Bernadette O’Brien Partner at Floyd Skeren Manukian Langevin, LLP and an SPHR certified/SHRM-SCP Human Resources Executive. Ms. O’Brien serves as general counsel and executive advisor to the law firm’s Human Resources (HR) Department and is Managing Attorney of the firm’s Employment Law Department and HR Consultation Department. She is a published author, distinguished speaker, and website content developer. Ms. O’Brien defends employers in employment related disputes before the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the California Labor Commissioner, including claims related to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour, and leave of absence laws. Ms. O’Brien provides HR consultation to employers, human resource administrators, and risk managers on numerous HR topics including compliance with federal, state and local employment related laws; tracking and responding to HR trends; developing, organizing and implementing the HR function; training and counseling management and staff; HR policy development, implementation and enforcement; personnel management: hiring, onboarding, performance, discipline, retention, and separation of employment; succession planning; designing competitive compensation and benefit packages; ensuring EEO compliance; managing disability and leave of absence policies and procedures; and, wage and hour compliance. Ms. O’Brien also conducts management and employee training sessions throughout California. Ms. O’Brien is author of the popular LexisNexis publication Labor and Employment in California: A Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations and Practices, co-author of California Leave Law: A Practical Guide for Employers, and co-author of California Unemployment Insurance and Disability Compensation Programs. Ms. O’Brien has been a frequent contributor to, and reporter for, the LexisNexis employment law newsletter Bender’s California Labor & Employment Bulletin. She is also editor and developer of Floyd Skeren Manukian Langevin’s employment related websites: www.employmentlawweekly.com, www.worklawreport.com, and www.floydskerenhrtraining.com, which provide the latest news and information related to employment law.