HR Track

Take Charge of Your Career and Professional Development
10:05 – 11:05 a.m.
Darren Kimball and Teri Coyne

As a dedicated professional, you probably spend far more time and energy on other people’s career and professional development than you do on your own. Juggling the needs of your organization with the ever-changing landscape leaves you little time to focus on yourself. GetFive’s Take Charge of Your Career and Professional Development session gives you targeted and practical tips designed to help you Take Charge of your career and identify key areas of focus for development. In this session we will look at ways you can build a better and more effective relationship with your boss and prepare for a meaningful performance review.

CLM® Application Credit for Functional Specialists: 1 hr (60 min) in the category of Human Resources Management OR CLM® Recertification Credit: 1 hr (60 min) in the Subject Area of Human Resources Management.

Darren Kimball is Principal & CEO of GetFive, a provider of modern outplacement and career development solutions. Prior to acquiring the company in 2013, he enjoyed a 20-year career on Wall Street as a top-ranked stock analyst and portfolio manager.

Darren was greatly inspired by the awesome work that GetFive was doing to help individuals with their careers. By making the jump from portfolio manager to entrepreneur, Darren hopes to inspire others to pursue their own stretch career goals.

Darren began his career at Kidder Peabody & Co., followed by stints at Salomon Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and Lehman Brothers. At Lehman, he was Managing Director and Head of U.S. Automotive Equity Research, before transitioning to an internal investment fund, where he was Managing Director and Senior Credit/Distressed Analyst. Most recently, Darren worked for the NY-based hedge fund Weiss Multi-Strategy Advisors as a Senior Vice President, responsible for investments in the industrial and consumer sectors.

Darren spent 10 years as a top-ranked analyst by Institutional Investor Magazine and was twice the Wall Street Journal’s top sector stock picker. He has appeared on CNBC, CNN, and Bloomberg TV to discuss his industry views.

Darren holds a B.S. in Economics with magna cum laude honors from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and has been a chartered financial analyst (CFA) since 1994.

Teri Coyne is the Director of Programs at GetFive and a Senior Career and Leadership Coach. In her role at GetFive Teri creates innovative programs to support GetFive’s clients as they embark on new chapters in their professional lives whether they are moving on (career transition) or moving up (career development). As a Senior Career and Leadership Coach Teri works with individuals and teams facilitating learning and coaching experiences that help leaders regain their focus, align with their values and lead with transparency, clarity, and courage. Teri’s coaching style is informed by over two decades of experience working in the legal industry as a senior technology leader managing diverse, highly skilled global teams and driving technology learning and communication programs for all levels of staff . She has been in the trenches and worked her way through complex organizational structures and understands the challenges dedicated professionals have in attaining, maintaining, and defining success. – teri@getfive.com

Why HR and Diversity Leaders Should Consider Pay Audits in Their DEI Programs
11:15 a..m. – 12:15 p.m.
Kathleen McLeod Caminiti

The coronavirus pandemic has drawn attention to long-term existing inequalities in the American workforce. As a result, more firms are beefing up their Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts to help address and remedy these inequalities. However, one piece that is frequently missing from a corporate DEI program is a review of pay practices. In an article published in the Spring 2021 HR Magazine (SHRM’s publication), the author takes a deep dive into how employers are scrutinizing their pay policies to eliminate racial disparities in the workplace.

This session will discuss (i) why a pay equity audit can help close pay gaps in the workplace and elevate financial stability of diverse employees; (ii) why equal pay can help with the recruitment and retention of diverse employees; (iii) what you should know about conducting a pay equity audit to ensure pay practices are fair and equitable; (iv) what to do if you find pay disparities among employees performing the same work; and (v) best practices for HR and diversity leaders to incorporate pay audits into their DEI initiatives.

Kathie Caminiti is a partner in Fisher Phillips’ New Jersey and New York offices, and a co-chair of both the Wage and Hour and Pay Equity practice groups. She has extensive experience handling all aspects of employment litigation, including individual plaintiff discrimination claims, restrictive covenant litigation and wage and hour class and collective actions. Kathie has successfully defended cases alleging civil rights violations, race, sex, age and handicap discrimination, sexual harassment, whistle-blowing, wrongful discharge and retaliation. She has also defended employers and financial institutions in Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) cases, including class actions, seeking severance, pension and health and welfare benefits.

