WVELA Events

2023 Annual Conference at Canaan Valley Resort

WVELA held its annual conference on October 20-21, 2023, at Canaan Valley Resort in Davis, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

WVELA also honored and saluted the decades of service and contribution of one of its most esteemed members, Al Karlin.

Election of Officers for 2023-2024

Christine L. Glover (with Christine Glover PLLC) was elected as President for the 2023-2024 term, and she is now President.

Kirk Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as Treasurer.

Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee.

The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 21, 2022, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2024.

Jared Adams (at Adams Law Firm PLLC) was elected as President for the next 2024-2025 term.

Anthony Brunicardi, did a fantastic job in organizing this year's Annual Conference, and we all want to thank him making this year's conference successful.

Speeches and Articles for the 2023 Conference

Here is the list of speaker and topics for the 2023 conference:

Drew Capuder: Update on Harless and Other Whistleblower Law
Teresa Toriseva: Law Enforcement/Firefighter Claims
Lonnie Simmons: Ethics Update, focusing on uses of AI in law
Anthony Brunicardi: Update on the Law of the Public Employees Grievance Board
Professor Bob Bastress (West Virginia University): Update on Employment Law in West Virginia
Walt and Kirk Auvil: "Maximizing" Emotional Distress Damages
Sam Petsonk: Tax Ccompliance for Wage and Hour Claims

2022 Annual Conference at Lakeview Resort

WVELA held its annual conference on October 13-15, 2022, at Lakeview Resort in Morgantown.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2022-2023

Anthony Brunicardi (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as President for the 2022-2023 term, and he is now President.

Kirk Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as Treasurer.

Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee.

The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 15, 2022, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2023.

Christine L. Glover (with Christine Glover PLLC) was elected as President for the next 2023-2024 term.

Laura Davidson (with Mountain State Justice), did a fantastic job in organizing this year's Annual Conference, and we all want to thank her making this year's conference successful.

Speeches and Articles for the 2022 Conference

Here is the list of speaker and topics for the 2022 conference:

Judge Joanna Tabit, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Kanawha County): Implicit Bias Training
Judge David Hammer, Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit (Berkley, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties): The West Virginia Wage Payment an Collection Act
Drew Capuder: Update on Harless and Other Whistleblower Law
Kristina Thomas Whitaker and Walt Auvil: Case Selection
Lonnie Simmons: Ethics
Professor Anne Marie Lofaso (West Virginia University): Abortion and the Dobbs decision
Sam Petsonk: Workers’ Compensation/ERISA Claims
Professor Bob Bastress (West Virginia University): Update on Employment Law
Kirk Auvil: Technology: Adobe Appendix
Christine Glover: Immigration and Employment
WVU College of Law: student engagement event

2021 Annual Conference at Sonewall Resort

WVELA held its annual conference on October 22 and 23, 2021, at Stonewall Resort.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2021-2022

Laura Davidson (with Mountain State Justice) was elected President.

Kirk Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as Treasurer.

Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee.

The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 23, 2021, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2022.

Anthony Brunicardi (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was elected as President for the next 2022-2023 term.

Speeches and Articles for the 2021 Conference

Here is the list of speaker and topics for the 2021 conference:

Appellate Practice and Preparing for the Intermediate Court, which begins July 1, 2022, by Justice Beth Walker (West Virginia Supreme Court)
Practicing Law During a Pandemic, by Judge Thomas Kleeh (United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia)
Update on Harless and Other Whistleblower Law, by Drew Capuder
Labor as a Public Good, by Professor Anne Marie Lofaso (West Virginia University)
Preparing for Retirement, by Kay Bayless
Update on Employment Law, by Professor Bob Bastress (West Virginia University)
Discovery Issues, by Kris Whiteaker and Kirk Auvil
Covid Employment Issues, by Anthony Brunicardi
Avoiding Legal Ethics Problems, by Lonnie Simmons

2019 Annual Conference at Chief Logan Lodge

WVELA held its annual conference on November 1 and 2, 2019, at Chief Logan Lodge and Conference Center in Logan, West Virginia.

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2019-2020

Kameron Miller (with Warner Law Offices, PLLC) was elected President. Christian Riddell (with Stedman & Riddell PLLC) was elected Vice President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on November 2, 2019, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October or November 2020.

Steven S. Wolfe of Wolfe, White & Associates will occupy the position of Past-President.

Speeches and Articles for the 2019 Conference

Here is the list of presentations for the 2019 conference:

Using Rule 30(b)(6) Depositions, Updates - Walt Auvil
Federal & State Discovery Disputes - Mandy Taylor
Screening Workers Compensation Cases & Derivative Cases - Steve New
Caselaw update on the Fourth Circuit and West Virgiinia Supreme Court - Lonnie Simmons
Panel Discussion on Law Office Management & Practice Diversification - Lonnie Simmons, Jane Peak, and Steven Wolfe
Office of Disiplinary Counsel Update on Ethics – Andrea Hinerman
The Harless Wrongful Discharge Doctrine and Recent Developments – Drew Capuder
President Trump’s NLRB - Professor Anne Lofaso, West Virginia Univeristy College of Law
Perspective From the Bench, Panel Discussion: Judge Thomas S. Kleeh, Judge Joanna Tabit, and Judge William S. Thompson
West Virginia Human Rights Commission Claims - Sam Petsonk

2018 Annual Conference at Hawk's Nest State Park

WVELA held its annual conference on October 12 and 13, 2018, at Hawk's Nest State Park in Ansted, West Virginia. The conference provided ten West Virginia CLE hours (including one ethics hour).

The annual conference included several presentations and panel discussions by its members and other legal experts on current issues of employment law, along with the election of new officers.

Election of Officers for 2018-2019

Steven S. Wolfe of Wolfe, White & Associates was elected President. Walt Auvil (with Rusen & Auvil PLLC and The Employment Law Center) was re-elected as Treasurer. Lonnie Simmons (with DiTrapano, Barrett, DiPiero, McGinley & Simmons, PLLC) was re-elected as Chair of WVELA's Amicus Committee. The officers serve for one year, starting with their election on October 13, 2018, and continue until WVELA's next annual conference in around October 2019.

Sam Petsonk (with Mountain State Justice) will occupy the position of Past-President.

Speeches and Articles for the 2018 Conference

Here is the list of presentations for the upcoming 2018 conference:

Update on remand to state court based on fraudulent joinder – Amy Crosson
Ethics – WV Office of Disciplinary Counsel – Joanne V. Kirby
Arbitration Update - Karla Gilbride
West Virginia Human Rights Commission - Cameron McKinney
Litigating sexual orientation & gender identity – Kris Whiteaker
Technology Trade-offs: What the Rise of Robots Means for the Future of Employment Law -- Professor Anne Lofaso
Update on independent contractors & joint employers – Garry Geffert
Harless Update – Drew Capuder
Taxation of employment damages/settlements, and mitigation issues – Dan Selby & Rob Wood, moderated by Walt Auvil
Social networking & electronic discovery issues – Jane Peak & Drew Capuder