto Rico D. P.R.
1998
Puerto Rico
1997
Florida
2006
bar & professional association memberships
American Bar Association
Hispanic National Bar Association
Puerto Rican Bar Association
Puerto Rican Bar Association of Florida
languages
French
Spanish
jackson lewis p.c. © 2015
6/26/2015 Erica V. Mason: Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP
http://www.constangy.com/peopleEricaMason.html 1/2
Erica V. MasonPartner
Atlanta 230 Peachtree Street, N.W.Suite 2400Atlanta, Georgia 30303‐1557
T: 404.230.6794
Practice Areas
Litigation; EmploymentLitigation Prevention andDefense
Bar & Court Admissions
Georgia (all state courts)United States DistrictCourt, Northern Districtsof Georgia and FloridaUnited States Court ofAppeals, Eleventh CircuitPracticed pro hac vice infederal district courtsand/or defended EEOCinvestigations in Alabama,Arizona, Florida, Illinois,Indiana, Massachusetts,Mississippi, New Jersey,New Mexico, New York,North Carolina,Pennsylvania, SouthCarolina, Tennessee,Texas, Virginia andWashington, D.C.
Education
University of PennsylvaniaLaw School
J.D., 2004
Georgia State University
B.B.A., cum laude, 2000
News
Constangy, Brooks, Smith& Prophete ContinuesGrowth
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyondmeasure.”
‐‐ Marianne Williamson
Erica Mason serves as regional and national employment counsel to
large and medium‐sized companies throughout the United States,
primarily in the hospitality, retail and manufacturing sectors, as well
as hospitals and physician's groups. Ms. Mason defends clients from
claims of alleged racial, age, national origin, disability and religious
discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation; testing and public
accommodations; wage and hour disputes; and restrictive covenants
disputes brought under state and federal law. She has extensive
experience successfully defending enforcement actions brought by the
United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
alleging single‐plaintiff or pattern‐and‐practice violations of federal
anti‐discrimination laws, as well as private Rule 23 class actions and
Section 216(b) collective‐actions brought under Title VII, ADEA, ADA,
Equal Pay Act and the FLSA, and lawsuits brought against franchisors
and professional employer organizations (PEOs) under a "joint
employer" or "integrated enterprise" theory of liability.
In addition to assisting clients in litigation, Ms. Mason also advises
employers on litigation avoidance techniques and compliance issues,
including drafting and implementing employment policies, processes
and training; advising on single‐employee or large scale terminations,
and implementing and assessing risk related to reductions‐in‐force;
conducting internal investigations into alleged unethical or unlawful
conduct; comprehensive employment practices audits; and drafting
employment contracts, confidentiality and restrictive covenant
agreements. Ms. Mason also trains clients on EEO, diversity and
inclusion, implicit bias, respectful workplace norms, leadership skills
training and a number of other employment‐related issues.
Awards & Recognition
Recipient, Georgia Super Lawyer "Rising Star in Labor and
Employment Defense" (awarded to less than 2.5% of attorneys
in Georgia), (2010 − 2014)
Recipient, Barry W. Ford Diversity Award (2014)
Listed, "Georgia Legal Elite in Labor & Employment Law,"
Georgia Trend magazine (2012)
Included on "40 Under 40: Georgia's Best & Brightest" list −
Awarded to 40 outstanding Georgians under the age of 40 who
have made a mark in business, government, politics,
6/26/2015 Erica V. Mason: Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP
http://www.constangy.com/peopleEricaMason.html 2/2
nonprofits, the arts, finance and the military, Georgia Trend
magazine (2012)
Recipient, Phenomenal Women's Health, Inc.'s 2012
Community Service Award
Featured in Fulton County Daily Report's "New Partners Edition"
(2012)
Professional Activities/Associations
Member, American (ABA Advisory Panel, ABA Law Practice
Management Section, ABA Women's Rainmakers and Labor and
Employment Law Section member); State Bar of Georgia and
Atlanta Bar Associations (Labor & Employment Law Section
member)
Member, Hispanic National Bar Association: National Finance
Director (2013 − 2014); representative to inaugural
Collaborative Leadership Bar Academy (2013)
Member, Women's Food Service Forum Publications & Speaking
Engagements
Civic/Charitable Activities/Associations
Chair, Grow Kids, Inc. Board of Directors (2011 – present)
Volunteer, Phenomenal Women's Health (2011 – present)
Volunteer, Covenant House (2010 – 2012)
Other Personal Background Information and Interests
When she is not working, Erica spends time with family,
mentors several high school and law school students, and
volunteers with a number of non‐profit organizations aimed at
bettering the lives of women and children in Georgia.
