Event Details

"Let Me Remind You that You're Under Oath - Depositions in Employment Litigation"

Presented by Lynn Brailsford of Brailsford Consulting and Attorney Grant Osbourne

Learn what you can and should do to prepare to testify effectively and how best to enhance your credibility and thus your "presence" during the deposition. Most HR professionals understand that to settle or win an employment litigation case, they and their business managers need to gather facts and documentation in preparation to support their case. But not as much thought may be given to their presence or ‘how’ they show up as a witness for the company during a deposition. For example, as the company’s HR or management representative, you can be totally prepped with dates and documentation, but if your presence comes across as timid, weak, or lacking confidence, it hurts the credibility of your case. On the flip side, you can come across as overly confident or bold. But if facts are missing or inconsistent, this too can weaken your case. So, you need to focus on both aspects of your presentation and presence.

This program is designed to address both components because doing a good job could help settle or win the case, and doing a bad job could result in losing the case or require the company to pay much more to settle than it otherwise might. During this session, you will learn the importance and mechanics of depositions in employment litigation and about how to prepare for and perform in them as effectively as possible. You will understand the significance of depositions and how and why HR and business managers, as probable deponents in HR-related litigation (and thus de facto spokespersons for their employers), can significantly advance, or undermine, the company's legal position.  

PRESENTERS BIOS:

GRANT OSBORNE works with Smith and Ward P.A. and his practice experience of more than 30 years encompasses numerous aspects of labor and employment law.  He provides counsel to clients in the health care, financial, hospitality, construction, business services, and non-profit sectors.  Mr. Osborne represents clients in state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies.  He regularly advises employers of all sizes and litigates civil cases regarding all forms of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, unlawful retaliation, contractual issues, personnel policies and practices, and wage and hour issues.  Mr. Osborne also has advised and represented employers with respect to their rights and obligations arising under laws pertaining to collective bargaining and labor unions.  Mr. Osborne serves as the Chairman of the North Carolina Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section.  He is a graduate of Duke University & Duke University School of Law. 

LYNN BRAILSFORD, President of Brailsford Consulting, LLC, is a consultant, facilitator and executive coach. For over thirty years, she has helped people and businesses navigate the challenges of managing change and to cultivate the spirit of what makes coming to work worthwhile. Lynn has helped to improve performance of premier breweries such as Highland and Sierra Nevada Brewing, and organizations such as JPMorgan Chase, Colgate-Palmolive Co., Merrill Lynch. As a faculty member of the Oliver Wyman Executive Learning Center, she was coach for executives at Bank of America, Citigroup, Sun Microsystems, and Freightliner. She was President of the Western NC Human Resource Association and is currently District Director for the Western Region of NCSHRM.  She holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology & Sociology from Fordham University and a graduate level Diploma in Training and Management Development from New York University. 

Please register here:

http://ihra.shrm.org/forms/april-chapter-meeting-registration-1