LifeHR Presents: Navigating Today’s HR Legal Challenges in Life Sciences
When: June 16, 2025
7:30 - 8:00 AM, Networking and Breakfast
8:00 - 9:00 AM, Program
9:00 - 9:30AM, Networking
Program Overview
The HR legal landscape is changing rapidly — are you prepared?
Join LifeHR for an engaging and informative session designed specifically for HR professionals in the life sciences industry. Hear from legal experts as they break down two of the most pressing workplace issues impacting employers today.
Featured Topics:
Expanding Leave and Accommodation Obligations
Employee leave eligibility and accommodation requirements continue to evolve, creating increasing complexity for HR teams. This discussion will explore the growing range of protected leaves, expanding accommodation expectations, and practical compliance considerations — with special focus on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and its impact on employers.
Critical Immigration Changes and Employer Impact
Ongoing immigration policy changes under the current administration may significantly affect your organization’s hiring strategies, talent retention, workforce planning, and global mobility programs. Learn what’s changing, what risks employers should be aware of, and how to prepare your organization.
This program highlights some of the most critical immigration issues facing life science employers today, such as
- The $100K H-1B fee — who pays, who doesn't, and how to plan around it
- The H-1B lottery update
- Surging processing delays and their impact on hiring timelines
- Current adjudication trends
- Employer compliance and immigration enforcement; how to prepare for an FDNS site visit; I-9 audits; DOL Project Firewall
This interactive session is designed to be practical and relevant, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions about the legal and compliance challenges your own organization may be facing.
Connect with peers, hear expert guidance, and stay ahead of the legal developments shaping today’s workplace.
Save your spot for this timely LifeHR event — we look forward to seeing you there!
Please note: This event is designed for HR professionals and LifeHR vendor members. We kindly request that non-member vendors refrain from attending.
Tickets:
LifeHR Member- No Cost
HR Professional (Non-Member)- $50.00
Presenters:
Keia Atkinson, Partner Fisher Phillips
Initially coming from a traditional “big law” background representing California and nationwide employers, Keia is experienced on both the defense and plaintiff’s sides of employment litigation matters. His past work includes matters involving litigating and resolving single plaintiff harassment, discrimination, misclassification, whistleblower, and wrongful termination claims, as well as wage and hour class action and representative claims under the Private Attorneys’ General Act (PAGA). His experience includes representing employers of all sizes, from Fortune 50 companies to small businesses with 5 or fewer employees, in administrative hearings and state and federal court in matters involving claims of unpaid wages, exempt status, breach of contract, wrongful termination, harassment and discrimination, independent contractor status, and improper paystubs. Keia also provides employers with experienced advice and counsel on a variety of employment issues, including but not limited to employee leaves and accommodation; internal misconduct and other HR investigations; harassment and other mandatory employer-provided training; employee counseling and discipline, company handbooks; arbitration programs and policies; wage and hour litigation and audits; and more.
Prior to joining Fisher Phillips, Keia represented employees in employment and consumer protection class action and representative matters. Before that, he represented employers for a Vault 25 firm from its San Diego office. Keia has also served as Adjunct Professor at the University of San Diego School of Law and has been an active contributor to the school’s mock trial program.
Teodora D. Purcell, LLM, JD
Teodora (Teo) D. Purcell is a distinguished immigration attorney whose work is influenced by her own immigrant journey. Born and raised in Bulgaria, she earned JD and LLM degrees from Sofia University in 1998, followed by an LLM in Comparative Law from the University of San Diego in 2001. Licensed in both California and Bulgaria, Ms. Purcell has over 20 years of experience and has been a California State Bar–Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law since 2011.
She is the founding partner of Purcell Law, APC, a boutique immigration law firm in San Diego focused on business and family immigration, global mobility, and compliance. Her career includes leadership roles at top firms such as Fragomen, Duane Morris, Tafapolsky & Smith, and Larrabee Albi Coker, where she represented Fortune 500 companies, startups, entrepreneurs, and individuals in complex immigration matters. Her court admissions include the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth, Tenth, and Fifth Circuits, and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
Ms. Purcell’s expertise spans employment-based immigration, family immigration, investment and entrepreneur visas, asylum and humanitarian relief, and administrative/federal appeals. She is also a Global MobilityTalent Specialist (WERC) with deep experience in international transfers and compliance.
To attend all future programs complimentarily, consider becoming a LifeHR Member!
If you have any questions, please reach out to Allison or Phyllis at info@lifehr.org