ATLANTA, GA ASHEVILLE, NC AUSTIN, TX BIRMINGHAM, AL BOSTON, MA CHICAGO, IL COLUMBIA, SC DALLAS, TX DENVER, CO
FAIRFAX, VA GREENVILLE, SC JACKSONVILLE, FL KANSAS CITY, MO LAKELAND, FL LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA MACON, GA
MADISON, WI NASHVILLE, TN NEW YORK, NY OPELIKA, AL PORT ST. LUCIE, FL PRINCETON, NJ ST. LOUIS, MO TAMPA, FL
VENTURA COUNTY, CA WEST POINT, GA WINSTON‐SALEM, NC
6/26/2015 Jack Chen | LinkedIn
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In Common with Jack
Connected 1 year agoRelationship Contact Info
Background
Experience
Senior Attorney, Labor, Employment and Immigration PolicyMicrosoftSeptember 2013 – Present (1 year 10 months)
Senior Attorney, Compliance and AdvocacyMicrosoft CorporationFebruary 2007 – August 2013 (6 years 7 months) | Redmond, WA
AssociateTafapolsky & Smith LLPFebruary 2005 – February 2007 (2 years 1 month) | San Francisco, CA
AssociateBingham McCutchen LLPOctober 2003 – February 2005 (1 year 5 months) | San Francisco, CA
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Skills
Top Skills
Corporate Law
Legal Writing
Litigation
Immigration Law
Commercial Litigation
Legal Research
Corporate Governance
Civil Litigation
Work with us atMicrosoft
Senior AttorneyRedmond, WA, US Apply now »
Senior AttorneyRedmond, WA, US Apply now »
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Careers at Microsoft »
500+connections
Jack ChenSenior Attorney, Labor, Employment and ImmigrationPolicy at MicrosoftGreater Seattle Area Law Practice
Previous Microsoft Corporation, Tafapolsky & Smith LLP, BinghamMcCutchen LLP
Education University of California, Hastings College of the Law
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Mediation
Mergers & Acquisitions
Mergers International Law Legal Compliance
Legal Advice Contract Negotiation
Education
University of California, Hastings College of the LawJD2000 – 2003
Northwestern UniversityBA, Sociology, Economics1993 – 1997
Recommendations
Erica, would you like to recommend Jack?Recommend Jack
10Skills & Expertise
6/26/2015 Alix J. M. Apollon Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com
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People Law Firms & Organizations Groups & Topics Jobs
Find people by name, practice area, geography, etc.
Advanced search
Get Connected Communities Search Tools Professional Development Market Your Firm
Alix J. M. ApollonPhone
Click Here to Contact
Experience & Credentials
Responsibilities
University Boston College, B.A., 1982; University of Miami, M.A., International Affairs, 1987 Law School University of Miami, J.D., 1991 Admitted 1992, Florida and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. (Not admitted
in Georgia) Memberships Dade County and American (International Law Section) Bar Associations. Languages Portuguese, French and Spanish Born Petionville, Haiti, February 5, 1959 Biography
U.S. Delegate to Negotiate Free Trade Area of The Americas, Costa Rica 1998,Toronto 2000, Argentina 2001, Ecuador, 2002. (Board Certified International LawLawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education)
Reported Cases Casualty Indemnity Exchange v. Penrod Brothers, Inc., 632 So. 2d 1046 (Fla. 3d
DCA 1993); CACRamsay Health Plans, Inc. v. Johnson, 641 So. 2d 434 (Fla. 3dDCA 1994); Silver V. Levinson, 648 So. 2d 240 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994).
