2026 Annual Labor and Employment Law Update

Join us Tuesday, February 3 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay for Verrill’s Annual Labor and Employment Law Update. This full-day program is designed for employers, HR professionals, and in-house counsel seeking a practical overview of developments shaping workplace decisions in 2026.

Agenda:

8:30am – 9:30am. Session 1: A Look Ahead/A Look Back: An Update on Labor & Employment Laws

Join Rob Brooks, Liz Johnston and Erik Peters for the 2025 year in review (with a glimpse into what we can expect in 2026). During this session, the panel will discuss Maine’s 2025 legislative changes, recent federal and state court rulings that may impact how you engage your employees, and administrative developments that you should keep top of mind. In addition, the panel will explore what to expect in 2026, including Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave going live and potential changes for employers both federally and statewide. This program will address these developments and provide best practices for employers in response to the changing landscape.
Presenters: Rob Brooks, Liz Johnston and Erik Peters

9:30am – 10:20am. Session 2: Employment Agreements, Separation Agreements and Restrictive Covenants

The world is changing, and so are the laws that govern the enforceability of employment agreements. An employer who simply grabs a form off the shelf or recycles agreements used in the past, does so at their peril. Join Doug Currier and Matt Raynes as they break down the latest legal developments affecting employment agreements, separation agreements and restrictive covenants (e.g., non-compete and non-solicitation provisions). Attendees will receive clear guidance on what’s changing, what’s enforceable, and what’s no longer advisable in light of emerging federal and state trends. The program will also cover proven strategies for drafting effective, compliant agreements; common pitfalls and “traps for the unwary” that can undermine enforceability; and real-world do’s and don’ts to protect your organization while staying on solid legal footing.
Presenters: Doug Currier and Matt Raynes

10:30am – 11:20am. Session 3: Preparing for Paid Family Medical Leave: Interactions with Other Types of Leave

As we prepare for employees to begin taking leave under Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, understanding how the statute will work with other leaves of absence your employees may be entitled is an important “to do” for all employers. Join Erik Peters and Tawny Alvarez for a discussion about how Paid FMLA will interact with workers’ compensation leave, federal FMLA, earned paid leave and other paid leaves and how to plan for employee absences and create compliant policies and practices.
Presenters: Erik Peters and Liz Johnston

11:20am – 12:10pm. Session 4: Injuries at Work: An Update on Workers’ Compensation and OSHA Compliance

Maintaining a safe and healthy work environment is paramount for companies, and managing an employee’s work-related injury is peppered with traps for the unwary. In this session, join Elizabeth Smith and Tawny Alvarez as they discuss common and emerging issues that they are seeing related to managing workplace injuries and engagement with OSHA after an injury has been reported. The session will review Law Court and Appellate Division decisions issued in 2025 to highlight trends and suggest solutions for 2026 and beyond as well as OSHA priorities for 2026.
Presenters: Tawny Alvarez and Beth Smith

1:00pm – 2:00pm. Session 5: Immigration Presentation

This session will provide a practical overview of immigration law in the employment context for employers, HR professionals, and counsel seeking to strengthen their understanding and support compliance efforts. With significant shifts in federal policy and renewed immigration-related scrutiny across agencies, this topic is particularly timely for employers working to stay current in a fast-changing landscape. The panel will cover key concepts including I-9 compliance, visa categories commonly used by employers, and strategies for hiring and retaining talent from outside the U.S. Finally, the session will offer insights into current enforcement trends and policy developments shaping immigration compliance.
Presenters: Hannah Owings Saturley and Matt Raynes

2:00pm – 3:00pm. Session 6: Employee Benefits Regulatory and Litigation Update

A focused update on benefits and executive compensation developments. Join Eric Altholz and Sam Baldwin as they discuss recent developments and cases in a variety of areas including:

• SECURE 2.0 – implementation of Roth catch-up contributions and planning for December 31, 2026 plan amendment deadline
• Status check regarding HIPAA, OBBBA, and MHPAEA
• Employer audit rights in TPA and PBM agreements
• ERISA fiduciary breach litigation update

Presenters: Eric Altholz and Sam Baldwin 

3:10pm – 4:00pm. Session 7: Data, Data, Data… and the risks of “More” Data

The quantity of data that employees create when they show up for work each day is staggering—emails, chats, badge swipes, access logs, etc. Take that data and add the data that the human resources department creates (or manages) and you can quickly see how data (for large and small companies) can seem overwhelming. Join Doug Currier and Tawny Alvarez as they discuss data management topics such as should companies collect demographic information, how long should materials be retained, documents and litigation, the dos and don’ts of auditing practices (e.g., pay equity, I-9 compliance), how to really protect confidentiality, and when and how companies should collect feedback (360 reviews, employee surveys, etc.).  This program is about data management from both a compliance and an operations perspective, with an eye towards reducing risk to the Company.
Presenters: Doug Currier and Tawny Alvarez

4:00pm – 4:50pm. Session 8: Current Administration & DEI

In this timely session, Rob Brooks and Hannah Saturley will explore how the current federal enforcement landscape is reshaping diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the workplace. They will unpack the administrative actions and policy changes under the Trump administration – including executive orders rescinding earlier affirmative-action requirements, directing federal contractors to certify the absence of “illegal DEI” programs, and signaling enforcement attention toward employer-sponsored DEI initiatives. The session will examine how these shifts affect employers and HR professionals focusing on questions such as: When do DEI-related practices risk triggering liability? What enforcement priorities does the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission now emphasize, and how might private employers and federal contractors navigate them? Finally, the session will offer practical strategies to align inclusion initiatives with evolving legal risk and audit existing programs for vulnerability.
Presenters: Hannah Owings Saturley and Rob Brooks

5:00pm – 6:00pm. Networking Reception.

Registration is $275 each. Parking, lunch, and networking reception are included.

This program has been approved for 7 SHRM credits and 7 CLE credits.

To register, please click here.