It has been 30 years since the Supreme Court of the United States recognized sexual harassment as a form of unlawful gender discrimination. Unfortunately, in many workplaces, the message has not yet gotten through.
So, what is sexual harassment and what can be done about it? Needless to say, these issues involve both legal rights and career strategies.
Join WITI Boston for a frank and practical look at this high-profile topic. Attorneys Nancy Shilepsky and Brian MacDonough, Partners at Sherin and Lodgen LLP, will review with us the legal definition of sexual harassment and examples of what may or may not be illegal conduct.
After that, we’ll examine the options available to an employee who has experienced (or observed) sexual harassment in her (or his) workplace, including whether she should complain internally or first talk to a lawyer, and how she should protect herself and her job from possible retaliation.
Finally, we will explore an employer’s obligation not just to “investigate,” but to take effective remedial action to eradicate sexual harassment in the workplace, and what employees can do to encourage the latter. Both legal rights and career strategies will be considered, and there will be plenty of time for questions.
Featured Speaker(s)
Nancy S. Shilepsky is a leading influence in the world of executive advocacy, employment law and employment litigation. In May 2015, Nancy was selected as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA). The LCA is a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. Fellowship in the LCA is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based upon excellence and accomplishment in litigation, and superior ethical reputation. Nancy has been a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers since 2000.
In 2015, Nancy was inducted into the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Top Women of Law Circle of Excellence. The Circle of Excellence recognizes women who exemplify professional, civic and mentoring achievements year in and year out in the Massachusetts legal community.
According to Chambers USA, the "tenacious and diligent" and "quite extraordinary Nancy S. Shilepsky" is "a dominant figure in plaintiff representation, advising senior executives on sophisticated employment concerns." Her many accolades include being repeatedly listed by Thomson Reuters/Boston Magazine as one of the Top 10 Massachusetts SuperLawyers, named to the "Lawdragon 500" list of leading lawyers in America in 2015, and repeatedly receiving Chambers USA's highest Band One ranking. She has been named a Lawyer of the Year by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (MLW), was featured in MLW's "Power Issue" and was named by The National Law Journal as one of the most influential lawyers in Massachusetts. Nancy was also selected by her peers for inclusion in the 22nd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 2017.
As an executive advocacy pioneer, Nancy is a champion of the interests of individuals and a trusted counselor to executives and professionals across a wide range of industries. She has established a nationally recognized practice representing such clients in complex matters involving executive employment and compensation. On occasion, she represents companies, partnerships, and other profit and non-profit organizations as well as individuals in these matters.
Nancy is known for her pioneering work in wrongful termination and discrimination cases. Her work includes a high-profile sexual harassment case involving the impact of the First Amendment on workplace speech restrictions and a landmark case dealing with the eradication of race-based discrimination in compensation.
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Brian J. MacDonough concentrates his practice in employment law and executive advocacy. He handles a wide range of matters, including discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowing, wage and hour issues, wrongful termination, and contract negotiation and enforcement.
Brian has litigated cases in both federal and state courts in Massachusetts. He appears regularly before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. He also counsels and represents clients regarding employment agreements, severance terms, and non-competition provisions.
Brian is a frequent author and speaker on matters of employment law, and co-authored the quarterly Commentary for the Massachusetts Discrimination Law Reporter. He is also the co-author of chapters in the Massachusetts Employment Law Manual and the Massachusetts Basic Practice Manual, both published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.
Brian has chaired several programs sponsored by MCLE, including "What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Employment Law" and "Preventing and Litigating Wage & Hours Cases." He is a member of the Boston Bar Association's Labor & Employment Law Section and of the BBA's Labor & Employment Steering Committee. He is also a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, of the National and Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Associations, and was previously on the committee that prepared draft sexual-harassment regulations on behalf of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.