ISLN 901150026
Profile Visibility #1,551 in weekly profile views out of 20,217 lawyers in Atlanta, Georgia#104,828 in weekly profile views out of 1,707,781 total lawyers Overall
Office InformationAlix J. M. Apollon
United Parcel Service55 Glenlake Parkway, NEAtlanta, GA 30328
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Tab 2 – Course Materials (articles, publications, other materials)
A wider lens on workplace law
GLOBAL INTEGRATION OFEMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
Presented by:
Erica V. Mason
A wider lens on workplace law
The Case for Global Integration
• Companies that can do the following, in response to changes in theeconomic, technological and political environments, will be themost competitive
• Integrate across borders
• Respond to local demands
• Leverage the knowledge in their network
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
1. Break all the “Local National" Glass Ceilings
• End national favoritism
• Improve pay
• Improve training
• Improve local recruiting
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
2. Trace Your Lifeline
• Identify activities that are essential to achieving success in yourbusiness
• Then identify the positions responsible for these activities
• Define the following necessities for each "lifeline" role
• Revisit lifeline role descriptions at least annually to ensure they reflectthe business strategy
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
3. Create a Global Database to Easily Identify Top Talent
• Focus on posts at the top of the organization and in middlemanagement
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
4. Emphasize Cultural Skills in Addition to Functional Skills
• The fact that foreign appointments are often made based largelyon functional skills is one reason so many of them fail
• Instead, get to know your talent and go beyond role descriptions
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
5. Construct a Mobility Pyramid
• Evaluate managers in terms of their willingness to move tonew locations as well as their ability and experience
• Consider developing a new type of manager called a “glopat"
• Consider the five-level mobility pyramid
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
6. Improve the Capability to Transfer Knowledge
• Knowledge integration
• Diversity can lead to increased innovation and learning
• Integrating globally and sharing knowledge faster createsa competitive advantage
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
7. Incentivize the Transfer of Knowledge
• Employees need to be motivated to participate in globalization
• Create rewards for trust-building behavior
• Provide holders of knowledge access to others
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
8. Encourage Decentralization of Authority
• Investment in training
• Create local opportunities for employee involvement
• Stability of employment
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
9. Create Cognitive and Relational Social Capital
• Cognitive social capital is nurtured by shared vision
• Relational social capital is facilitated by clear and transparentreward criteria
• Ask: “Does this approach encourage the creation of social capitalthroughout the network?”
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
10. Transfer Policies in a Culturally Appropriate Manner
• One size does NOT fit all
• Not all policies can or should be transferred withoutmodifications
• Practices can vary by company and country
• May have to find the functional equivalents of the practicesused in the parent company
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
11. Involve HR in Your Key Decisions
• Integrate HR across borders in the design of the HR system forforeign affiliates
• Have HR communicate consistently to avoid resistance simplybecause HQ is involved
• Allow HR to become a champion of an integrated system
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
12. Assess Your Bench Strength and Skills Gap
• Build a database of your company's managerial skills by:
• Ask executives to compare their skills and characteristics with theideal requirements of the executive's current post and preferrednext post
• Compare the skills detailed in the personal assessments with thoserequired by your business strategy
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
14. Advertise Positions Internally
• Run your own global labor market
• Utilize and promote intranet
A wider lens on workplace law
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
15. Institute Succession Planning
• Require those in lifeline positions to nominate successors who couldtake over that post in the next week, three months, or year
• Bosses should sign off on the nominations
A wider lens on workplace law
16. Challenge and Retain Your Talent
• Global networks that transfer knowledge and good practices run onpeople-to-people contact and continuity
• Executive continuity also cuts down on turnover, recruitment andopportunity costs
• Monetary incentives no longer enough; package must includechallenge, personal growth and job satisfaction
• Create a career plan for every executive within first 100 days in theorganization
Sixteen Step Action Plan, cont’d.
A wider lens on workplace law
Making it Work
• The Sixteen Step Action Plan has potential to affect every executivein every location
• This scale of global integration requires full commitment from thechief executive and top management
• HR and business strategists are needed to facilitate and implementthe program, but its success also depends on line managers
• Line managers may have to be convinced:
• Of the benefits of a global/multi-cultural mix
• Through training for their career-development roles
• By offering strong incentives to implement worldwide practices
6/26/2015 Alix J. M. Apollon Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com
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People Law Firms & Organizations Groups & Topics Jobs
Find people by name, practice area, geography, etc.
