Employee Benefits Committee
Midwinter Meeting |
Dear Colleague:
The 2008 Midwinter Meeting of the Employee Benefits Committee will be held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, from February 27 to March 1. We look forward to a successful program and are pleased to offer you the following details.
Meeting Registration
The registration fee is $295 for Section members and $375 for non-members. The fees cover meeting materials, attendance at all evening functions, continental breakfasts and refreshment breaks during the meeting. We also are offering special rates of $225 for first-time attendees and $275 per person for three or more attendees from the same firm. The guest registration fee is $125 and includes admission to the evening functions.
You are encouraged to register online. You also may register by completing the registration form and returning it with appropriate fees by February 8, 2008. Refunds, less a $50 administrative fee, will be provided on registration cancellations received in writing before February 8.
Meeting & Social Events
The program will begin with our Welcome Reception on Wednesday, February 27 from 6:00–7:30 pm at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. The general sessions will be on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8:00–1:00 pm.
We will host a breakfast on Thursday, February 28 at 7:00 am for first-time attendees, lawyers under the age of 40 and lawyers who have practiced Employee Benefits Law for seven or fewer years. If you would like to attend the breakfast, please so indicate on the registration form.
The co-chairs will host a “Meet the Leadership” session on Thursday from 2:00 – 4:00 pm, which will provide meeting attendees an opportunity to find out about how to become more involved with the Employee Benefits Committee. Desserts, coffee and tea will be served.
Our Thursday reception will be held at the Van Benthuysen-Elms Mansion, a beautiful antebellum home located in the Garden District (http://www.elmsmansion.com/), and will include cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres.
Join your friends and colleagues each evening at the Hospitality Cocktail Parties in the Royal Sonesta’s magnificent Bourbon Street Balcony Suite. The hospitality suites will feature cocktails and light snacks – Laissez-les bons temps roulez!
Hotel Accommodations and Reservations
We have negotiated a special group rate at the Royal Sonesta Hotel for our stay of $185 for single or double occupancy. To reserve a room, call the Royal Sonesta Hotel at 504/553-2205 or 800-SONESTA by February 5, 2008 ,and be sure to mention that you are attending the ABA Employee Benefits Committee 2008 Midwinter Meeting to receive the group rate. Check-in is 3:00 p.m. and check-out is 12:00 pm. If you need to cancel your room reservations, you must do so at least 48 hours prior to arrival to avoid a one-night cancellation charge.
Alternate Hotels:
Monteleone New Orleans
214 Rue Royal
www.hotelmonteleone.com
Phone: (504) 523-3341
Omni Royal Orleans
621 St. Louis Street
www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/NewOrleansRoyalOrleans.aspx
Phone: (504) 529-5333.
Air Travel Discounts
Airfare discounts are available on American Airlines when calling the ABA's preferred travel agency, Travelocity Business at 866/321-8403. Please note that the discounts are not available via the airline websites.
Continuing Legal Education Credit
Required sponsor documentation will be forwarded to and credit requested from MCLE states with general requirements for all lawyers. Each state determines the number of hours to be credited for attendance. Uniform Certificates of Attendance will be available at the meeting.
Pro Bono Project
The Pro Bono Project in New Orleans has offered us the opportunity to help staff a legal clinic during our meeting on Thursday afternoon, February 28, 2008. The Project is hoping that we can supply up to 25 volunteer attorneys, primarily to help out with wills, but other legal issues as well. Please contact Mark DeBofsky for further information.
Sponsors
Again this year we have requested donations to help keep the registration fee as low as possible. Thus far the following firms have made donations:
Bourbon Balcony Suite Hospitality Sponsors
| Wednesday |
- Murtha Cullina LLP
- Vedder Price
| Thursday |
- Blitman & King LLP
- Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP
- Cook, Portune & Logothetis
- O’Donoghue & O’Donoghue LLP
- Robein, Urann, Spencer, Picard & Cangemi, P.C.
- Sessions Lambert Selwyn, LLP
- Slevin & Hart, P.C.
| Friday |
- Proskauer Rose LLP
Gold Level
- Jackson Lewis LLP
- Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
- Murtha Cullina LLP
- O’Melveny & Myers LLP
- Seyfarth Shaw LLP
- Trucker Huss
- Vedder Price
- Venable LLP
Silver Level
- Gray Plant Mooty
- Daley DeBofsky & Bryant
- Fiduciary Counselors
- Liner Yankelevitz Sunshine & Regenstreif
- Neyhart, Anderson, Flynn & Grosboll
- Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.
Bronze Level
- Allotta Farley & Widman
If you or your firm would like to make a donation, please contact Brad Hoffman at bradhoffman@ staff.abanet.org or 312/988-5815.
Drive for Diversity
In order to increase diversity within the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Employee Benefits Committee, the co-chairs are enlisting your help. We ask you to look around your firms, your companies or your organizations and invite your colleagues to join the Committee and to attend the upcoming Midwinter Meeting. We also suggest that you approach opposing counsel where appropriate and your clients, particularly in-house counsel, and tell them about the Committee and the benefits it offers, including the exchange of substantive information and advice among leading practitioners in the field at the Midwinter Meeting. Membership and active participation in the Employee Benefits Committee is a valuable experience that is both career enhancing and personally fulfilling and should be shared with a broader base of members. We urge you to recommend the benefits of Committee membership to others in your organizations and to your clients, particularly more junior lawyers, and those of diverse backgrounds. Please note that non-ABA members may attend the Midwinter Meeting, as well.
Should you have any questions while making your arrangements, please contact the Section office at 312/988-5523 or laborempllaw@staff.abanet.org.
We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans and to a very successful program!
Sincerely,
| Mark D. DeBofsky Employee Co-Chair |
Joyce A. Mader Union & Employee Co-Chair |
Lissa J. Paris Employer Co-Chair |
