January 23, 2012 (MMD Newswire) — Mr. Juan Fernandez, O’Toole Fernandez Weiner Van Lieu, LLC, has been selected to speak at the 2012 Annual Conference of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM.) Mr. Fernandez is slated to speak on the topic of DIVERSITY – Improving the attorney-client relationship and meeting the client’s diversity and other corporate goals through an effective Relationship Partner.

Juan C. Fernandez has 22 years experience in labor and employment law and commercial litigation and has also served as Essex County Counsel, Assistant Union County Counsel and Union Township Municipal Prosecutor. He is a former member of the District Ethics Committee and The New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority. Mr. Fernandez maintains an active litigation practice in labor and employment matters and has represented corporate clients in the courts of New Jersey, New York and abroad. Mr. Fernandez also provides commercial litigation services to corporate clients focused on restrictive covenants and employment disputes. Mr. Fernandez is a member of the New Jersey State and Federal Bars.

The CLM conference will be one of the largest, fully inclusive defense industry conferences in 2012. It will be held March 28-30 in San Diego, California where more than 80 collaborative educational sessions featuring more than 300 speakers are scheduled and is expected to draw attendees from around the world.

About the CLM

The Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) is an inclusive, collaborative organization that promotes and furthers the highest standards of claims and litigation management and brings together the thought leaders in both industries. CLM’s Members and Fellow include risk and litigation managers, insurance and claims professionals, corporate counsel, outside counsel and third party vendors. The CLM sponsors educational programs, provide resources and fosters communication among all in the industry. To learn more about the CLM, please visit www.TheCLM.org

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Agreement includes $219,000 in back wages and interest for 69 African-American and Caucasian applicants plus job offers for some

HOUSTON (MMD Newswire) January 13, 2012 — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs today announced that government contractor JacintoPort International LLC has agreed to settle allegations of hiring discrimination on the basis of race involving 48 African-American and 21 Caucasian job applicants who were rejected for longshoreman positions at the company’s cargo facility in Houston.

“In this day and age, it is shocking that any company would allow race to be a factor in determining who gets hired,” said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. “This settlement should put all federal contractors on notice that, in the Obama administration, we will be persistent when it comes to rooting out workplace discrimination and will vigilantly monitor employers who violate the law until they get it right.”

OFCCP previously cited JacintoPort for violating requirements of Executive Order 11246 by failing to implement an applicant tracking system for new hires, and to develop and execute action-oriented programs to recruit women and African-Americans. That matter was settled on June 6, 2006, with a conciliation document in which JacintoPort agreed to correct the violations and produce semiannual reports on the company’s progress in employing women and minorities.

In reviewing those progress reports, OFCCP investigators found that the company was giving preferential treatment to Latino applicants and systematically discriminating against African-Americans and Caucasians seeking longshoreman jobs. Under the terms of the latest conciliation agreement, JacintoPort will pay $219,000 in back wages and interest to the affected individuals, and make 17 job offers to members of the original class as longshoreman positions become available. In addition, JacintoPort has agreed to undertake extensive self-monitoring measures to ensure that all hiring practices fully comply with the law, including record-keeping requirements.

JacintoPort, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Seaboard Corp., currently holds more than $1.2 million in contracts to store and transport cargo for the Defense Commissary Agency.

In addition to Executive Order 11246, OFCCP enforces Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. As amended, these three laws require those who do business with the federal government, both contractors and subcontractors, to follow the fair and reasonable standard that they not discriminate in employment on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. For general information, call OFCCP’s toll-free helpline at 800-397-6251 or visit its website at http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/.

Source: US DOL

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