Advanced search
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Alix J. M. ApollonPhone
Click Here to Contact
Experience & Credentials
Responsibilities
University Boston College, B.A., 1982; University of Miami, M.A., International Affairs, 1987 Law School University of Miami, J.D., 1991 Admitted 1992, Florida and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. (Not admitted
in Georgia) Memberships Dade County and American (International Law Section) Bar Associations. Languages Portuguese, French and Spanish Born Petionville, Haiti, February 5, 1959 Biography
U.S. Delegate to Negotiate Free Trade Area of The Americas, Costa Rica 1998,Toronto 2000, Argentina 2001, Ecuador, 2002. (Board Certified International LawLawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education)
Reported Cases Casualty Indemnity Exchange v. Penrod Brothers, Inc., 632 So. 2d 1046 (Fla. 3d
DCA 1993); CACRamsay Health Plans, Inc. v. Johnson, 641 So. 2d 434 (Fla. 3dDCA 1994); Silver V. Levinson, 648 So. 2d 240 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994).
ISLN 901150026
Profile Visibility #1,551 in weekly profile views out of 20,217 lawyers in Atlanta, Georgia#104,828 in weekly profile views out of 1,707,781 total lawyers Overall
Office InformationAlix J. M. Apollon
United Parcel Service55 Glenlake Parkway, NEAtlanta, GA 30328
Professional Networking for LegalProfessionals OnlyQuickly and easily expand your professionalnetwork join the premier global network for legalprofessionals only. It's powered by theMartindaleHubbell database over 1,000,000lawyers strong.
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Featured Services
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About Us
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Digital Network
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MartindaleHubbell UKMartindaleHubbell CanadaMartindaleHubbell global sites
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AttorneyUnited Parcel ServiceAtlanta, GA U.S.A.View Website
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6/26/2015 Erica V. Mason: Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP
http://www.constangy.com/peopleEricaMason.html 1/2
Erica V. MasonPartner
Atlanta 230 Peachtree Street, N.W.Suite 2400Atlanta, Georgia 30303‐1557
T: 404.230.6794
Practice Areas
Litigation; EmploymentLitigation Prevention andDefense
Bar & Court Admissions
Georgia (all state courts)United States DistrictCourt, Northern Districtsof Georgia and FloridaUnited States Court ofAppeals, Eleventh CircuitPracticed pro hac vice infederal district courtsand/or defended EEOCinvestigations in Alabama,Arizona, Florida, Illinois,Indiana, Massachusetts,Mississippi, New Jersey,New Mexico, New York,North Carolina,Pennsylvania, SouthCarolina, Tennessee,Texas, Virginia andWashington, D.C.
Education
University of PennsylvaniaLaw School
J.D., 2004
Georgia State University
B.B.A., cum laude, 2000
News
Constangy, Brooks, Smith& Prophete ContinuesGrowth
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyondmeasure.”
‐‐ Marianne Williamson
Erica Mason serves as regional and national employment counsel to
large and medium‐sized companies throughout the United States,
primarily in the hospitality, retail and manufacturing sectors, as well
as hospitals and physician's groups. Ms. Mason defends clients from
claims of alleged racial, age, national origin, disability and religious
discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation; testing and public
accommodations; wage and hour disputes; and restrictive covenants
disputes brought under state and federal law. She has extensive
experience successfully defending enforcement actions brought by the
United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
alleging single‐plaintiff or pattern‐and‐practice violations of federal
anti‐discrimination laws, as well as private Rule 23 class actions and
Section 216(b) collective‐actions brought under Title VII, ADEA, ADA,
Equal Pay Act and the FLSA, and lawsuits brought against franchisors
and professional employer organizations (PEOs) under a "joint
employer" or "integrated enterprise" theory of liability.
In addition to assisting clients in litigation, Ms. Mason also advises
employers on litigation avoidance techniques and compliance issues,
including drafting and implementing employment policies, processes
and training; advising on single‐employee or large scale terminations,
and implementing and assessing risk related to reductions‐in‐force;
conducting internal investigations into alleged unethical or unlawful
conduct; comprehensive employment practices audits; and drafting
employment contracts, confidentiality and restrictive covenant
agreements. Ms. Mason also trains clients on EEO, diversity and
inclusion, implicit bias, respectful workplace norms, leadership skills
training and a number of other employment‐related issues.
