2009 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SPEAKER BIO |
David B. Ritter
David B. Ritter chairs Neal Gerber Eisenberg’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. He
represents management in all areas of labor and employment law. He has extensive nationwide
experience in federal and state court litigation in the areas of employment discrimination,
including harassment claims, noncompete, trade secret and restrictive covenants, employment
torts and all other litigation related to the employment relationship. David routinely handles
matters before governmental agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, state equal employment commissions, the Department of Labor and the OFCCP.
David has also defended employers faced with claims under Sarbanes-Oxley. He handles
National Labor Relations Board proceedings and arbitration, as well as affirmative action plans,
employment issues related to corporate transactions and counseling of employers on employment
issues. He represents mainly high-level executives on issues related to employment and
separation agreements. David has a special knowledge in training employees in the entire range
of employment law issues.
David is or has been a contributing editor or monthly columnist for The National Law Journal, Employment Discrimination Law (Schlei & Grossman), The Developing Labor Law, The Employment Law Strategist, The Corporate Counsellor, Illinois Employment Law (National Institute of Business Management) and You and the Law. David also serves the Illinois employment law editor for The HR Specialist. He has published numerous articles and is a frequent lecturer on a variety of employment law topics such as sexual harassment, employment discrimination law and union-management relations. David is a member of both the Labor & Employment Law and the Litigation sections of the American Bar Association.
David was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1985 and is admitted to practice in the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. District Court for Eastern Michigan and the Sixth and Seventh Circuits Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.
David earned his J.D., cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University in 1985 where he was also a member of the Law Review. In 1980, he graduated from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations with a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations.
David is AV® Peer Review Rated (the highest possible rating) via the Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. He is recognized as a leader in the 2008 and 2009 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (recommended in “Labor & Employment”). He has also been named for inclusion within The Best Lawyers in America from 2007-present (within Labor & Employment).
Prior to law school, David worked at Exxon Mobil (then called Mobil Oil Corporation) as an employee relations assistant.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
HR Level 2: Effective Resolutions of Tougher Complaints
This program will provide insight into effectively dealing with the toughest discrimination / harassment complaints that employers get, and and leave you with practical tips for effective investigation and follow-up.
Most HR professionals know the basics of responding to the run-of-the-mill employee complaints and issues, including conducting a proper investigation, effective documentation, and taking adequate corrective action. After providing a brief review of the basics of effective workplace investigation and an overview of the important employment laws that may come into play, this program will explore a hypothetical scenario that presents the tougher, more advanced issues and legal innuendos. We will walk through the essential policies and practices an employer should have in place for dealing with such a scenario, and explore working strategies for addressing and handling the issue in a way that best resolves it. You cannot prevent someone from filing a claim. What you can do is implement smart policies and practices such that the claim will be defendable at a minimum cost to you -- that is the focus of this program.