The Retail Law Conference 2025 is a premier event organized by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), bringing together chief legal officers, general counsel, and law firm partners to address the legal, regulatory, and business challenges shaping the future of retail. This conference is designed to help retail counsel navigate a rapidly changing legal and economic landscape, including shifting customer and employee expectations, global trade challenges, emerging retail technologies, and complex regulatory environments.
Key topics covered at the conference include employment law, litigation trends, regulatory developments, workplace safety, and taxation. Attendees will gain insights into evolving customer and employee expectations, global trade challenges, emerging retail technologies, and the complex regulatory landscape. The program features keynotes, general sessions, breakout discussions, and networking opportunities tailored for retail legal leaders.
The conference offers numerous networking opportunities, including committee meetings, luncheons, and evening events designed to foster connections among retail legal professionals. Notable speakers include Merriann Metz, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Publix, and Deborah White, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel at RILA. The event also features specialized training sessions and a vendor showcase, providing attendees with practical insights and resources to address current legal challenges in the retail industry.
This conference is ideal for chief legal officers, general counsel, law firm partners, and other legal professionals in the retail sector. Attendees will benefit from practical insights on litigation trends, compliance, privacy, employment, and emerging risks, equipping them to advise their businesses and drive strategy with confidence.
Speakers(69)
Allison Lucas
Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Gap
Allison Lucas has over 25 years of legal and business experience across the technology, retail, and media sectors. She currently oversees legal and compliance operations across Gap's four brands: Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta.
Alyx Pattison
Director at Burford Capital
Alyx Pattison is a Director responsible for originating new business with law firms and companies as part of Burford’s US commercial investment team.
Amy Croft
General Counsel at VENUS Fashion
Amy Croft is the General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of VENUS Fashion, with prior experience focusing on commercial and insurance litigation.
Amy Howe
Co-Founder at SCOTUSblog
Amy Howe is the co-founder of SCOTUSblog and its primary reporter, with experience as counsel in over two dozen merits cases at the Supreme Court.
Amy Mudge
Partner at BakerHostetler
Amy Mudge leads BakerHostetler’s Advertising, Marketing and Digital Media team, counseling major advertisers through enforcement investigations and competitor challenges.
Ana Tagvoryan
Partner at Blank Rome
Ana Tagvoryan is a high-stakes corporate litigator with nearly two decades of experience advising and defending business clients in consumer-facing litigation and enforcement actions.
Andrew Johnstone
Counsel at Smith Gambrell Russell
Andrew Johnstone has over 25 years of legal experience handling complex legal challenges for large organizations, including roles as Interim General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel.
Ann Munson Steines
Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Nordstrom
Ann Munson Steines oversees Nordstrom’s risk management strategies and policies, providing strategic counsel on legal, risk, business, and operational matters.
Anne-Marie Waggoner
Associate General Counsel, Employment at Ashley Furniture
Anne-Marie Waggoner leads the employment legal and compliance teams at Ashley Furniture, with over 30 years of litigation experience.
BreAnna Davis
Corporate Counsel at The Finish Line
BreAnna Davis supports JD Finish Line's supply chain, brand management, IT department, and ESG work, with prior experience in mediation and litigation.
Daniel Kaleba
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel at Circle
Danielle Hohos
Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel at Williams-Sonoma
Danielle Hohos supports all nine brands at Williams-Sonoma, overseeing labor and employment, privacy, marketing, regulatory, government affairs, and litigation matters.
David Steele
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at The Home Depot
David Steele leads employment litigation, executive compensation, employee benefits, preventative law, legal operations, and operating unit oversight at The Home Depot.
Deborah White
Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, RILA; President, RLC at RILA
Deborah White oversees the legal function of RILA and serves as President of the Retail Litigation Center, advocating for the retail industry's top priorities in the judiciary.
Elbert Lin
Partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth
Elbert Lin, former Solicitor General of West Virginia, chairs the firm's Issues and Appeals practice, with experience in precedent-setting cases in appellate courts.
Elizabeth Baran
Senior Vice President & General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at DICK'S Sporting Goods
Heather Barber
Senior Counsel at CVS
Heather Barber is a seasoned in-house legal professional with two decades of experience managing litigation and navigating complex legal issues across multiple business lines.
Hien Nguyen
Director, Senior Counsel - Employment at Burlington
Hien Nguyen serves as Director – Senior Counsel, Employment at Burlington Stores, supporting cross-functional teams and specializing in California law.
Igor Bakhilov
Senior Corporate Counsel, Amazon Advertising at Amazon.com
Igor Bakhilov manages advertisement sales, custom campaigns, and global sales operations for Amazon.com, with prior roles in Amazon Web Services and Kindle division.
Ivan Zapien
Partner at Hogan Lovells
Ivan Zapien brings nearly three decades of experience in high-stakes policy debates and political strategy, with deep knowledge in the intersection of politics, process, and policy.
Jaime Santos
Partner at Goodwin Procter
Jaime Santos co-chairs Goodwin’s Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation practice, with recognition for her work in appellate litigation, ERISA litigation, IP litigation, and DEI issues.
Jason Gordon
Partner at Reed Smith
Jason Gordon represents Fortune 100 brands and technology disruptors in all aspects of commercialization of products and services, advertising, marketing, and emerging technologies.
Jason Schwartz
Partner; Co-Chair, Labor at Gibson Dunn
Jason Schwartz is a partner in the Entertainment and Media Industry Group, representing clients in advertising, marketing, new media, branding, privacy, and emerging technologies.
Jay Ramsey
Partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
Jay Ramsey is a litigation partner and Office Managing Partner for Century City, specializing in consumer class actions and mass arbitrations.