Awards & Recognition
Recipient, Georgia Super Lawyer "Rising Star in Labor and
Employment Defense" (awarded to less than 2.5% of attorneys
in Georgia), (2010 − 2014)
Recipient, Barry W. Ford Diversity Award (2014)
Listed, "Georgia Legal Elite in Labor & Employment Law,"
Georgia Trend magazine (2012)
Included on "40 Under 40: Georgia's Best & Brightest" list −
Awarded to 40 outstanding Georgians under the age of 40 who
have made a mark in business, government, politics,
6/26/2015 Erica V. Mason: Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP
http://www.constangy.com/peopleEricaMason.html 2/2
nonprofits, the arts, finance and the military, Georgia Trend
magazine (2012)
Recipient, Phenomenal Women's Health, Inc.'s 2012
Community Service Award
Featured in Fulton County Daily Report's "New Partners Edition"
(2012)
Professional Activities/Associations
Member, American (ABA Advisory Panel, ABA Law Practice
Management Section, ABA Women's Rainmakers and Labor and
Employment Law Section member); State Bar of Georgia and
Atlanta Bar Associations (Labor & Employment Law Section
member)
Member, Hispanic National Bar Association: National Finance
Director (2013 − 2014); representative to inaugural
Collaborative Leadership Bar Academy (2013)
Member, Women's Food Service Forum Publications & Speaking
Engagements
Civic/Charitable Activities/Associations
Chair, Grow Kids, Inc. Board of Directors (2011 – present)
Volunteer, Phenomenal Women's Health (2011 – present)
Volunteer, Covenant House (2010 – 2012)
Other Personal Background Information and Interests
When she is not working, Erica spends time with family,
mentors several high school and law school students, and
volunteers with a number of non‐profit organizations aimed at
bettering the lives of women and children in Georgia.
ATLANTA, GA ASHEVILLE, NC AUSTIN, TX BIRMINGHAM, AL BOSTON, MA CHICAGO, IL COLUMBIA, SC DALLAS, TX DENVER, CO
FAIRFAX, VA GREENVILLE, SC JACKSONVILLE, FL KANSAS CITY, MO LAKELAND, FL LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA MACON, GA
MADISON, WI NASHVILLE, TN NEW YORK, NY OPELIKA, AL PORT ST. LUCIE, FL PRINCETON, NJ ST. LOUIS, MO TAMPA, FL
VENTURA COUNTY, CA WEST POINT, GA WINSTON‐SALEM, NC
6/26/2015 Jack Chen | LinkedIn
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Attn: Women Partners Only You're Invited to Join the National Association of Professional Women. | Read More »
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Debbe BowlesHR Immigration Manager, IntelCorporation
In Common with Jack
Connected 1 year agoRelationship Contact Info
Background
Experience
Senior Attorney, Labor, Employment and Immigration PolicyMicrosoftSeptember 2013 – Present (1 year 10 months)
Senior Attorney, Compliance and AdvocacyMicrosoft CorporationFebruary 2007 – August 2013 (6 years 7 months) | Redmond, WA
AssociateTafapolsky & Smith LLPFebruary 2005 – February 2007 (2 years 1 month) | San Francisco, CA
AssociateBingham McCutchen LLPOctober 2003 – February 2005 (1 year 5 months) | San Francisco, CA
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Skills
Top Skills
Corporate Law
Legal Writing
Litigation
Immigration Law
Commercial Litigation
Legal Research
Corporate Governance
Civil Litigation
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Jack ChenSenior Attorney, Labor, Employment and ImmigrationPolicy at MicrosoftGreater Seattle Area Law Practice
Previous Microsoft Corporation, Tafapolsky & Smith LLP, BinghamMcCutchen LLP
Education University of California, Hastings College of the Law
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Mediation
Mergers & Acquisitions
Mergers International Law Legal Compliance
Legal Advice Contract Negotiation
Education
University of California, Hastings College of the LawJD2000 – 2003
Northwestern UniversityBA, Sociology, Economics1993 – 1997
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Pedro Jaime TorresDíaz is the Office Managing Shareholder of the San Juan office and a Shareholder inthe Miami office of Jackson Lewis P.C.
Mr. TorresDíaz’s practice concentrates in Employment Discrimination and Wage & Hour Law Counseling andLitigation exclusively on behalf of employers, both in Florida and Puerto Rico.
