Faith and Law Seminar 2009 Agenda - October 6, 2009
To register, please visit www.gentrylocke.com/faithlaw.
For more information about legal issues facing faith-based organizations,
please visit www.gentrylocke.com/faith.
THIS EVENT IS APPROVED FOR 6.0 CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION (CLE) CREDITS
8:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Opening Remarks – Matt Broughton and Mike Pace
9:00 a.m. Common Employment Related Legal Issues with Paul Klockenbrink, Diane Geller, and David Paxton. Topics include:
Part I:
- Hiring and Firing
- Employee Background Checks
- Issues related to volunteer staff (compensation, liability, etc.)
Part II:
- Investigating misconduct
- Policies for investigations
- Reporting requirements, etc.
10:15 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. Legal Liability for Houses of Worship with Guy Harbert and Monica Monday. Topics include:
- Who can be liable for libel, slander, bodily injury, motor vehicle accidents, property damage, etc.
- Liability of individual house of worship members and members of governing bodies
- Application of charitable immunity
11:00 a.m. Insurance Coverage for Houses of Worship: Topics include:
- Health insurance for employees and staff
- Liability insurance (including specialized insurance coverage for various activities and policy limits)
11:30 a.m. Constructing, Maintaining, and Improving Your Facilities with Brett Marston and RL Price. Topics include:
- What are the considerations that a house of worship needs to take into account for a renovation, addition, or new construction project?
- How does the typical construction process work in regards to design, financing, construction, insurance, and contracting?
- Insights into legal and construction matters for successful project completion
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Donations, Tithes, and Salaries with Lewis Conner. Topics include:
- Who is responsible for paying taxes?
- What income/benefits are subject to income tax and/or property tax?
- How do you structure planned giving?
- What actions affect tax-exempt status?
- Extending tax-exempt status to newly acquired property
2:15 p.m. Corporate Governance, Real Estate and Financing Issues with Bryson Hunter. Topics include:
- Choosing a legal structure for your religious non-profit (who chooses the structure, picking a structure that fits your organization, etc.)
- Obtaining financing for your projects
- What terms banks have for loaning money to houses of worship and other faith-based organizations
2:45 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. Putting out the Fire (or Building It) – How to Handle Bad News or Promote your Good News with Matt Broughton and Ben Byrd, and featuring John Carlin from Access PR
- Have a plan in place before the crisis
- Who should be your spokesperson
- When should you talk to the media, what should you say, and should you issue something in writing?
- What if the subject involves litigation?
- Clergy-penitent privilege (application and limitations)
- What constitutes proper contact with adults and children?
3:45 p.m. What Every Board Member Needs to Know with Greg Haley. Topics include:
- Types of insurance coverage (D&O, employee practices, etc.)
- Knowing the structure of your entity
- The importance of reading contracts before signing them
- Raising the issue of mismanagement and other problems
- Other problems that you may face (war stories)
Questions? Please contact Mim Young at 540.983.9385 or email mim_young@gentrylocke.com.