This Crash Course features a fast-paced discussion that dispels many common employment law myths. Led by experienced attorneys, this Crash Course is for entrepreneurs and others in startup organizations who are interested in learning more about employment-related issues. Myths range from the belief that employment laws do not apply to start ups because they are too small, to the ever popular Sister Sledge “We Are Family” myth – viz., if we treat our company like one big happy family of peers, we will have no need for employment laws because our loyal base of employees and contractors will be fine to work for equity and no pay. The event will also discuss how entrepreneurs can better communicate their expectations in order to avoid unanticipated employee turnover because “Breaking Up is Hard (and sometimes, costly) To Do”.
Amy Hartman
Amy Hartman has been practicing in the field of labor and employment law for her entire twenty two year legal career. Prior to starting Hartman Employment Law Practice LLC, she was a partner at the law firms of Cooley Godward Kronish in Colorado and Seyfarth, Shaw in Chicago.
Amy has extensive litigation experience in all aspects of the employment relationship including claims of harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination, as well as non-solicitation/non-competition disputes arising from executive departures. Amy’s practice includes a significant focus on counseling companies on employment matters related to emerging companies, financing, mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and other transactions, and drafting documentation related to these transactions. Approved as a trainer by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Amy provides interactive training for managers and employees on preventing harassment in the workplace and a wide variety of workplace law issues. Amy also conducts ongoing seminars for human resources professionals on such diverse topics as ADA and FMLA compliance, blogging and the right to privacy in the workplace, and telecommuting and other virtual workplace issues.
Nick Budor
Nick joined Rally in early 2007 as the company’s first in-house attorney, bringing over 10 years of legal experience both as internal and outside counsel. Prior to joining Rally, Nick served as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary for Orange Glo International, Inc. (makers of OxiClean) of Greenwood Village, Colo. for over three years, culminating in Orange Glo’s sale to Church & Dwight Co. of Princeton, N.J. in 2006. As part of a two-person legal team at Orange Glo, Nick was responsible for commercial contracts, intellectual property and advertising. He was also a member of the transaction team responsible for the sale of the company. Prior to joining Orange Glo, Nick was an associate in the Corporate Transactions Practice Group of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, a leading international law firm. Based in the firm’s San Francisco office, Nick worked on both public and private company representation, assisting on numerous mergers, acquisitions, securities offerings and other general corporate legal matters.
Nick received a B.S.E in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School. Nick and his wife like to spend their spare time biking, hiking, snowboarding and enjoying the Colorado outdoors as much as possible.
Denise Riley
Ms. Riley is a litigation attorney with a specialty in employment related matters. Her experience includes representation of employers in employment related claims before federal and state courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Colorado Civil Rights Division. Ms. Riley regularly advises local and national employers on a wide range of issues, including personnel policies and practices, employment contracts, restrictive covenants, equal opportunity complaints, internal investigations, advising audit and special committees on employment related issues including compensation and complaints concerning officers and directors, management and workforce training, employment audits, compensation, wage and hour matters, terminations, layoffs, large scale reductions in force, performance management, and dispute resolution measures, including arbitration and mediation. She has extensive experience representing employers in discrimination, wrongful discharge, breach of restrictive covenants and breach of employment contact lawsuits, and all state and Federal employment laws. Ms. Riley also has extensive experience working with corporations, as well as corporate officers and directors, in the negotiation of executive employment agreements and the negotiation and enforcement of the provisions of such agreements following separations or in connection with Change in Control Transactions.