Event Details

7:15 - 8:15 AM:

Member Coffee Appreciation Hour

As a token of our gratitude, we warmly invite you to our Member Appreciation Coffee Hour. Attendance at the conference is not required, so feel free to stop by and celebrate with us!

Non-members are also welcome to join for coffee and networking. Simply cover the cost of your coffee, and we look forward to meeting you!

7:30 - 8:15 AM: 

Conference Registration and check in 

8:15 - 8:30 AM:

Welcome, conference commencement

8:30 - 9:30 AM:

Presenter #1: Amy West

Navigating Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Program: An overview of the program, including eligibility, coverage, benefits, employer obligations, and how the program interacts with other laws.

An Overview of Colorado’s Protecting Opportunities And Workers' Rights (POWR) Act: Learn how the Act changed Colorado’s workplace discrimination laws, created new recordkeeping requirements for employers, and restricted the use of certain nondisclosure provisions.

9:40 - 10:40 AM:

Presenter #2: Erik Utzinger & Clay Olson GrowStrong 401k

The presentation will provide an overview of recent updates in retirement plans, focusing on new legislative changes, contribution limits, and tax implications. Attendees will also gain insights into emerging trends and strategies for optimizing retirement savings in light of these changes.

10:50 - 11:50 AM: 

Presenter #3: Barbara Bagdon

Barbara Bagdon will present on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Federal PUMP Act, highlighting their implications for workplace policies. Additionally, she will address best practices for handling age-related inquiries in hiring and workplace dynamics.

11:50 - 12:20 PM: 

Lunch

12:20-1:20 PM:

Presenters #4: Panel Conversation

The panel will cover key regulatory topics, including the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and its posting requirements, the evolving legal landscape around non-compete agreements, and the latest updates on PROPWA. Additionally, we'll discuss changes in drug testing policies and any new developments on the horizon.

1:20 -1:30 PM: 

Wrap up and door prizes

Barbara Bagdon

Attorney, Northern Regional Office

Employers Council

Barbara joined Employers Council’s Northern Regional Office as an employment law attorney in 2017.  Her practice focuses on representing employers in a wide variety of employment law matters, including managing ill or injured workers, terminations, unemployment compensation, wage and hour, harassment prevention, managing employees, civil rights, diversity, and other employment-related issues.  Barbara has had more than 23 years of experience practicing law. Prior to joining Employers Council, Barbara had eight years’ experience as an employment litigator for a firm in Phoenix, Arizona.   She also was a partner at a nationally recognized law firm specializing in franchise law.  Barbara is Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system.

Barbara received her law degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law, where she received thesis honors, was on the Dean’s List, and was awarded the Alumni Association Prize in Legal Research and Writing.  She received her B.A. degree magna cum laude from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Barbara enjoys golf, hiking, reading, and spending time with her family.  While in Phoenix, Barbara served as chair of the National Conference for Community and Justice’s Walk-As-One Committee.  The NCCJ promotes community among diverse people by fighting bias, bigotry, and racism.

Clay Olson, RICP

Principal

GrowStrong Wealth Strategies

Erik Utzinger

Principal

GrowStrong Wealth Strategies & GrowStrong 401(k)

Amy has been practicing law since 2016 and is licensed in both Colorado and Utah. Amy’s practice includes employment law, general business law, real estate, and alcohol law.

Before joining Johnson Muffly & Dauster, Amy worked as associate general counsel for the Utah Legislature’s Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel. In that role, she drafted bills and advised legislators on legal issues in the Business and Labor area, which included alcoholic beverage services, employment, financial institutions, and commerce (among other subjects).

Amy received her J.D. from J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, where she worked as a Managing Executive Editor of the Brigham Young University Law Review. Before her legal career, Amy received her B.A. in Communications from Brigham Young University and worked as a local news reporter and morning news anchor in Nebraska.

When Amy is not serving her clients, she enjoys running, cross-country skiing, reading, knitting, and rock climbing.

Amy West

Attorney at Law

Johnson Muffly & Dauster

Francis Wilson

Associate

Fisher & Phillips LLP

Francis Wilson is an associate in the firm’s Denver office who focuses his practice on employee defection and trade secrets and class and collective action litigation, as well as preventive counseling and advice. He has prosecuted and defended lawsuits involving restrictive covenant-related issues, including asserted breaches of non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. Francis also has extensive experience with drafting complex employment-related contracts, such as executive compensation agreements, multi-state employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, and bonus and commission agreements. Francis’ experience allows him to approach contractual negotiation and drafting with a focus on both complying with applicable state and federal laws and regulations and ensuring that the client’s practical needs and goals are met. He also defends businesses on a variety of employment claims, such as discrimination and harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, Equal Pay Act violations, and False Claims Act violations. He is also a member of the firm’s sports industry group, representing a variety of professional athletes in connection with their relationship with their personal employees/contractors, such as their nannies, mental/physical wellness coaches, chefs/nutritionists, personal assistants, etc.

Prior to joining Fisher Phillips, Francis served as an associate for a national management-side labor and employment-focused law firm where he advised employers on and assisted employers with the defense of lawsuits involving Title VII violations, restrictive covenants matters, class and collective actions, unemployment matters, and workers’ compensation issues. He also worked as a financial consultant at a Big Four accounting firm and in-house at a non-profit national defense think tank, where he primarily was responsible for leading the company’s investigations into allegations of employee misconduct and handling other employment-related issues. The business insight Francis developed during his time in consulting, paired with his legal experience both in-house and as outside counsel, provides him with a unique ability to understand clients’ needs, goals, and expectations. 

GrowStrong Wealth Strategies, LLC, is dedicated to providing Business Retirement Plans,Client-focused financial planning and Investment management services. With a mission to help you acive your financial goals and secure a prosperous future, GrowStrong Wealth Services LLC is committed to integrity, transparency, and excelence and strives to build long-lasting relationships with clients based on trust and mutual respect. 

http://www.growstrongwealth.com

Obsidian HR offers PEO services which handle payroll, benefits, HR, and compliance, so you can focus on growth.

https://www.obsidianhr.com/