Greenbaum attorneys James A. Robertson, Maja M. Obradovic and Ghatul Abdul will be among the faculty for a live webinar on “Religious Exemptions and the Status of Court Challenges to Vaccine Mandates,” to be presented by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 from 12:00pm – 1:40pm. Stephen B. Nolan, Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel - Health Care at Rutgers University, and Christopher H. Westrick, a partner at Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody & Agnello, LLC are also confirmed as panelists for this program.

As we begin a third year of the pandemic, the introduction of federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates continues to fuel conversation, controversy, conflict, and challenges in the nation’s courts. Against this emotionally charged and sometimes volatile backdrop, significant legal issues continue to evolve, including those which surround requests for exemption from federal vaccine mandates based on sincerely held religious beliefs. From mid-sized employers to corporate boardrooms, healthcare providers and institutions of higher education, the need to understand the complexities of this environment cannot be overstated.

This webinar will feature a timely and in-depth exploration of the three key federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates from the employment law, healthcare industry and higher education perspectives, with a focus on the current status of each mandate and the legal issues surrounding requests for exemption from those mandates due to religious beliefs.

The agenda for this program will address the current status of actions taken by the federal government to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory:

• The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Final Rule for Medicare and Medicaid Certified Providers and Suppliers
• Safer Federal Workforce Task Force COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Guidance for Federal Contractors/Subcontractors
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS)

Ms. Abdul, who will serve as moderator for this webinar, represents small businesses, entrepreneurs and startups, hospitals and healthcare entities, pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, universities, and other educational institutions. In the areas of employment, labor and healthcare litigation, she has experience related to claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD). During the pandemic, she has advised clients on Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), HIPAA and other related statutes.

Ms. Obradovic co-chairs the firm’s Employment Law Department. She concentrates her litigation practice primarily in the representation of public and private employers in employment related disputes at both the state and federal level. She also provides broad-based strategic employment counseling services to management personnel and human resources professionals.  Her experience encompasses a range of industries including healthcare and higher education. She has represented clients in the defense of employment claims under both New Jersey state and federal statute, including NJLAD, Title VII, ADA, FMLA, and the Conscientious-Employee Protection Act (CEPA).

Mr. Robertson chairs the firm’s Healthcare Department. His practice is reflective of his significant expertise across a wide range of legal disciplines, enabling him to effectively counsel clients on a myriad of healthcare regulatory, corporate and litigation matters. He represents a diverse array of healthcare industry clients including for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare and hospital systems, academic medical centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, integrated delivery networks, physicians and physician practice groups, and healthcare private equity funds.

Mr. Nolan joined Rutgers University in October of 2017.  He provides legal advice, counsel and guidance to the senior leadership of Rutgers Biomedical Health Science as it continues to build one of the strongest academic medical centers in the country. He collaborates on a variety of transactional, regulatory, and strategic matters.

Mr. Westrick is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney. He counsels and represents clients in employment, construction, and other types of complex commercial litigation. His experience in employment matters includes claims of discrimination, harassment, wage and hour violations, family leave violations, and contract disputes. He also negotiates employment-related agreements and counsels clients on day-to-day employment matters.

Additional program details and registration on the NJICLE website.