The Buck Stops Here: Tackling Workplace Harassment & Discrimination at Every Level

Jessica Taub Rosenberg is a trial lawyer and former Assistant District Attorney with experience representing employers and prominent senior executives in all aspects of employment-related litigation before federal and state courts, administrative agencies and arbitration panels.
Jessica’s litigation experience includes defense of claims of discrimination, retaliation and harassment; disputes involving the enforcement of employment contracts and non-competition covenants; and tort claims such as fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference and defamation. Jessica also advises clients on terminations and other disciplinary actions; employment, consulting and separation agreements; investigations of alleged harassment and other employee misconduct; employment policies and practices; and litigation avoidance.
Jessica has been recognized as a leading employment lawyer by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, Crain’s New York Business, Benchmark Litigation, Euromoney, Lawdragon and Diversity Journal.

Marni Helfand is the Chief HR Officer and General Counsel for The Planet Group, which provides high-value outsourced global workforce solutions and consulting services to Fortune 500 and top companies. Marni oversees all legal and HR functions, including employment law, litigation, real estate, IP, and general corporate matters.
Marni was voted one of the top 100 women in the staffing industry in 2022 and is a regular speaker on a variety of HR and Legal topics.

Michelle Warner is currently Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer for the Delaware River and Bay Authority.
Previously, Michelle served as the interim CEO for a small startup company and spent ten years as a policy advisor to several New Jersey Cabinet Secretaries. Michelle began her career as a litigator at a small South Jersey law firm.?
Michelle is currently a member of several non-profit boards, including the Association of Corporate Counsel, Greater Philadelphia Chapter, the Villanova Law Women’s Network Board of Advisors, and the Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics at St. Joseph’s University. She previously served as an appointed member of the Supreme Court of NJ District VII Ethics Committee and as an elected member of the Medford Township, New Jersey Board of Education.

Ms. Ripper has worked for Unum Group for 26 years. In 2000, she helped build the Leave Management Center, now known as the Absence Management Center, a unit within Unum Group that administers FMLA and state leave laws for employers/customers which now covers 2.8 million lives. She continues to provide legal support for the Absence Management Center and has done so since its inception. Ms. Ripper speaks at seminars nationally on FMLA and ADA and is featured annually by DMEC with a representative from DOL to speak on FMLA. She is a certified trainer for SHRM and CE credit.
Ms. Ripper advises HR daily on decisions ranging from initial hires to disciplinary actions to termination. She works with HR on Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, Immigration, OSHA as well as strategic matters. She also advises on Reductions in Force, reviews contracts, and advises the Absence Management Center on the FMLA and the ADA.
Ms. Ripper received her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1986 and her JD from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1989. She is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, the Chattanooga Bar Association and the Association of Threat Management Professionals. Ms. Ripper served on the National Advisory Board of In-house Counsel for M. Lee Smith Publishers. Ms. Ripper served on the Finance Board for St. Jude Catholic Church. She is the past Chairperson of the school board for St. Jude Catholic School and served on the school board for Notre Dame High School. Ms. Ripper serves on the Board of the Northside Neighborhood House and is on the Board for Chambliss Center for Children.

Michelle is an employment lawyer at Yelp Inc., and is based in the Chicago area. In her role, Michelle manages Yelp's international employment issues, primarily in Europe and Canada. As an in house lawyer, Michelle combines legal advice with practical business sense to help her multi-jurisdictional employer clients navigate tricky employment issues. Michelle has experience with all aspects of employment law, including discrimination and harassment claims, wage and hour issues, workforce reductions, employment and executive contracts and separation agreements, workplace policies, due diligence, investigations, EEOC and state agency claims, and litigation.