Kara M. Maciel, Member of the Firm and co-editor of the Hospitality Labor and Employment Law blog will participate in a panel discussion at the Hospitality Law Conference on February 10, 2014 in Houston, Texas.   In this featured panel  –  "Deciphering Government Regulations (ACA, ADA, WARN Act, Sanctioned Person/Entity Challenges) and Their Impact on Management Agreements", Kara will speak on the following areas affecting hospitality employers:

  • Provide an overview of the federal WARN Act, such as the threshold requirements for coverage under WARN; when and to whom hotels must provide WARN notice; termination events that trigger hotels’ WARN notice requirements; and the statutory penalties for non-compliance.
  • Discuss hotel owners’ and managers’ WARN responsibilities during a sale of a hotel.
  • Offer guidance on how hotel managers can build protection against WARN liabilities in their management agreements.
  • Address hotel owners’ and managers’ joint obligations under Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act and its corresponding federal regulations.
  • Discuss key revisions to hotels’ policies and procedures regarding service animals, power driven mobility devices, reserving handicap accessible rooms, and communicating with vision, hearing, and speech impaired guests.
  • Discuss key architectural revisions for entrances, swimming pools, spas, parking lots, and ATM’s.
  • Recommend best practices to hotel owners and managers on ensuring ADA-compliant hotels and minimizing vulnerability to “drive by” lawsuits and DOJ investigations.

For more information on the conference, visit hospitalitylawconference.com.