Dear Friends and Colleagues:
Welcome to the latest edition of the Newsletter of the ABA International Labor and Employment Law Committee, which finds us Co-Chairs deep in the throes of organizing the Committee’s Midyear Meeting, taking place in the beautiful city of Amsterdam.
We are very pleased to have an exciting lineup of topics and speakers drawn from all constituencies of the practice of labor and employment law and representing jurisdictions from all over the world. One of our principle aims with this conference is to ensure a wide range of viewpoints, which at times makes this process a bit more complicated. We are extremely grateful to our Host Committee, which has given its valuable time to help make this year’s conference as successful as all the others that have gone before. We look forward to seeing old friends again and meeting new ones and to exploring the delights of our host city! Additionally, we have also started to make plans for the Annual Section Conference in Seattle in November 2023.
In February, the world was shaken by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which resulted in the tragic loss of tens of thousands of lives. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragic event. It sometimes feels like we lurch from one challenging event to another having just come out of a worldwide pandemic, only to be confronted with Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and global reports of economic doom, impending recession and mass layoffs. At times such as these, it is important to remember to take care of yourself and your families.
Thankfully, behind the scary headlines there are some positive news stories of workers standing up for themselves, employers trying to lead the way in diversity, inclusivity and ESG efforts, governments passing new work-life balance laws and regulations, and exciting technological innovations. It has been impossible to escape the excitement of ChatGPT and the discourse about the impact of AI on our lives and specifically on the world of work. While no one seems to know exactly how AI will change the way we work or what work we do, it is clear that change is coming and that labor and employment law practitioners everywhere will have to be prepared for it, which is why two of our panels at the conference this year will be focusing on AI. One panel will discuss “Advances in AI Regulation in Relation to Labor and Employment,” moderated by the Hon. Keith E. Sonderling, Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Samantha C. Grant, from Reed Smith LLP. The other panel will discuss the “Legal Implications of the Use of AI Regulation in Relation to Labor and Employment Law,” moderated by Hugo Hernández-Ojeda Alvírez, from Hogan Lovells.
We are sure you will not want to miss them and all of the other fantastic panels, and we look forward to seeing you all in Amsterdam!
Warm regards,
Committee Co-Chairs
Kelly Bunting (Employer Co-Chair)
Paul Callaghan (International-Employer Co-Chair)
Cristiano Cominotto (International-Employee Co-Chair)
Claire Dawson (Employee Co-Chair)
Ify Okoli-Watson (In-House Corportae Counsel Co-Chair)
Monika Mehta (Union & Employee Co-Chair)