Mayor Bill de Blasio spent the week in Brooklyn as a part of the "City Hall in Your Borough" series. During the week, the administration made several announcements, including the start of a pilot program to add hundreds of electric pedal-assist bikes to increase bike-share coverage in the borough as well as plans to redesign four Brooklyn police precincts and a new school building in East New York. The administration also announced an $8.9 million dollar restoration of Grand Army Plaza.

On Tuesday, Mayor de Blasio and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg appointed former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and current New York State Senator Michael Gianaris to the Metropolitan Transport Sustainability Advisory Workgroup. Comprised of ten members appointed by city and state officials, the Workgroup is tasked with reviewing the regional transportation networks including subways, buses, Metro-North, and the Long Island Railroad. The group will also study issues related to sustainability on motor vehicle traffic and congestion among other transportation related topics. The workgroup is scheduled to release a report with their recommendations by the end of the year.

On Thursday, the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) announced that Anita Laremont will succeed Purnima Kapur as the next executive director of the department. Laremont has served as DCP general counsel and chief analytics officer since joining the Department in 2014, following a 25 year career in the Empire State Development Corporations' legal department.

Next Wednesday, August 29th, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his Democratic opponent for governor Cynthia Nixon are scheduled to hold their first public debate ahead of Primary Day on September 13th. The event will be televised on New York's local CBS affiliate WCBS.

On Thursday, September 13 all Cozen O’Connor clients are invited to participate in “New York City in 2018: An Update on Labor and Employment Issues Affecting Employers.” The conference is filled with a robust schedule of leading attorneys discussing important topics and issues facing employers. Please see below for details including a full agenda and RSVP information, or click here.

An Update on Labor and Employment Issues Affecting Employers

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Breakfast/Registration: 8:00 -- 8:30 a.m. Seminar and Lunch: 8:30 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception: 5:00 -- 6:00 p.m.

Convene 780 Third Avenue Midtown East, Concourse Level 2 Hub Conference Room New York, NY 10017

Join Cozen O'Connor attorneys as we discuss hot labor and employment legal issues that in-house counsel, management, and HR professionals are facing in 2018.

Also featuring special speakers: Justin Mulaire, EEOC, New York District Office Richard Aborn, President, NYC Citizens Crime Commission

Topics include:

• Employer Investigations and Considerations in the #MeToo Era -- Susan Eisenberg and Justin Mulaire

• Restrictive Covenants in 2018: New Legislative Initiatives and Antitrust Enforcement --Jonathan Cavalier and David Reichenberg

• Trump Administration Part 1: Updates from the NLRB and OSHA -- Robert Hawkins and John Ho

• Managing Medical Issues with Employees: Medical Marijuana and Sick/Family Leave Laws --George Voegele and Sionne Rosenfeld

• Live From New York, It's A Whole New Slate of Employment Regulations -- Michael Schmidt

• Lunch Keynote Address: The Latest Cybersecurity Threats and Initiatives -- Richard Aborn

• Evolving Issues in Discrimination Law: LGBTQ, Equal Pay and More --Julie Trester and Jennifer Queliz

• Trump Administration Part 2: Latest Wage and Hour Trends -- David Barron and Jennifer Williams

• In-House Counsel/Human Resources Roundtable: What is Keeping Us Up At Night 

• Dusting Off Your Docs: Considerations for Your Handbooks, Separation and Confidentiality Agreements, and More -- Debbie Friedman

• Trump Administration Part 3: Trending Immigration and Benefits Issues -- Jay Dorsch and Scott Bettridge