2021 First Friday Breakfast-February 5th

**Currently Sold out. You may register to get on the Waiting List. 
We will not be accepting Walk-ins.
Keynote Speaker:  Stuart Jackson of Wright, Lindsey, Jennings

In his presentation, Stuart Jackson of Wright Lindsey Jennings will discuss the vaccines currently available in United States, the issues employers must consider when deciding whether to make them mandatory for their workers, and two situations in which an exception might be needed for a mandatory vaccination policy. 

Stuart Jackson has been practicing in the employment law field for more than twenty-six years and focuses his practice on advising employers on compliance with civil rights laws and developing personnel policies (including policies on medical marijuana), employment agreements and covenants not to compete.

Jackson also defends employers in federal and state court litigation and appeals, including claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, 42 U.S.C. Sections 1981 and 1983 and state law claims involving trade secrets, non-compete agreements, arbitration agreements, wrongful discharge, the Arkansas Civil Rights Act and the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act.

Jackson’s more recent experience includes:

• Co-counsel for a telecommunications company in a disability discrimination and retaliation case. The jury returned unanimous defense verdicts on the disability claims, and the Court granted the defense a directed verdict on the retaliation claim. The Court of Appeals upheld the decisions of the jury and the Court in full.
• Co-counsel in a contested race and disability discrimination case. The jury returned defense verdicts on the discrimination claims.
• Co-counsel for an Arkansas hospital facing claims of due process violations. The court granted the hospital’s motion for summary judgment and the Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling.
• Counsel defending four separate companies (an energy industry company, a mental health provider, a rent-to-own company and an oil & gas company) in wage and hour claims asserting both collective and class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Arkansas Minimum Wage Act. The Courts (one state and three federal) in all four cases denied the plaintiffs’ motions for certification of a collective action or class.
• ·  Lead counsel for a medical insurance provider in a race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The court granted the provider’s motion for summary judgment and the Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling.
• Jackson has been recognized as a “Leader in their Field” in employment law by Chambers USA; by Mid-South Super Lawyers in Employment Litigation: Defense; a “Labor and Employment Star” by Benchmark Litigation; and by The Best Lawyers in America^© in the categories of Civil Rights Law, Litigation – Labor and Employment and Employment Law – Management (including a Lawyer of the Year designation for 2020 in the Litigation – Labor and Employment practice area). He has an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating through LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Ratings.
• In 2009, Governor Mike Beebe appointed Jackson to serve as a Special Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court to hear the case Arkansas Department of Correction v. Williams.
• He was elected in 2012 to serve a three-year term on the Arkansas Bar Foundation Board of Directors and re-elected in 2015 to serve another three-year term.
• Jackson frequently presents seminars for clients on various employment laws and is a contributor to the Labor & Employment Team’s quarterly client e-newsletter.