Full-Service Oil and Gas Law Firm Burleson LLP to Offer Free Seminar Addressing Employment Law

HOUSTON, Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Burleson LLP announced that on September 25, 2013, the firm will offer a complimentary seminar, lunch included, aimed at helping the energy industry better understand issues related to employee classification, overtime, and health care reform.

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The event features Burleson partner Andrea "AJ" Johnson, co-chair of Burleson's Southwest Litigation Team, who has three decades of experience in employment law and commercial litigation.  Johnson will be joined by Monica Toth, a lawyer and senior vice president of compliance for Gallagher Benefits, South Central Region.

Offered in the "Energy Corridor" of Houston, the event will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 25 in La Scala Room III of the Hotel Sorella at City Centre in Houston. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.

"Energy employers are being stung by high-risk overtime lawsuits, which often end up being class actions, bringing in scores of similarly situated workers," Johnson said. "Not only can millions of dollars be at risk, but lawsuits can often result in double damages and the award of attorneys' fees – in essence, doubling or tripling the risk. So when a class is added to the mix, the numbers grow exponentially."

She added that the Department of Labor (DOL) has recently vowed to focus on these issues – "particularly in the energy industry."  That determination, she continued, along with the fact that plaintiffs' lawyers are looking for "deep pockets" have resulted in the industry being hit hard with "serious overtime allegations, both in the courts and in DOL audits."

Burleson is offering this free lunch presentation so that employers can better understand the rules of classification and avoid such overtime difficulties altogether. The Gallagher Benefits component of the presentation is to show the connection of employee classification to benefits – a particularly tricky area given the Affordable Care Act and one in which Toth is an expert.

Among topics the seminar will cover are:

• Understanding the critical classification parameters
• Best practices to avoid overtime problems and overtime litigation
• How to prepare for DOL and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services audits
• Avoiding the "traps" in the health care reform act that can subject companies to large penalties

Those interested in attending can sign up at [email protected].

About Burleson LLP

Burleson LLP is the largest full-service law firm in the country devoted primarily to the oil and gas industry. Burleson is unique in being on the ground in every key North American market, serving both traditional production and unconventional shale plays as well as the Permian Basin, and offers a distinct blend of legal understanding and technical skill. The firm's attorneys have worked as petroleum engineers, chemists, landmen, and geologists, and more than a third have served as inside legal counsel for oil and gas companies. These qualifications – combined with Burleson's broad geographic reach and comprehensive scope of services – have earned the firm a reputation for providing clients with the most seasoned, energy-specific team in the legal profession.  For further information, visit www.burlesonllp.com.

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SOURCE Burleson LLP