3-Hour Program

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Overview

Why You Should Attend
For the past several months, allegations of sexual harassment and abuse in the entertainment industry perpetrated by high level male executives, producers and actors have the media, with new accounts announced each week.  These stories have opened a national dialogue on workplace harassment and the power imbalances within Hollywood that have allowed this problem to continue seemingly unchecked.  The emergence of the #MeToo movement and the bravery of women and men coming forward to share their experiences have shined a light on the inner workings of the entertainment industry and many high profile actors and industry leaders are advocating for change and greater gender equality.

Attorneys play important roles in shaping Hollywood’s response. Whether staffing in-house corporate departments or representing survivors of assault and harassment, unions, accused abusers, or trade associations, attorneys can help shape harassment law, negotiate for transparent and fair settlements and implement and uphold anti-harassment, anti-bias and gender equity policies. This program will provide a framework for understanding the current state and federal law on sexual harassment as well as discuss ways that attorneys, advocates and industry leaders can craft positive solutions.

What You Will Learn
How a lack of gender diversity in the industry, gender bias and gender discrimination contribute to a culture of harassment and what tangible steps the industry (studios, unions, and boards, etc.) can take to address this imbalance.
• Overview of federal and state sexual harassment laws and their relationship to other antidiscrimination laws.
• What obligations arise when studios, production companies, agencies, unions, boards, etc., learn of harassment and does the industry as a whole have a duty to address harassment and assault?  What possible liability might these entities face for a failure to investigate or follow HR or other sexual harassment policies or conversely for disciplining an accused harasser?
• What contract terms can individuals, studios, unions, etc. draft and negotiate to address harassment issues and possible liability?
• What are the potential dangers and benefits of confidential settlements, nondisclosure agreements, and forced arbitration?  By enabling these settlement tools and enforcing such agreements, have courts become complicit in a culture of silence that has allowed the problem of sexual harassment to continue unnoticed?
• How can the industry create robust harassment reporting, investigation and accountability systems that work, foster communication, and ward against retaliation? Are there examples of model policies that are working?

Who Should Attend
All attorneys who want to gain a deeper understanding of sexual harassment issues in the entertainment industry would benefit from attending. Human resources, diversity and inclusion, professional development and other employment-related professionals, as well as law students, are also encouraged to attend. 

Credit Details