Labor & Employment 2026: 5 General, 1 Dual

Courses Included

• Labor & Employment Law Forum 2026 - Sexual Harassment Claims: Litigation Strategy, Liability Exposure, and Ethical Boundaries
  
  

  This program examines sexual harassment claims through both a litigation and ethics lens,
  focusing on how attorneys can effectively advocate for clients while navigating professional
  responsibility obligations. Topics include evolving standards under federal and state law,
  evidentiary challenges, workplace investigation pitfalls, and the ethical limits of advocacy in
  high-conflict employment disputes. Attendees will gain practical guidance on client counseling,
  managing sensitive communications, and avoiding conduct that risks bar complaints or
  sanctions.

  Course Information

  Format:Online VideoDual Credits:1.00General Credits:0.00

  Speakers/Producers

  

  • Heather Collins, HMC Civil Rights Law, LLC, Nashville
    Heather Moore Collins practices in the Nashville, Tennessee area where she founded HMC Civil Rights Law, which concentrates on the representation of employees employment litigation and plaintiffs...
• Labor & Employment Law Forum 2026 - Wage & Hour Litigation Trends: What Employers and Employees are Fighting About Now
  
  

  This cross-perspective panel brings together Morgan Hartgrove (Thompson Burton), Courtney Leyes (Fisher Phillips), and Chase Teeples (Yezbak Law) to explore the most pressing wage and hour challenges of 2025-2026. From the DOL’s new IC rule to gig-economy classification disputes, tip-credit complications, and the recurring mistakes driving FLSA lawsuits, the speakers will highlight emerging risks and real-world litigation themes. Designed as a free-flowing, practical discussion, this session offers insights valuable to in-house counsel and practitioners on both sides of the “v”.

  Course Information

  Format:Online VideoDual Credits:0.00General Credits:1.00

  Speakers/Producers

  

  • Morgan Hartgrove, Thompson Burton PLLC, Franklin
    Morgan Hartgrove is an attorney at Thompson Burton, and she represents clients in a range of matters including employment law, non-compete disputes and commercial litigation. Morgan’s practice...
  • Courtney Leyes, Fisher Phillips, Nashville
    Courtney Leyes is a partner in Fisher Phillips’ Nashville, Memphis, and Gulfport offices and a core member of the firm’s national Wage and Hour Practice Group. She represents employers...
  • Nicholas Teeples, Yezbak Law Offices PLLC, Nashville
    
    
    Chase has been an employment litigator since 2016. Nothing makes him happier than getting great results for clients who have been wronged by their employers, whether in a case for discrimination,...
• Labor & Employment Law Forum 2026 - The Evolving Landscape of Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secret Protections
  
  

  Non-compete and trade secret disputes continue to evolve as courts and lawmakers reshape the rules governing competitive conduct and the protection of confidential business information. Greg Grisham and Mark Stamelos will review recent legal developments, emerging litigation trends, and the issues attorneys need to watch when drafting protective covenants, employment agreements, evaluating claims, and pursuing or defending litigation in this
  rapidly changing area of law.

  Course Information

  Format:Online VideoDual Credits:0.00General Credits:1.00

  Speakers/Producers

  

  • Greg Grisham, Fisher & Phillips LLP, Memphis
    Greg Grisham is a partner in the Memphis Office of Fisher Phillips with over 30 years of successful experience counseling and representing employers in all aspects of workplace law in Tennessee and...
  • Mark Stamelos, FordHarrison LLP, Nashville
    Mark Stamelos represents businesses on their employment issues, including trade secret, non-compete and restrictive covenant disputes as well as defending employers against harassment, discrimination...
• Labor & Employment Law Forum 2026 - Judicial Panel
  
  

  In this program, three U.S. Magistrate Judges provide their insights into best practices for employment litigation in federal court, with an emphasis on pretrial litigation and motions practice. Topics covered will include scheduling orders, discovery practices, motions for summary judgment briefing, and attorneys’ fees litigation.

  Course Information

  Format:Online VideoDual Credits:0.00General Credits:1.00

  Speakers/Producers

  

  • Maha Ayesh, University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, Knoxville
    Maha M. Ayesh is the Director of Externships and a Teaching Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law.  Prior to attaining that position in 2026, she was a member...
  • Hon. Jeffery "Chip" Frensley, , Nashville
  • Hon. Jill McCook, US Magistrate Judge, Knoxville
  • Hon. Jon York, US District Court, Western District of Tennessee, Jackson
    United States Magistrate Judge Jon A. York is a Lambuth University graduate (1997) and a graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (2003).  After receiving his law...
• Labor & Employment Law Forum 2026 - Return-to-Office Mandates: Accommodation Law and the Post-Pandemic Workplace
  
  

  This session examines the legal risks and compliance obligations employers face when implementing return-to-office mandates, with a focus on the intersection of the ADA, pregnancy discrimination laws, and the FMLA. It will address when remote work may qualify as a reasonable accommodation, how pregnancy-related limitations and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act reshape workplace flexibility obligations, and how leave rights interact with attendance and return-to-work policies.

  Course Information

  Format:Online VideoDual Credits:0.00General Credits:1.00

  Speakers/Producers

  

  • Jason Ensley, Forward Air Corporation, Greeneville
    Jason Ensley serves as Deputy General Counsel for Labor & Employment matters at Forward Air, a global transportation and logistics company with more than 5,000 employees worldwide. Prior to...
  • Melody Fowler-Green, Yezbak Law Offices, Nashville
    Mel has been an employment and civil rights attorney for over 20 years.  Her educational, professional and life experiences provide her with valuable insight and make her a particularly...
• Labor & Employment Law Forum 2026 - Case Law Update
  
  

  In this session, Jeb and Ann will provide an update of notable federal and state cases since last year’s forum that Tennessee employment lawyers should know. The update will cover commonly litigated employment claims and identify practical takeaways for practitioners.

  Course Information

  Format:Online VideoDual Credits:0.00General Credits:1.00

  Speakers/Producers

  

  • John Edwin Gerth, Epstein Becker Green, Nashville
    Clients value Jeb's approachable and relatable style, both in the courtroom and the boardroom, and call on him regularly for assistance defending litigation and for his practical advice on a wide...