The Annual Meeting of the New York State Bar Association kicked off on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 in Mid-Town Manhattan. The Annual Meeting enabled lawyers from all over the state to meet with fellow practitioners, to network and to attend panels led by experts in their respective fields on topics that will impact their practice areas. Two Sahn Ward Partners took leading roles at the Annual Meeting, serving as program chairs and sitting as panelists.
Firm Partner John Parker, Esq., who heads the Environmental, Energy and Resources Practice Group, serves as the Secretary of the Environmental and Energy Law Section, and also serves as a member of its Executive Committee and is Chair of the Legislation Committee. In addition to his other leadership roles, John was also selected to serve as Program Chair for the Environmental and Energy Law Section at the Annual Meeting, which means that John was responsible for the content and professionals chosen to be panelists. In his role as Program Chair, John was able to bring together a diverse schedule of experts and governmental regulators to discuss new and emerging legal issues that practitioners in Environmental and Energy Law will face in the coming years, particularly with the recent move away from supporting infrastructure for such things as wind farms, solar and battery-operated vehicles.
The panels that John organized will discuss the 50th Anniversary of Environmental Review Law (SEQRA), the changing role and responsibilities of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”), the role of nuclear power to meet future energy needs, the increased energy demand in general and as a result of the increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) in business, and the ethical issues and impacts with the use of AI in the environmental and energy regulatory context. In addition to putting together this great program, John also moderated an important panel discussion with the federal USEPA.
Firm Partner Danielé (“Danny”) De Voe, Esq., who heads the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group, served as Panel Leader for a Labor and Employment Law Committee Panel at the Annual Meeting.
Danny’s panel discussed the current legal issues arising from the rise in multijurisdictional employment caused by the increase in remote work after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Danny and her co-panelist discussed the various tests utilized by the courts when determining which law(s) apply, everyday issues faced by employees and employers when applying benefits required by states (such as New York paid sick leave, paid prenatal leave, and Paid Family Leave), and the ethical considerations that lawyers face when advising clients in the current multijurisdictional work environment.
John and Danny taking on leadership roles and being asked to serve as panelists at the Annual Meeting this week due to their respective expertise are just two examples of the many ways that Sahn Ward’s attorneys have become thought leaders in their fields.
For more information, visit www.sahnward.com.
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