Mr. Conine is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), strategic HR consultant and former senior human resources and labor relations executive with over three decades of experience evaluating, investigating and resolving human resources issues.
Prior to offering his service as an HR expert Mr. Conine testified as an employer representative before Federal and State courts, NLRB, EEOC and FEP enforcement agencies. He has negotiated and administered collective bargaining agreements with multiple labor organizations, and has led varied employer-level investigations concerning harassment/discrimination, failure to hire, wrongful termination, retaliation, back pay and union grievances.
Mr. Conine has served as a chief human resources officer, chief labor spokesperson, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary. He has been the principal employer representative in numerous complex employment litigation and arbitration matters and has trained management and supervisory personnel in employee and labor relations, labor contract interpretation and equal employment/affirmative action.
Background
Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:A: Cornell University, Bachelor of Science degree
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification
Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
A: Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA)
Cayuga Hospitality Advisors (Chair, Labor/Employee Relations Group)
Society for Human Resource Management
Labor & Employment Relations Association
Former Chairman, Santa Monica Hotel/Restaurant Welfare & Retirement Funds
Cornell Hotel Society
Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
A: University of Central Florida: Guest Lecture on Employer-Level Investigations
National Human Resources Association: Guest Speaker on "HR in the Boardroom"
Speaker & Session Leader at numerous in-house training sessions
Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
A: No
Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
A: I have been retained on three matters since 1/1/09
Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
A: Disability discrimination, wrongful termination, retailiation, failure to accommodate, harassment, HR policies and procedures, workers compensation claim handling procedures, FMLA/ADA accommodations and employer leave-granting practices
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
A: To date, 33% (as of 9/15/09)
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
A: To date, 66% (as of 9/15/09)
Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
A: On three occasions in the role of expert; prior to my retirement, and in my role as principal employer representative, my deposition was taken on numerous occasions
Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
A: October 2009
Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
A: See below
Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
A: I have not yet testified in court in the role of expert; prior to my work as an expert I testified as principal employer representative on behalf of various employers before arbirators, mediators, in Federal/State courts, and before the National Labor Relations Board
Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
A: I have been the principal employer representative in numerous employment-related matters since 1979. I began work as an expert after retiring in 2008.
Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
A: Evaluation of and testimony concerning adequacy of employer-level investigations
Evaluation of and testimony concerning alleged discriminatory acts (e.g., failure to hire, train or promote; failure to accommodate; negligent hiring/negligent retention; sexual harassment.
Evaluation of and testimony concerning wage/hour matters; union grievances and retaliation; independent third party investigations, back and front pay calculations/lost income evaluations; litigation preparation; document evaluation
Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
A: Quoted upon request; depends upon volume of work
Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
A: Quoted upon request; depends upon volume of work, complexity of documents and need for written summaries and comments
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
A: Quoted upon request; depends upon case complexity
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
A: Quoted upon request; depends upon case complexity and time commitment
Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
A: Reasonable travel and office expenses in support of the client's engagement
References
William D. Claster, EsquirePartner
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher (Employment Matters; Wage/Hour Matters)
949-451-3804
James J. McDonald, Esquire
Managing Partner
Fisher & Phillips LLP (Employment Matters)
949-851-2424
Richard F. Taylor, Jr., Esquire (Workers Compensation Matters)
Managing Partner
Richard F. Taylor & Associates
949-475-0025