Kathie has a sophisticated wage and hour practice and has distinguished herself in Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)/wage and hour litigation. As lead counsel, Kathie has obtained favorable outcomes for clients in various wage and hour matters, including class and collective actions arising under the FLSA and various state laws.

As a chair of Fisher Phillips’ Pay Equity Practice Group, Kathie dedicates her time to analyzing the legal issues surrounding pay equality, conducting pay equity audits and defending equal pay their liability prevention efforts by conducting employee training, preparing handbooks and implementing policies, as well as wage and hour and pay equity audits.

Given her significant experience, Kathie is frequently quoted by ABC News, NJBiz, HR Executive, NJ 101.5 and other media outlets. She has published numerous articles that have appeared in The New York Law Journal, New Jersey Business, New Jersey Lawyer Magazine and Practical Law Institute regarding a variety of employment-related issues.

Idea Exchange: The Evolving Role of the Secretary
3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
Lydia Moore-Riley, Anna Scarpa and Donatella Verrico

During this idea exchange, participants will examine the current state of the secretarial role and brainstorm ways to evolve or enhance it as we prepare for the future needs of the legal industry. Members will have the opportunity to join breakout sessions with fellow HR and administrative leadership to discuss their experiences, challenges, successes, and failures in developing secretarial structures. Together, you will identify opportunities to optimize the secretarial model by improving utilization and identifying and addressing skill gaps.

Lydia Moore-Riley, PHR, SHRM-CP, is the East Coast Regional Administrator for Davis Wright Tremaine’s New York and Washington, DC offices. An AmLaw 100 firm with over 1300 professionals in eight offices nationwide, DWT has built a First Amendment team that protects content generators and distributors from those who would stifle expression. A litigation team that is a top choice for leading tech companies, healthcare providers and those in the cross-hairs of an over-reaching government. Multidisciplinary, industry-focused teams doing some of the most interesting transactional, regulatory and litigation work out there in technology, media, entertainment, communications, healthcare, financial services, food and beverage, restaurants and energy.

Lydia leverages her comprehensive understanding of the “business of law” to connect individual, team and department goals with firm wide strategic objectives. Prior to her role as Regional Administrator, where she amassed more than two decades of expertise providing strategic and operational oversight, Lydia began her career providing administrative support in the non-profit sector before launching a career as Human Resources Manager and Human Resources Director in the investment banking, tech start-up and legal industries. As a result of making the leap from non-exempt to exempt; administrative support to leadership positions; and from non-profits to professional services, Lydia brings wide ranging experiences and insights to internal clients. When Lydia has time away from work, she enjoys international travel and the challenge of restoring a 200-year-old building in Tuscany.

Gittings Photography

Anna Scarpa is the Director of Human Resources at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP. With more than 500 legal and business professionals across the US, Stroock is a national firm with international reach, offering clients the concierge service of a boutique and the sophistication of a mega-firm.

Anna is in charge of overseeing all aspects of human resources, its practices, and operations in order to meet the needs of the constantly evolving law firm business, and incorporating the firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. She prides herself on the ability to engage, motivate and retain top talent. Anna has a keen skill to coach and mentor professionals at all levels of their career and personal journeys. Her positive and strategic thought leadership is combined with her passion, energy and authenticity. Anna makes it her mission to help create meaning in peoples’ work by connecting who they are to what they want to do, while they consider how to achieve their goals in the most positive and effective manner.

Donatella Verrico leads all aspects of the human resources function for Lowenstein Sandler, a national law firm with over 350 lawyers working from five offices in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah, and Washington, D.C., with clients in virtually every sector of the global economy and particular strength in the areas of technology, life sciences, and investment funds. She oversees all areas of recruiting, benefits, training and development, compliance, employee relations, and retention. Appointed Chief Human Resources Officer in 2016, Donatella previously served as the firm’s Director of Human Resources. As a leader in the firm’s strategic planning process, Donatella plays a pivotal role in organizational initiatives that connect individual, team, and business needs. She also builds upon the firm’s strong commitment to diversity and works on many fronts to ensure that individuals and affinity groups, such as the Lowenstein Sandler Women’s Initiative Network, Diversity Leadership Network and LGBTQ Alliance, continue to thrive.

Donatella has over 15 years of experience in human resources. She began her career at Lowenstein working with the firm’s former employment law practice Chair, where she gained valuable insights into policy and procedure. After a short stint establishing the HR function at a local New Jersey firm, she returned to Lowenstein’s human resources department, where she amassed extensive experience in every facet of HR.