Mr. TorresDíaz has extensive trial experience before both federal and local courts and administrative forums inPuerto Rico and Florida. His published decisions include RiveraVelazquez v. Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection &Ins. Co., 750 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2014) (affirming dismissal of age discrimination, breach of contract and Fair CreditReporting claims); Bettis v. Toys R Us, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 123664, December 30, 2009 (S.D. Fla.) (summaryjudgment in favor of employer in pregnancy discrimination claim); OneSource Facility Servs. v. Mosbach, 508 F.Supp. 2d 1115 (M.D. Fla. 2007) (restrictive covenant matter); Soler v. Tyco Electronics, 268 F.Supp. 2d 97 (D.P.R.2003) (age discrimination claim); and Ramon Jimenez et al. v. General Instruments / NextLevel, 170 D.P.R. 14(2007). In addition, Mr. TorresDíaz has first or second chaired several trial matters for diverse clients in PuertoRico and Florida, including Cruz et al. v. Ethicon (Court of First Instance – Puerto Rico; donninganddoffing wageclaim by 11 plaintiffs); Martínez v. Ethicon (Court of First Instance – Puerto Rico; disability discrimination claim);García v. Clorox Commercial Company of Puerto Rico (U.S. District Court – Puerto Rico; national origindiscrimination claim); OneSource Facility Servs. v. Mosbach (U.S. District Court – Middle District of Florida;restrictive covenant matter); and Stewart v. DaimlerChrysler Financial Services (U.S. District Court – SouthernDistrict of Florida; race discrimination claim dismissed). He has also successfully defended employers in all typesof administrative hearings before local and federal agencies.
Before joining Jackson Lewis, Mr. TorresDíaz was a Partner in the Labor and Employment Law Department of aleading law firm in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he resided and practiced law for eight years.
Throughout his practice in Puerto Rico, Mr. TorresDíaz was a frequent and featured speaker on many subjects in
Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico offices
PEDRO JAIME TORRESDÍAZOffice Managing Shareholder Office LitigationManager
American International Plaza 250 Muñoz Rivera Avenue Suite 404 San Juan, PR 00918 P: (787) 5227305 F: (787) 5227306One Biscayne Tower, Suite 3500, Two South Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33131 P: (305) 5777600 F: (305) 3734466
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the Labor and Employment Law field, in seminars for clients and for organizations such as the Society for HumanResources Management and the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce. Since arriving in Miami, Mr. TorresDíaz hascontinued to participate as speaker on many topics related to workplace law, both for clients and otherorganizations in Florida and elsewhere. Mr. TorresDíaz has also written articles on legal developments in PuertoRico, one of which was published in the American Bar Association's The International Employment Lawyer.
He has been admitted to practice in all courts of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the State of Florida; theU.S. District Courts for the District of Puerto Rico, and the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; and the U.S.Courts of Appeals for the First and Eleventh Circuits.
Mr. TorresDíaz is a member of the Puerto Rico Bar Association; the Florida Bar; the Hispanic National BarAssociation (where he served as General Counsel between 2011 and 2013); the American Bar Association,Employment Law, Litigation, and International Law section; and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. He isfluent in Spanish and English, and conversant in French.
Mr. TorresDíaz graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in businessadministration, and minors in French and Economics. During his undergraduate studies, he completed an Internshipin European Business in the Ecòle Europèenne des Affaires in Paris, France. After completion of his undergraduatestudies, Mr. TorresDíaz worked as a fiscal analyst in the corporate headquarters of McDonnell Douglas in St.Louis, Missouri.
In 1996, he obtained a Juris Doctor (magna cum laude) from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. After hisgraduation from law school, he clerked for Hon. Aida M. DelgadoColón, United States MagistrateJudge (nowChief United States District Judge), at the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
practices
International Employment Issues
Corporate Diversity Counseling
General Employment Litigation
Wage and Hour
education
University of Puerto Rico
J.D., 1996
admitted to practice
1st Circuit Court of Appeals
1997
11th Circuit Court of Appeals
2007
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Florida M.D. Fla.
2006
Florida S.D. Fla.
2006
Puerto Rico D. P.R.
1998
Puerto Rico
1997
Florida
2006
bar & professional association memberships
American Bar Association
Hispanic National Bar Association
Puerto Rican Bar Association
Puerto Rican Bar Association of Florida
languages
French
Spanish
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