Calendar of Events

Presented by Kristen Brightmire
Doerner Saunders

HR Directors (and all of HR) communicate within their workplace all day, every day.  They do so to communicate positive information about programs, benefits, promotions, and the like.  They do so in more difficult situations such as when they receive grievances, issue discipline, or institute layoffs.  This session will focus on remembering the intended goals of communication and documentation with a heavy dose of the unintended consequences which can come from inattention to our communication and documentation – litigation.

Learning Objectives:

1. Verbal and nonverbal communication – complicated but necessary steps.
2. When and why you need to reduce things to writing.
3. How you should reduce things to writing.
4. What your lawyer wishes you knew about the “documents” you are creating.

Ms. Brightmire began her practice as an employment attorney at Doerner Saunders in 1990.  In 2002, she left to join one of her clients, CITGO Petroleum Corporation, as in-house counsel responsible for its employment, labor, and employee benefits legal matters.  She remained with CITGO until its relocation of its corporate offices to Houston.  Ms. Brightmire returned her practice to Doerner Saunders and now heads the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group.

Ms. Brightmire has substantial legal experience in the labor and employment area, representing employers in every aspect of the practice.  In non-litigation matters, Ms. Brightmire has counseled numerous clients as to employee-related matters as well as drafted and reviewed policies, handbooks, employment contracts, severance programs, severance agreements, and relocation programs.  She has also represented clients at every step of the litigation process from the administrative agency through trial and appeal.

Ms. Brightmire is recognized in her field by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers USA, and has an A-V® Preeminent™ Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating.  She was selected as one of the Top 25 Women Attorneys for Oklahoma by Super Lawyers® in 2010-2011 and 2013-2016.  She was named by Best Lawyers as 2013 and 2017 Tulsa Litigation – Labor & Employment “Lawyer of the Year.”  She is also a Fellow with the Litigation Counsel of America.