Total Credits: 6 including 4.5 CLE, 1.5 Ethics
Don’t miss our annual Employment Law seminar! In these uncertain economic times, it is vitally important to understand the challenges facing businesses and their employees. Whether you represent employers or employees – or both – this seminar will provide the necessary tools to address your clients’ issues.
Ms. Leonard is a partner with the Birmingham law firm of Heather Leonard, P.C., where she concentrates her practice on labor and employment law, including litigation before the federal and state courts as well as administrative agencies. Her practice embraces a variety of matters relating to wage and hour law, harassment, invasion of privacy and employment discrimination. She is also adjunct faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she teaches mediation and trial advocacy, and serves as an assistant coach for the UAB Mock Trial Team. Ms. Leonard received her B.A. from the University of Kentucky and her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she was the Managing Editor for the Law and Psychology Review and a member of the National Moot Court Team. She is a member of the Alabama bar and various state and local bar associations.
Scott is a partner in Burr & Forman, LLP's Labor & Employment Law section, representing management and employers with respect to all labor and employment matters arising out of the workplace. He handles matters before the Department of Labor (EEOC, OSHA, and Wage and Hour), and all state and federal courts. Scott regularly advises employers on policies and procedures, employee counseling, and leave issues. He is a member of the Alabama State Bar and the State Bar of Tennessee. He is admitted to practice in Alabama, Tennessee, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle,and Southern Districts of Alabama. Scott has been named in the annual Mid-South Super Lawyers list since 2016 and has been recognized in every edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 2021. Scott received his J.D. in 2007 from the University of Alabama School of Law and his B.A. in 2004 from the University of Notre Dame.
Whitney Brown is a shareholder with the firm. Whitney represents employers in a range of employment litigation, including harassment and discrimination cases, Family Medical Leave Act, and cases involving state law claims. Over the past few years, Whitney’s practice has led her to manage the defenses of three multi-plaintiff race or national origin discrimination and retaliation cases. This included mapping a course that led to our client’s receiving summary judgment on all of the claims by ten individual plaintiffs. A significant focus of her litigation has been on health care facilities and restaurants. Whitney enjoys helping these employers come up with solutions to the particular challenges they face. Whitney also counsels and educates employers on all employment related topics and especially navigating employee health issues at the intersections of the FMLA, ADA, PDA, and attendance policies. Whitney leads the firm’s Effective Supervisor® program on a regular basis and is also frequently invited to speak to clients, industry associations, and human resources groups about a variety of emerging trends in employment law.
Currently serves as In-House Counsel at Hibbett Sporting Goods Inc. She received her B.A. from Spelman College and her J.D. from Cumberland School of Law.
Ryan Faught is the Vice President of People at Milo’s Tea Company, Inc. A member of the executive team, Ryan is responsible for attracting, growing, and developing remarkable talent. Ryan has over 17 years of Human Capital Leadership experience by developing and managing high performing teams that work Hungry, Agile, and Together. Ryan serves as a champion of our People First Culture that promotes diversity and inclusion for all.
A native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Ryan has a bachelor's degree from The University of Alabama and completed his Executive Education at Wharton School of Business.
Ryan serves on the board of Birmingham’s Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and as an Executive Team Member for The Magic City LGBTQ Endowed Fund.
Kira Fonteneau is a partner and the managing attorney of the Alabama trial group of Barrett & Farahany. Kira chose to specialize in employment law because she wanted to help employees take back power. She loves disproving the notion that employers can do whatever they want and not suffer the consequences. As someone who was once mistreated at work, Kira can empathize with her clients. She understands all the ways an employer's conduct can harm a worker and is ready to zealously seek justice on her clients' behalf. Before founding the Fonteneau Firm, Kira served as the first public defender of Jefferson County in Alabama. She has been an employee advocate for over a dozen years, in positions both before and after her tenure as public defender. Upon graduation from the University of Georgia School of Law, Kira spent a year and a half representing employers in discrimination cases and gained valuable knowledge of the other side of employment law. She is licensed to practice in Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia. Prior to attending law school, Kira double majored in government and African American studies at the University of Virginia. She was born in Detroit, but also spent some of her growing up years in Hawaii and Virginia.
Brock is a member of Maynard Nexsen’s Labor & Employment Practice. He assists clients throughout various industries with a broad range of labor and employment matters, including cases arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Section 1981, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and whistleblower statutes, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Brock also represents clients before several administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Mining Safety and Health Administration. He offers consultation to employers on a wide range of issues and assists with drafting or updating employment handbooks and policies. Brock has briefed and argued cases in federal and state courts throughout the country at both the trial and appellate level.
Brock received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served on the Managing Board of the Journal of Law & Politics. He also worked with the school’s Appellate Litigation Clinic and was a quarterfinalist in the William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Auburn University.
