Speakers & Events

The Arkansas Environmental Federation will hold its annual back-to-back Regulated Waste and Water workshops on May 16 and 17 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Regulated Waste seminar covers a variety of topics associated with solid waste, hazardous waste and recycling.  However, it will also address issues such as underground storage tanks, green building techniques, and OSHA issues.  Equally important, many of the presenters are Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) representatives. Mitchell Williams attorney Walter G. Wright will be undertaking the annual update on solid and hazardous waste case law, regulatory and legislative developments.

The Water workshop will be held on May 17 and address a number of Clean Water Act issues.  They include both NPDES point source and wetland issues.  The topics will include a number of hot button items such as interstate water issues – update on the Illinois River (presented by Allan Gates of Mitchell Williams) and 303 (d) list assessment methodologies.  As with the Regulated Waste seminar, many of the presentations will be given by ADEQ personnel.

A copy of the brochure can be downloaded below.

Mitchell Williams invites you to join us for a monthly benefits roundtable webinar series designed exclusively for company benefits managers. This roundtable discussion is designed to provide benefits professionals with an opportunity to learn and discuss current issues and trends in benefits law and strategy.
 
The format is open-ended with an introduction of current legal and regulatory issues presented by Tod Yeslow of Mitchell Williams. You are invited to listen-in, ask questions, and suggest future discussion topics of particular interest to you. We hope this opportunity will create a lively and robust forum that can become a reliable source for you  to  stay up-to-date on current developments or issues of concern, expose new ideas in benefits strategy, be used as a tool to address your specific issues, and support network building among your peers.
  
Recently Issued Guidance on Health Care Reform
 
Many regulations and effective dates pertaining to the Health Care Reform Act have been issued by the various regulatory authorities. This Webinar will provide employers with a list of those provisions and their effective dates and with a legal explanation of the enforcement rules and the penalties associated with failure to comply.
 
 
Register here.
 
DATE: Wednesday, April 18, 2012
TIME: 12 – 12:40 PM (CST)

The Little Rock Sustainability Summit will be held at the Clinton Presidential Library on April 12, 2012. the summit will run from 8:30am – 1pm and focus on how sustainability is good for businesses within the community. The guest speaker will be Pam Alabaster of L’Oreal. To register please email sustainabilitysummit@littlerock.org. For more information visit http://www.progressarkansas.com/progblog2/?p=1280.
Mitchell Williams’ attorney Walter G. Wright will speak on environmental law during the “Student Track” session of the Little Rock Sustainability Summit on April 12 at Heifer International Headquarters. The goal of the Student Summit is to discuss with students how they can choose careers in sustainability. The event is free and lunch is provided. If interested please contact the appropriate representative at your school.

Mitchell Williams invites you to join us for a monthly benefits roundtable webinar series designed exclusively for company benefits managers. This roundtable discussion is designed to provide benefits professionals with an opportunity to learn and discuss current issues and trends in benefits law and strategy.
 
The format is open-ended with an introduction of current legal and regulatory issues presented by Tod Yeslow of Mitchell Williams. You are invited to listen-in, ask questions, and suggest future discussion topics of particular interest to you. We hope this opportunity will create a lively and robust forum that can become a reliable source for you  to  stay up-to-date on current developments or issues of concern, expose new ideas in benefits strategy, be used as a tool to address your specific issues, and support network building among your peers.
 
March Webinar
 
Developments in Department of Labor issues 408(b)(2) Regulating Retirement Plan Fee Disclosures and IRS Reporting
In a press conference on Thursday, February 2, Phyllis Borzi, the Assistant Secretary of Labor of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”), announced that the final regulations under ERISA section 408(b)(2) have been issued. The issuance of this long-awaited regulation governs the specific disclosures pertaining to the contractual relationship plan fiduciaries have with their responsible plan’s service providers. The issuance of these final regulations also work to trigger the sixty-day period for the effective date for plan sponsors to comply with the disclosure requirements under ERISA section 404.

Also, the IRS announced on Friday, February 3, that the information gathered from the infamous “Questionnaire” is now consolidated in a report prepared by the IRS and posted on its website. The report describes the responses and identifies those areas where additional education, guidance, and outreach is needed; and how the IRS can focus its enforcement efforts to address and avoid non-compliance related to 401(k) plans. It is intended to be a resource for employers to identify areas of noncompliance and to access the correction programs available to them.

Mitchell-Williams webinar on March 13 will provide a more complete explanation of the newly-issued regulations on the disclosure requirements for plan’s provider fees as well as a comprehensive analysis of the IRS report.
 
 
Register here.
 
DATE: Tuesday, March 13, 2012
TIME: 1 – 1:40 PM (CST)

“Celebrate Mardi Gras” at Arkansas Environmental Federation’s 44th Annual Convention
November 2-4, 2011 | Hot Springs Convention Center

The AEF’s Mardi Gras will give you the chance to sneak a peek into the secret societies of environmental
regulators! A colorful parade of the Mystic Order of the Myths, a.k.a. ADEQ Division Chiefs, will be led by the
Mardi Gras Queen herself Director Teresa Marks, and Grand Marshal EPA Region 6 Administrator Dr. Al
Armendariz. Not to be outdone, the Mystic Society of Bead Recyclers, a.k.a. Regulated Waste Committee; the
Krewe of the Napoleonic Code, a.k.a. Air Committee; and the Hydratoxic Society, a.k.a. Water Quality Committee,
will vie to win your heart and soul by strutting their stuff down the streets of the Big Easy while tossing out
nuggets of information that you can use every day.
Mitchell Williams attorney Walter Wright will dicuss the threat to recycling at 11:15am on Thursday, November 3. To access the full convention brochure click here.