Willig, Williams & Davidson Attorneys Participate in National Conference on Disability Issues in Employment and Education Law

PHILADELPHIA (June 2018) – Labor and employment attorneys Lauren M. Hoye and Ryan A. Hancock, of Willig, Williams & Davidson, recently participated in the 5^th National Conference on Disability Issues in Employment and Education Law, co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and Disability Rights Pennsylvania.

Persons with disabilities comprise the largest minority group in the United States, as approximately 1 in 5 people has a disability. Held in Philadelphia on June 22, the conference explored disability issues that arise in employment and education law. Sessions included discussions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), special education law, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and new and noteworthy developments in case law.

Hoye participated in a panel discussion entitled “Workplace Safety: Understanding Direct Threat Under the ADA and the PHRA.” The session examined requirements under the ADA and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act in situations where an employee with a disability poses a potential threat to the health and safety of himself or others. The panel also discussed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines and gave tips on conducting individualized assessments, obtaining and evaluating medical evidence, avoiding common pitfalls, and evaluating reasonable accommodations to address any potential threat.

Hancock moderated a panel entitled “Workers with Disabilities and the Rise of Retaliation Claims.” Noting that workplace retaliation claims are the most common type of charge filed with the EEOC, the panel analyzed the elements of a disability-related retaliation claims, including protected activities, accommodation requests, material adverse actions, and causal connections. It also reviewed recent case law and trends in disability-related claims, as well as recently issued EEOC guidance on the issues.

A partner at Willig, Williams & Davidson, Hoye focuses her practice on representation of labor unions and individual employees and is a passionate advocate for working people. She has been named a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers program every year since 2014.

Hancock is of counsel at Willig, Williams & Davidson and chair of the firm’s employment law group. He counsels and represents clients in matters relating to sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and whistleblower actions, wrongful termination, and more. He has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and among the Best Lawyers in America for employment law.

About Willig, Williams & Davidson – Willig, Williams & Davidson (www.wwdlaw.com) is one of the largest and most respected union-side labor law firms in the United States. The firm has offices in Philadelphia, Jenkintown and Harrisburg, Pa., as well as Haddonfield, N.J., and Chicago, Ill. Founded in 1979, Willig, Williams & Davidson focuses on representing labor unions, employee benefit funds and individual working people and their families on a variety of legal fronts, including national, regional and local contract negotiations; dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration and litigation; tax and benefit law compliance issues; discrimination and other employment matters; prepaid legal services for union members; and workers’ compensation matters in Philadelphia and beyond.

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