CALPELRA's 2025 Annual Training Conference, the 50th annual CALPELRA conference will be held in beautiful Monterey, California, the week of November 18-21.

Senior Partners Eli Makus and Sue Ann Van Dermyden are presenting at the 2025 AWI Virtual Training Institute for Workplace Investigators. Sue Ann will lead a session on “Report Writing” on October 17, 2025, at 11:00 AM PDT. Eli will present on “Evidence” on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 11:00 AM PDT.

Eli Makus and Matthew Rose will present “As If: Managing Complaints Made Against Local Officials” at the 30th Annual California JPIA Risk Management Educational Forum, taking place at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California, on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 10:14 AM.

Senior Partner Eli Makus presented virtually at the 2025 AWI Australia & New Zealand Conference on Thursday, September 4, at 9:00 AM, delivering his session titled “Navigating the Impact of AI on Workplace Investigations: Speaking from Experience.

VM’s Managing Partner Eli Makus and Alex Travin will present the AWI Workplace Investigations Credibility Workshop, a three-hour interactive online program focused on assessing credibility in workplace investigations. The workshop includes in-depth discussions on credibility factors and hands-on practice with realistic evidence scenarios in small group breakout sessions.

Addressing complaints against high-level executives and C-suite members presents unique challenges for in-house counsel, from managing intense scrutiny and power imbalances to preserving privilege.  This one-hour virtual presentation provides counsel with practical guidance on conducting and overseeing these high-stakes investigations, including selecting the appropriate investigator, managing conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality, and determining interim measures.  Attendees will gain insights on protecting the organization while ensuring fairness for all involved, with an emphasis on minimizing legal exposure and preserving the integrity of the investigation.

Van Dermyden Makus is proud to announce that Senior Partners Eli Makus and Sue Ann Van Dermyden, along with Senior Attorney Investigator Mark Gabel, have been named to the 2025 California Super Lawyers list — a distinction awarded to only the top 5% of attorneys in the state.

In addition, Senior Attorney Investigator Kayleigh Birks has been selected to the 2025 California Rising Stars list, an honor given to just 2.5% of emerging lawyers in California. To qualify, candidates must be 40 years old or younger or have been practicing law for 10 years or less.

VM’s Anurag Jain and Sue Ann Van Dermyden, present “Conducting Workplace Investigations to Uncover Hidden Financial Risks” at the 36th Annual Global Fraud Conference on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 9:00 AM Central Time.

VM’s Liz DeChellis and Lexi Weyrick, will present ‘Tackling Title IX Confidence: Conducting Legally Compliant Title IX Investigations in K-12 Schools’ at the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) 2025 Virtual Legal Summit on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

Senior Partner Eli Makus delivered the keynote presentation at the 2025 Workplace Investigations in Canada Hybrid Conference. His session, titled “When AI Joins The Investigation,” took place on Thursday, June 5 at 1:15 PM, and addressed the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in workplace investigations.

This online workshop is a three-hour interactive program designed to improve participants’ investigative report writing skills. Attendees will discuss effective report writing skills and have the opportunity to practice writing the analysis section of a report through small group activities in breakout rooms.

Partners Erich Knorr and Eli Makus will present “Key Considerations in Bullying Investigations” at the Arizona City Attorneys Association Annual Conference in Flagstaff, Arizona on Thursday, May 1st, at 2:55 PM.

Eli Makus, Managing Partner, presented "Workplace Investigator in the Hot Seat: Issues of Privilege and Impartiality" alongside the Workplace Investigations Subcommittee at the ERR Committee Midwinter Meeting & National Symposium on Technology in Labor & Employment Law on Wednesday, March 19th, at 11:30 AM.

Senior Attorney Investigators Kayleigh Birks and Sarah Tobias led a presentation titled “The Twists and Turns of Investigations: How to Tackle the Unexpected” on Wednesday, March 12, at 1:00 PM during the 2025 CalGovHR Conference & Expo in Sonoma Wine Country.