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Speakers

Christopher J. Conrad, shareholder in the Harrisburg office of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, is slated to speak at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Exceptional Children Conference on Friday in Philadelphia.

Conrad and fellow panelists will present, "Federal Law and the Art of Email Maintenance: When Must Emails be Produced Under IDEA and FERPA."

The program will explore whether emails can be classified as "education materials" and when they must be produced under federal law.

A member of Marshall Dennehey's professional liability department, Conrad defends school districts, intermediate units and other academic institutions in civil rights litigation and in all phases of special education litigation.

He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's legal services for exceptional children committee.

Events

Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano is sponsoring the Lupus Foundation of America's 28th annual Lupus Loop 5K run and 2.5K walk Oct. 27.

Proceeds will be used to fulfill the foundation's mission to improve the quality of life for people affected by lupus through research, education, support and advocacy programs.

The race is set to begin at 8:30 a.m., with check-in starting at 7 a.m. The course will cover the Memorial Hall Loop in West Fairmount Park.

Pond Lehocky is also sponsoring a team of 11 participants, including partner Thomas J. Giordano Jr. and chief human resources officer Jennifer Heinz.

This summer, Giordano was named to the Lupus Foundation board of directors.

Giordano frequently participates in speaking engagements for the Lupus Foundation, discussing the rights that those suffering from the disease have.

Giordano leads Pond Lehocky Disability, the firm's nationwide Social Security and disability insurance arm.

Giordano is a founding partner of Pond Lehocky.

He currently serves as the chair of the Social Security disability committee of the American Association of Justice and as the co-chair of the Social Security disability section of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

He previously served on the board of the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania.

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Drinker Biddle & Reath is slated to host a half-day CLE seminar titled "Understanding the California Consumer Privacy Act and Avoiding its Pitfalls" on Oct. 30.

The seminar will highlight the CCPA's requirements for the collection, storage and protection of consumer data—and potential legal consequences for companies that fail to comply.

Panelists will include privacy officers, compliance leaders and both in-house and outside counsel with extensive experience addressing privacy issues in a range of industries.

The program will be held from noon to 4 p.m. in the firm's Philadelphia office.

Elected and Appointed

Edward Leeds, a Ballard Spahr attorney who focuses his work on health benefit plans and related matters, was elected a fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel.

Leeds was inducted at the College's 2019 Induction Dinner in Washington, D.C.

The ACEBC works to advance the understanding and appreciation of employee benefits law and encourages ongoing study and discussion of employee benefits issues.

The ACEBC's board of governors selects fellows from among those nominated based on their professional excellence, exemplary character and contributions to the advancement of the employee benefits field.

All Fellows must have at least 20 years of experience practicing employee benefits law. Based in Philadelphia, Leeds serves as counsel in the firm's employee benefits and executive compensation group.

Leeds advises clients on the design, administration and taxation of health and other welfare benefit plans.

He represents employers in complex negotiations and contracting with insurers, third-party administrators and other vendors.

Leeds provides counsel on compliance with applicable regulations and laws, including the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, HITECH and COBRA.

He is a frequent speaker on health and welfare benefits topics.