Thursday, May 7, 2026
Remote Meeting
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM Networking Opportunity
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM Welcome from Jennifer Vining
8:30 AM - 8:55 Legal Update and Q&A with our Legislative Director Debra Dyleski-Najjar, Esquire
9:00 - 10:30 Program
1.5 SHRM & HRCI credits pending
TOPIC: "From Misstep to Lawsuit: Where Employers Go Wrong"
This program emphasizes the critical importance of compliance with state and federal employment laws and highlights the necessity of maintaining well-documented policies to ensure adherence to these regulations and mitigate risks. It also addresses the consequences of non-compliance, including financial penalties, reputational harm, and potential litigation. Hosted by two plaintiff-side attorneys, this program also provides specific insights on the pitfalls that plague many separations and provides guidance on implementing fair and lawful disciplinary and termination practices to minimize the risk of legal disputes. Finally, this program underscores the value of equitable severance agreements as a tool to protect both the organization and employees, fostering smoother transitions and reducing the likelihood of post-termination claims.
Our Speakers: Patricia A. Washienko, Esq. and Allison L. Williard, Esq.
ALW Bio:
Ms. Williard is an employment attorney who represents individuals and employers in a wide range of employment and workplace-related matters. She counsels clients regarding day-to-day employment issues, including employee personnel policies and contracts, wage and hour issues, and discipline and termination. She also drafts and negotiates employment and separation agreements, as well as non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. She represents clients in administrative proceedings and in state and federal court.
Ms. Williard was selected by her peers to serve as Vice President of the Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association, an organization of attorneys committed to advancing employee rights. She is also active in MELA's Legislative Committee advancing legislation to protect Massachusetts workers.
Prior to joining Washienko Law Group, LLC, Ms. Williard worked as in-house counsel at a staffing agency where she advised management on variety of employment-related issues. Prior to serving as in-house counsel, Ms. Williard was an associate at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP, where she focused exclusively on employment-based immigration.
Ms. Williard earned her J.D. cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School, and her B.A. magna cum laude from Northeastern University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
PAW bio:
Ms. Washienko is an experienced employment attorney who represents individuals and small business in a wide range of employment and compensation matters. These include the negotiation and enforcement of sophisticated employment, compensation and separation agreements, and the litigation of workplace-related claims, including the prosecution and defense of discrimination, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements.
A skilled negotiator, Ms. Washienko often counsels and represents executives and professionals in complex contract and severance negotiations. She also represents individuals and companies litigating claims of wrongful termination, employment discrimination, and breach of contract, among others. Ms. Washienko also regularly represents high school, college, and graduate students in a wide range of disputes with their academic institutions, including academic, disciplinary, discrimination/Title IX, and sports scholarship issues. In those areas, she has steered cases to successful (and, at times, precedent-setting) resolution in state and federal courts, governmental agencies, arbitration and mediation.
Ms. Washienko is an active member of the Boston Bar Association and currently serves as a member of its Women’s Leadership and Advancement Forum Advisory Committee. She has previously served as a member of its governing Council and as Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Labor & Employment Section. Ms. Washienko has also served as Employment Section Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Lesbian & Gay Bar Association and is a member of the Women’s Bar Association. She has co-authored numerous amicus curiae briefs in cases raising significant issues in the fields of employment discrimination and civil rights law. She is also active in continuing legal education and has served on the MCLE Employment & Labor Law Curriculum Advisory Committee and as co-chair and frequent panelist of MCLE seminars and conferences. A co-author of “Closing the Gender Pay Gap In Medicine: A Roadmap for Healthcare Organizations and the Women Physicians Who Work for Them,” she has also published several articles on employment law issues relevant to both companies and executives and she serves as a quarterly commentator for the Massachusetts Discrimination Law Reporter.
Ms. Washienko earned an A.B. with honors from Harvard University in 1988 and her J.D. with honors from Boston University School of Law in 1998. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
Our Sponsor: Interesting in Sponsoring? Contact Julie Moore at jmoore@employmentpg.com
Location: Webinar
For more information:
Contact: Caitlin Clary
Email: cclary@borislow.com
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