Ogletree Deakins Podcasts

In this podcast, Harris Freier (shareholder, Morristown) and Lauren Watson (associate, Raleigh) discuss the growing issue of misdirected wire transfers tied to data breaches. Lauren and Harris begin by addressing social engineering and phishing, and how these types of business email compromise scams by cybercriminals occur. The speakers also review the importance of having an incident response plan, the legal obligations for breach notifications, and strategies for recovering misdirected funds, emphasizing the need for swift action and thorough verification processes to prevent future incidents.

In the second installment of Ogletree Deakins’ new podcast series, Payroll Brass Tax, Mike Mahoney (shareholder, Morristown/New York) and Stephen Kenney (associate, Dallas) discuss multi-jurisdictional tax issues for hybrid and remote employees. Stephen explains the complexities employers face with varying state and local income tax withholding rules, unemployment insurance contributions, and state-specific benefit programs, emphasizing the importance of a state-by-state analysis. Mike and Stephen explore the nuances of non-resident income tax withholding, reciprocal income tax agreements, and the “convenience of the employer” rule. They also address the impact of multi-jurisdictional employees on state benefit contributions and the registration obligations for employers with remote workers in new jurisdictions.

In this episode of our podcast series, The AI Workplace, Sam Sedaei (associate, Chicago) and Hera Arsen (Director of Content) discuss recent developments in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application in the workplace. Sam and Hera delve into a proposed federal regulation that aims to prevent states from regulating AI for the next decade. They also discuss a significant collective action, which alleges that an employer’s use of AI-based hiring tools resulted in age, race, and disability-related discrimination. The podcast wraps up with an overview of new regulations in California concerning employers’ use of AI and automated decision-making systems. The regulations, which may take effect as early as July 1, 2025, clarify that using this technology to make employment decisions may violate the state’s anti-discrimination laws and outline the limitations on such use.

In this podcast, Scott Kelly (shareholder, Birmingham) sits down with Tim Fox, the Director of Ogletree’s Practice Innovation and Analytics team, to discuss the firm’s new Workforce Analytics and Compliance Practice Group. Scott, who chairs the practice group, and Tim explain how the new group utilizes the firm’s data analytics capabilities to help employers with compliance in a wide range of challenging areas, including equal employment opportunity, government reporting, and pay equity. They also discuss how a multidisciplinary approach enables legal and analytics professionals to collaborate in assisting employers throughout the employment life cycle, from hiring and compensation to benefits and retention.

In part two of our Cybersecurity installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2025 podcast series, Ben Perry (shareholder, Nashville) and Justin Tarka (partner, London) discuss the steps to take after resolving and containing a ransomware incident. Justin and Ben, who is co-chair of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Group, highlight several key areas, including preparing the response team, implementing training for relevant employees and regular reviews of cybersecurity measures; developing a comprehensive incident response plan and assembling a dedicated response team; identifying opportunities for long-term infrastructure improvements; and assessing other areas of external risk management, such as data mapping and retention processes, vendor due diligence, and notification obligations.

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Patty Shapiro (shareholder, San Diego) and Maya Barba (associate, San Francisco) discuss key considerations for short-term international business travel. Maya and Patty explore the distinction between “business activity” and “productive work”—a difference that can determine whether work authorization is required. They also touch on duty of care and what that means for employers supporting employees on international business travel.

In this podcast, Jay Patton (shareholder, Birmingham) and Kiosha Dickey (counsel, Columbia) provide an update on significant changes to EEO-1 filing obligations. Kiosha and Jay discuss the shorter EEO-1 filing window, which opened on May 20, 2025, and which will close on June 24, 2025. They also discuss the removal of the non-binary reporting option in alignment with Executive Order 14168 and discuss its implications for employers. Kiosha and Jay offer practical tips for reporting remote employees, emphasizing the importance of correctly assigning fully remote staff based on their supervisor’s location. They also cover the critical steps for reporting mergers, acquisitions, and spinoffs, highlighting the need for early preparation and accurate data collection.

In part one of our Cybersecurity installment of our Workplace Strategies Watercooler 2025 podcast series, Ben Perry (shareholder, Nashville) and Justin Tarka (partner, London) discuss key factors employers should consider when facing ransomware incidents. The speakers begin by simulating an incident response and outlining the necessary steps to take after a security breach occurs. Justin and Ben, who is co-chair of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Group, discuss best practices when investigating a ransomware incident, assessing the impact of the incident, containing the situation, communicating with stakeholders, fulfilling notification requirements, and adhering to reporting obligations. The speakers also address considerations when responding to ransom requests, including performing a cost-benefit analysis regarding payment, reviewing insurance coverage, identifying potential litigation risks, fulfilling ongoing notification obligations, addressing privacy concerns, and more.

In this episode of our Cross-Border Catch-Up podcast series, Maya Barba (San Francisco) and Kate Thompson (New York, Boston) discuss the intricacies of mandatory anti-harassment training and policies across various countries. Kate and Maya provide an overview of the requirements in Australia, China, South Korea, India, Romania, and Peru, among other countries. The speakers  review which employees need to be trained, the duration and frequency of required training programs, and the types of harassment, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and bullying, that these trainings must cover.

In this episode of our Safety Perspectives From the Dallas Region podcast series, shareholders John Surma (Houston) and Frank Davis (Dallas) discuss pending litigation regarding the constitutionality of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) administrative law judges (ALJs). Frank and John review the arguments supporting the claim that the current system for handling workplace safety disputes is unconstitutional. They specifically highlight issues such as the absence of the right to a jury trial, improper appointments of judges, restrictions on the president’s authority to remove judges, and an insufficient number of OSHRC members to adequately review cases.