Julia Gannaway

Julia is a partner in the law firm of Ross | Gannaway, PLLC. Her practice is dedicated largely to employment law in the public sector,   and the firm represents only employers. The firm’s office is located in Southlake, but their clients are all around the state.

She advises clients on matters relating to investigations and disciplinary actions in Chapter 143 settings and non-Chapter 143 cities; matters relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act and Texas law regarding pay issues. Her practice involves representing clients   before Federal and State courts, administrative hearings for civil service and TCOLE, and in EEOC/DOL investigations. She also   moonlights as the author of numerous Public Information Act requests for rulings.

Julia is a 1991 graduate of Texas A&M with a degree in economics and obtained her JD from the University of Houston in 1994. Julia worked as an Assistant City Attorney in Odessa and Bryan before coming to work at the firm. She is a member of the Texas Bar College and currently serves on the Fort Worth HR Board of Directors as
Legal and Legislative Director.

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Amber James

 Amber James is the Associate General Counsel and Privacy Officer at HealthChannels, LLC.  As legal counsel and   Privacy Officer to a national healthcare solutions firm, Amber routinely advises business leaders and managers on a   wide range of legal, HR, and privacy issues.

 In her role as Privacy Officer, Amber takes a holistic approach to data privacy and security. By understanding the   sources and lifecycle of company data, and cross-collaboration with stakeholders, Amber creates and implements   policies and procedures that reflect current business practices and industry standards. Amber also understands that an   informed employee is your best asset to achieve compliance with the numerous policies, procedures, laws and   regulations faced by companies today. With this understanding, Amber creates workforce training specifically tailored   to the nature of the workforce and privacy and security threats that they face.

 In addition to managing privacy compliance, Amber advises business leaders on legal issues involving HIPAA/HITECH,

CCPA/CPRA and other state data privacy laws, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, and NLRA. Amber also negotiates a range of commercial agreements including services agreements, RFPs, software licensing agreements, and third-party vendor agreements.

Amber is a Texas native and currently lives on Padre Island with her husband, teenage daughter, and dog. When she’s not thinking about data privacy, Amber takes full advantage of living the beach life.

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Julie Ross

Julie is a partner in the law firm of Ross | Gannaway, PLLC. Her law practice is devoted solely to employment law, and she   represents employers and management in both the public and private sector.

Julie’s practice emphasizes all aspects of employment law including assisting clients on FMLA, FLSA and ADA issues; assisting   clients against claims such as wrongful discharge, employment discrimination and harassment under Title VII, ADA, ADEA and     other employment statutes; training in all areas of employment law; and investigation of employee complaints.

Julie has a J.D. with honors from Texas Tech University and a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas.

Julie is a long-time member of FWHR and served on the board of directors as Legal and Legislative Director for many years.

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Rodney Klein

 
 Rodney Klein graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio and was hired by the U.S. Equal Employment   Opportunity Commission as an Investigator in 1992. Mr. Klein investigated individual complaints of employment   discrimination, along with large   class and systemic cases. He worked as a liaison between the EEOC and various fair   employment practice agencies. And, he was The San Antonio Office’s Charge Receipt Supervisor, responsible for   receiving and processing all incoming discrimination   complaints.  Currently, Mr. Klein is the Dallas District’s Outreach   and Training Manager. He speaks to audiences about employment related matters, the civil rights statutes, and   EEOC  procedures, and he is a featured speaker at his office’s yearly training seminar   for employers.

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David LeFevre

 David LeFevre founded ERISAfire Benefits Compliance Solutions, where he serves as the Chief ERISA Geek and   managing   attorney of LeFevre Law PC. Mr. LeFevre advises brokers, business owners and multinational employers   on all aspects of health,   welfare and retirement benefits. His practice focuses on assisting clients in complying with   ERISA and other employee benefits   laws.  He also counsels clients on plan design, implementation, and   administration of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans.

 Mr. LeFevre received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Missouri and his Juris Doctorate   from the   University of Missouri School of Law.

 ERISAfire LLC is an employee benefits compliance services firm, specializing in health and welfare benefits.
 ERISAfire has reimagined benefits compliance, leveraging a unique combination of custom-built technology to   automate transactional tasks, ERISA geeks for complex analysis, and experienced ERISA attorneys
       to scrutinize even the most mundane compliance tasks.

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Kristen Lollar & Emma J Sullivan

 Kristen Lollar is the Chief Marketing Officer for Whitley Penn, a full-service public accounting firm. She has been with   the firm since 2012 and has played an integral role in overall growth and success. Kristen serves on the firm’s   Innovation Council, which strives to   bring new ideas for advancement and efficiency to the firm and has been at the   forefront of many firmwide achievements.

 In addition to serving as a mentor to others in her firm, Kristen serves as a mentor through the American Marketing   Association’s   DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) Mentor Program for young professionals. She is a member of the Association   of Accounting Marketing   (AAM) and is involved with the organization’s Major Growth Firms Group and the Diversity   Equity & Inclusion Committee. 
 
 Kristen also serves on the Advisory Board for the Boomer Consulting Marketing Circle while simultaneously serving on   the Board of Directors for the Plano Chamber of Commerce.

Kristen is a graduate of Texas Tech University where she earned a B.A. in Public Relations and a minor in Music. She is a member of the Texas Tech Alumni Association and previously served as a Dallas Chapter Board Member and former President of the Dallas Chapter from 2006-2008.

 Emma J. Sullivan is a partner in Jenner & Block’s Chicago office and serves as the firm’s associate   general counsel.   She also serves as co-chair of the Labor and Employment Practice and co-chair of the   firm’s Positive Work   Environment Committee.

 Employers seek her counsel in a wide range of employment matters, including employment discrimination, harassment,
 retaliation, wage/hour, employment contracts and severance agreements,  and restrictive covenants.  She has   represented clients before federal, state and appellate courts, in arbitrations, and in administrative proceedings held   before various federal and state agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the   Department of Labor.  She provides counsel to employers on sensitive personnel matters, such as hiring, promotion,   performance evaluation, compensation, leaves of absence, accommodations, drug and alcohol issues, discipline, and   discharge.  She counsels employers on reductions in force, exit incentive programs, statistical analyses of employment   practices, and employment policies and practices.  She assists with sensitive internal investigations, including   investigations into claims of harassment, discrimination, and employee wrongdoing. She also provides training on topics including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour issues, and managing workforces.  Additionally, she advises employers on the labor and employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions. 

Ms. Sullivan has an active pro bono practice, which includes providing employment counsel to non-profit entities.