BOSTON – Sept. 16, 2026 – For the fourth consecutive year, global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP is a platinum sponsor of the Association of Corporate Counsel Central Ohio (CO-ACC), a leading organization serving in-house counsel throughout Central and Northwest Ohio. As part of the sponsorship, John R. Richards, global co-chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice and global chair of the Retail Industry Group, and Associate Katherine A. Barry presented “The New Work Rules: Top Legal Changes in Employment Affecting Your Business and Workforce,” Sept. 15 at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
The program explored the challenges employers face as they navigate competing legal mandates, shifting enforcement priorities, and rapidly evolving workplace expectations. Attendees gained practical insights into significant federal and state employment law developments, along with strategies to reduce liability, maintain compliance, and foster a strong workplace culture amid an increasingly complex legal landscape.
Richards is an established player in the retail industry and represents the full range of companies in the supply chain to address their cross-border and cross-practice legal, business, and operational needs, including designing and implementing compliance programs, responding to enforcement actions, and managing litigation. Within the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice, he drives relationships with clients to manage employment/human resources compliance and mitigate legal risk by preparing employment-related agreements and workplace policies suitable for cross-jurisdictional use; translating those policies into practice through audience-specific operating guides and job aids; auditing company policies, practices, and classifications; and presenting highly tailored, dynamic training sessions to virtually every type of employer audience, from the executive and leadership level to rank-and-file employees.
Barry focuses her practice on employment law counseling and business litigation for retail and hospitality clients. She counsels clients on a wide range of workplace matters, including employee onboarding, performance management, leave and accommodation, and wage and hour compliance. Barry conducts employment investigations and represents employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state administrative agencies, including the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.