WIRTW #699: the “Mackrell” edition

By Jon Hyman on December 15, 2023

One of my primary business development goals for 2023 was for Wickens Herzer Panza to join a law firm network.

Mission accomplished!

WHP is the new Ohio member firm for Mackrell International. MI is a strongly connected, vetted, and trusted network of more than 4,500 lawyers across 90+ independent law firms and 170+ offices worldwide. Instantly, WHP transforms from a stalwart mid-size local firm to an international conglomerate with access to thousands of trusted lawyers across the country and around the globe.

We at WHP couldn’t be more excited for what this new relationship means to us and our clients. Becoming part of the MI family and expanding our platform outside of our state to a national and international scale significantly adds to our capabilities and our ability to service our clients.

Here’s what I read this week that you should read, too.

A Huge Holiday Party No-No: Tricking an Employee into Drinking — via Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas

Navigating the Naughty and Nice of Holiday Office Parties — via BeLabor The Point

The best office holiday party date story of all time — via Ask a Manager

Corporate Crises — and Reputational Recovery — Have Changed — via Harvard Business Review

Employees report new anxieties about AI — fueled by lack of guidance from leadership — via HR Dive

Investigation Launched Over $300K of Missing Burgundy From NYC Wine Storage Facility — via VinePair

I’m an employment lawyer. Here are 5 things you employers are doing wrong. — via Employment & Labor Insider

Did you know that companies can sue for race discrimination too? (And potentially win.) — via Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog

COVID Vaccine Class Action Reminds Employers to Individually Consider Accommodations — via Hunton Employment & Labor Law Perspectives™

DOL Aims for April 2024 Release of White-Collar Exemption Final Rule — via Wage and Hour Law Update

Brewers Association 2023 Recap: Craft’s First Volume Decline Outside of COVID, Brewery Closures Tick Up — via Brewbound