Mr. Canupp’s practice is focused primarily on employment law, governmental liability, and the defense of civil rights claims. He regularly represents government officials and entities in constitutional tort litigation, and he represents employers in lawsuits filed under state and federal anti-discrimination laws—including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In addition, Mr. Canupp provides guidance to businesses and governments in complying with the accessibility requirements of the ADA. He helps employers in drafting employment policies and handbooks, in dealing with internal employee issues, and responding to investigations by federal agencies. Mr. Canupp received his B.A., cum laude, from The University of Alabama and his J.D., summa cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and received the Amicus Service Award from the International Municipal Lawyers Association in 2012.
Paul Zimmerman is a recovering litigator who practiced law for 23 years, most recently at Christian & Small LLP (2008-2021). During that time, Paul’s practice included commercial and complex litigation, product liability, and business break ups, as well as litigation relating to data breaches, covenants not to compete, and trade secrets. He led the Firm’s Electronic Discovery Practice Group, was a member of the Firm’s Cyberliability Group, and frequently advised the Firm’s clients regarding litigation holds, electronic discovery, records retention, and data privacy and security. In 2021, Paul obtained his Masters in Management Information Systems (with an emphasis in cybersecurity management) from UAB. He then earned his GIAC Battlefield Forensics and Acquisitions and GIAC Advanced Smartphone Forensics certifications, and is a member of GIAC’s Advisory Board. Paul now operates Invenius Digital Forensics, LLC, assisting clients with forensic and E-discovery matters.
Paul Perry has been with the firm since 2004 and is a Member and the practice leader of the Risk Advisory & Assurance Services Group. Paul and his team focus on cybersecurity, information technology-related projects, risk assessments, internal controls, internal audit and control-related projects, including SOC engagements. Paul is also the leader of the firm’s Data Analysis Group, a team of individuals within the firm who provide data analysis solutions to both internal and external clients. For more than 11 years, he specialized in auditing and assurance services, serving clients in the nonprofit, governmental, financial, insurance and healthcare facilities/hospital industries. Paul holds the Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) certification, awarded to CPAs who possess both information technology and business expertise. Paul is a thought leader, published columnist and performs 20+ presentations a year on a wide variety of technology and control-related topics to groups including corporate clients, ASCPA, HFMA, IIA and ISACA. He also offers insight to business leaders as a co-host of Warren Averett's podcast, The Wrap.
Ms. Collins graduated from Randolph-Macon Women’s College and received her law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law. She is a partner with Johnstone, Adams, Bailey, Gordon & Harris, LLC where she practices primarily in labor and employment law, providing employers with day-to-day advice and training, and representing clients in administrative proceedings and litigation. She also serves as a mediator in employment disputes. She has served as Chair of the Labor and Employment Section of the Alabama State Bar and is currently on its Board of Directors. She is a frequent speaker to professional and business groups on employment issues and is recognized in Best Lawyers of America in the areas of Labor and Employment and Worker’s Compensation.
John Saxon received his B.A., With Honors, from The University of Alabama and his J. D. from The University of Alabama School of Law, which, in 2008, awarded him the Sam W. Pipes Award as its outstanding alumnus. He received an M.A. in speech communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is a graduate of the Stanford Executive Program of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. In 1978, he was named the first White House Fellow from Alabama, serving as a Special Assistant to Vice President Walter Mondale. He later served as Counsel to the Subcommittee on Jurisprudence and Governmental Relations of the U. S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary; Counsel to the U. S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics; Associate Counsel, then Staff Director, to the U. S. Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition (“Iran-Contra Committee”); then Special Counsel, U. S. Senate Armed Services Committee. He has worked in the Washington offices of two Fortune 50 companies, RCA and General Electric. Since 1995, he has been Managing Partner of John D. Saxon, P.C. From 2018-2021 he was a Deputy Attorney General of the State of Alabama, and is a former Adjunct Professor at the Washington College of Law at American University, where he taught Legal Ethics. He is past Chairman of the Labor and Employment Section of the State Bar and was the first Chairman of the Federal Practice Section of the Birmingham Bar Association. He serves on the Board of Legal Services Alabama, is a Member of the Alabama Law Institute, is on the Board of Governors of The University of Alabama Law School Foundation, and is on the Board of NELA-Alabama. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2009, which in 2012, 2019, and 2021 named him Lawyer of the Year, Labor and Employment Law—Individuals, and in 2018, 2019, and 2024 named him Lawyer of the Year, Civil Rights Law. He has been listed in Alabama Super Lawyers since 2008, and from 2011-2016 and 2018-2021 was listed as one of the Top 50 Alabama Super Lawyers. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the Alabama Law Foundation, and a Life Fellow of both the American Bar Foundation and the Birmingham Bar Foundation. He has twice been President of the White House Fellows Association and Foundation, which in 2022 awarded him the John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award as its Outstanding Alumnus. He served on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships under Presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. A graduate of both Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Alabama, he is currently Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, the world’s largest, and will become President in 2025. He is on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Blackburn Institute, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, the Leadership Birmingham Alumni Council, and the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, and is currently President of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham Foundation.
