Ms. Freeman has been with Unum Group since 2000 when they started the leave management service. Ms. Freeman’s primary responsibility is to support Unum’s leave management center, which administers FMLA, ADA, and over 200 complementary state laws. In addition, she provides general employment law support for Unum. Ms. Freeman partners with the operation and their employer customers to ensure an absence management program compliant with federal and state leave laws. Ms. Freeman received her Bachelor of Science degree in organizational management from Covenant College, her Juris Doctor from the Nashville School of Law, and is licensed to practice law in the State of Tennessee. She is a certified trainer for SHRM and CE credit, and is a frequent speaker on FMLA and ADA.

Don Lipsy is a manager in the managed care specialty products division of Sedgwick. Specializing in pharmacy and utilization review (UR), Don has over a decade of experience in the design and implementation of pharmacy and UR solutions specific to workers’ compensation, as well as special expertise in government advocacy efforts related to these areas. A graduate of the University of San Diego School Of Law, Don spent several years defending California State hospitals and doctors in medical malpractice and toxic tort litigation. Following that experience, Don chose to leave practice and enter the world of workers’ compensation, specializing in regulatory compliance, research, and advocacy.

Serving clients nationwide, Eric is a Partner at FisherBroyles, LLP, which is the largest full-service, cloud-based law firm in the world, with approximately 220 attorneys in over 20 offices nationwide. Eric is also a volunteer EEOC mediator, a paid private mediator, and publisher of The Employer Handbook.

Desiree R. Tolbert-Render serves as the assistant vice president of national technical compliance and workers’ compensation for Sedgwick. In this important role, Desiree serves customers and consumers by researching and maintaining regulatory tracking to ensure compliance with national workers’ compensation statutes and regulations. Through ongoing communication and training, she also helps ensure Sedgwick colleagues understand their role in complying with statutory and regulatory changes. Desiree has more than 30 years of experience as an insurance professional, with a record of success in the areas of multi-jurisdictional claims handling, management, marketing, and customer service. She holds a certification in workers’ compensation litigation from the WCCP, an associate in claims designation, and an associate in service designation.