Events & Speaking Engagements

The False Claims Act (FCA) is one of the government’s most powerful tools, allowing for treble damages and qui tam or “whistleblowers” to bring FCA claims. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has successfully used the FCA in a wide variety of industries from healthcare to government contracting to residential mortgages. For the first time, DOJ recently issued guidance on voluntary disclosures to reduce civil penalties in FCA cases.

It is no secret that having a compliance program is a must, particularly for companies in heavily regulated industries. The existence of an “effective” compliance program is a material credit in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines; it is a factor used by enforcement agencies in determining whether to pursue criminal charges or even to pursue a matter at all; and, most importantly it can prevent wrongdoing in the first place. But, all too often companies put little thought into the design of the program and, even more frequently, pay little attention to the operation of the program.

Thankfully workplace violence is not a common occurrence in most workplaces. That said, the threat is ever present and even one act may have horrifying consequences. Though not to be down played, the catastrophic events that receive wide spread media attention are not what employers commonly encounter.

Please join Dykema employment litigators Arlene Switzer Steinfield and Elizabeth Voss for a discussion of recent developments and emerging issues in labor and employment law.

Please join Ashley Fickel, Luke Sosnicki, and Brittany Mouzourakis for a discussion about recent trends in class action litigation filed against credit unions and banks. This webinar will examine new theories of liability, potential defenses, and will compare and analyze some of the publicly-disclosed settlements reached in these cases. 

Dykema’s Federal Government Policy Team and Environmental Practice Leader will brief Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) members on the status of the recent United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal intended to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Record cash, disruptive change, aggressive new buyers, and rising valuations are making this the best time to sell in a decade. Many owners are taking advantage – but are you ready? What are the trends and valuations you need to know? What is the process to achieve an optimal outcome? How do you keep from being a deal disaster – one of the 80% that fail in self-managed M&A efforts?

Please join Dykema attorneys Ashley Fickel, Lukas Sosnicki and Ashley Jackson for a presentation about California’s new data privacy legislation, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which is set to go into effect on January 1, 2020. This sweeping new law grants California consumers the right to know what information companies collect about them, the right to “opt out” from allowing companies to sell their personal information, the right to demand that companies delete collected information, and the right to receive equal service even if consumers exercise their “opt out” right.

Please join Dykema attorneys Laura Baucus and Joseph Hickey for a presentation regarding challenges to the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), along with a discussion of CFPB activities under the stewardship of former Acting Director Mick Mulvaney and Director Kathy Kraninger (confirmed by the Senate in December 2018).

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964 and the last significant federal law passed by the United States Congress was the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993. It seems like a lifetime has passed since these laws were implemented. With this passage of time, it would seem that employers would be well versed in these laws and how to avoid problems. However, not only are all laws subject to interpretation by courts, but enforcement agencies draft regulations that further define these laws. Add to that the fact that regulations are also open to interpretation and change depending on the party in the White House, and things are anything but clear. 

Please join Dykema for a discussion on Illinois’ law on biometric privacy, the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and the potential litigation fallout in light of the Illinois Supreme Court decision in Rosenbach.

Three recent legal developments require all employers with Michigan employees to put their employment policies through an immediate triage to determine what policies must be modified, if not created outright. These laws soon will become effective, so considering these issues now is necessary to avoid potential legal liabilities later.

This event is jointly sponsored by Dykema, the Eastern Michigan Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and the Health Care Compliance Association.

In the absence of new laws to allocate the risk of product liability emanating from the deployment of autonomous vehicles, that risk will be allocated in consideration of existing legislation and traditional principles of law. Please join us for a panel discussion featuring William Kohler, experienced autonomous vehicle attorney and leader of Dykema’s Mobility and Advanced Vehicle Technology Group, and Brian Smith, preeminent product liability lawyer with significant experience counseling major automotive businesses regarding autonomous vehicle product liability issues.