Joy Chenault
AVP, Associate General Counsel at CarMax
Joy Chenault provides legal services to CarMax, including advice on data privacy and security, artificial intelligence, commercial transactions, and records retention.
Juliana Gerrick
Partner at Steptoe LLP
Juliana Gerrick helps financial institutions and fintechs navigate federal and state lending and payments laws to launch cutting-edge consumer and B2B financial products.
Kacy Goebel
Assistant General Counsel at The Home Depot
Kacy Goebel manages The Home Depot’s commercial class actions, real estate and construction litigation, antitrust recoveries, and oversees the customer litigation group.
Karen Lent
Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Karen Lent co-heads Skadden’s sports practice and New York office’s antitrust/competition practice, representing clients in antitrust, sports, and complex litigation matters.
Kathleen Barrett
Member of the Firm at Epstein Becker Green
Kathleen Barrett represents companies in regulatory challenges and complex class actions, with experience in employment litigation and compliance counseling.
Katie Dunne
Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel at Crate & Barrel
Katie Dunne supports Crate & Barrel's Marketing and eCommerce groups and leads the company's privacy efforts, with prior experience in white-collar practice.
Kristin Ray
Associate General Counsel at The Home Depot
Kristin Ray supports The Home Depot’s Strategic Business Development team, partnering on enterprise and business unit-level strategy, including mergers and acquisitions.
Lacey Bundy
Chief Legal Officer at PetSmart
Lacey Bundy joined PetSmart in 2018, with prior experience as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Express, Inc.
Laura Pierson-Scheinberg
Principal at Jackson Lewis
Laura Pierson-Scheinberg co-leads Jackson Lewis's Labor Relations practice group and Retail industry group, representing employers in labor and employment matters.
Lindsey Taylor
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel at Lululemon
Maria Makowiecki
Vice President, Assistant General Counsel at Ulta Beauty
Martha Harrison
Partner at McCarthy Tétrault
Martin Ebel
Vice President, Division Counsel at Albertsons
Martin Ebel focuses on employment discrimination issues as Senior Counsel for Albertsons, with prior roles in the EEOC and disability rights advocacy.
Matt Clark
Shareholder at Dentons
Meaghan Kent
Partner at Venable
Melanie Bonanno
Senior Director, Employment Law at Publix
Meredith Slawe
Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Merriann Metz
Senior Vice President, General Counsel at Publix
Merriann Metz has been at Publix since 2006, starting as an attorney in the corporate legal department and advancing to Senior Vice President, General Counsel.
Michael Menitove
Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Michelle Kallen
Partner at Steptoe LLP
Michelle Vaughan
Senior Counsel at REI
Mike McTigue
Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Monica Welt
President, RLC - Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel at RILA
Nici Workman
Partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
Olivier Manigat
Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Global Retail and Technology at MillerKnoll
Omar Haroun
Co-Founder and CEO at Eudia
Paul DeCamp
Member of the Firm at Epstein Becker Green
Phyllis Hurwitz Marcus
Vice President, National Advertising Division at BBB National Programs
Roland Vogl
Executive Director, CodeX - the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics; Executive Director, the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology at Stanford Law School
Sachin Kohli
Partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Sara Chenetz
Partner at Perkins Coie
Sarah Bruno
Partner at Reed Smith
Sarah La Voi
Partner at BakerHostetler
Sarah La Voi co-leads BakerHostetler’s national Retail team, focusing on commercial negotiations within the advertising ecosystem and advising on retail media networks.
Scott Binnings
Associate General Counsel, Safety & Core Services at Uber
Scott Staff
Business Development Director at Perkins Coie
Scott Staff is a leader in driving Perkins Coie’s growth strategies for its Retail & Consumer Products and Private Equity practices, with over 20 years of experience.
Selena Spritz
Senior Director and Managing Counsel - Retail and Intellectual Property at Walgreens
Selena Spritz leads Walgreens’ Intellectual Property group, supporting marketing, digital, and private-label businesses in all legal aspects of advertising and intellectual property.
Steven Gazdag
Assistant Legal Counsel at Abercrombie & Fitch
Steven Gazdag serves as Associate Legal Counsel at Abercrombie & Fitch, with prior experience at Jones Day and in risk management at PwC and PNC.
Suzanne Whisler
Vice President, Legal at Designer Brands
Suzanne Whisler has been with Designer Brands for over seven years in various legal roles, with prior experience as a partner at Carpenter Lipps & Leland.
Tamula Yelling
Senior Managing Counsel and Director, Compliance at Hibbett Retail
Tamula Yelling has over eight years at Hibbett, with prior experience as a partner at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, covering employment matters.
Tania Mistretta
Principal at Jackson Lewis
Tania Mistretta represents employers in labor and employment matters, including litigation defense and compliance counseling, with experience in workplace training programs.
Tim Cheatham
Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary at The Michaels Company
Todd Hartman
Chief Legal & Risk Officer at Best Buy
Tritia Murata
Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine
Tritia Murata is a seasoned California litigator defending businesses against employment class actions and complex lawsuits, specializing in wage-and-hour cases.
Warren Maruyama
Senior Counsel, Global Regulatory at Hogan Lovells
Warren Maruyama advises clients on U.S. trade law and negotiations, including Section 301 tariffs, USMCA, WTO disputes, and FTA negotiations.
Willy Jay
Partner at Goodwin Procter
Willy Jay co-chairs Goodwin’s Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice, with experience in over 95 oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals.
Event Details
- Date
- October 8, 2025
- Location
- 🇺🇸 St. Petersburg, United States
- The Vinoy
- Pricing
- Varies by tier
- Audience
- Chief legal officers, general counsel, law firm partners, and other legal professionals in the retail sector.
- CLE Credits
- Up to 15.6 CLE credits, including 1.4 ethics credits.