09:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Explore the 2025 Agenda
Schedule & Agenda
Explore the full Retail Law Conference schedule, featuring keynotes, general sessions, breakout discussions, and networking opportunities designed for retail legal leaders.
Our comprehensive program is designed to give you a full range of retail-specific legal education. This year's education line-up will bring you the latest on retail-specific legal issues such as employment, litigation cases, regulatory developments, workplace safety, taxes, and more!
Your learning journey at the Retail Law Conference is sure to help you stay on top of what's next and what's to come in the world of retail. No matter what type of legal work is on your desk, there is something for you! Please check back often as we update our program as we get closer to the event. All times listed are eastern standard time.
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM
2 Concurrent Events
Compliance Council Meeting - Invite Only
Committee Meeting
Chief Ethics and Compliance Officers and their designees will be meeting to address current compliance issues that affect retailers as well as challenges and opportunities with standing up, maturing and maintaining robust compliance programs and a corporate culture promoting ethical culture and compliance. This is a private meeting for RILA's Compliance Council members only. RLC Meeting of the Members - Invite Only
Committee Meeting
The Retail Litigation Center’s retail and law firm members will convene for their annual meeting to elect directors, learn about the RLC’s latest work, and discuss litigation trends impacting retailers. This is a private meeting for RLC retail and law firm members only. 12:15 PM - 02:15 PM
2 Concurrent Events
Chief Legal Officer Committee Meeting & Lunch - Invite Only
Committee Meeting
The CLO’s of the nation’s leading retailers will convene over lunch to discuss current issues facing the retail industry’s top lawyers as they navigate a variety of opportunities and challenges with the c-suite, boards of directors and their departments. This is a private meeting only for RILA's Chief Legal Officer Committee. Legal Direct Reports Committee Meeting & Lunch - Invite Only
Committee Meeting
The lawyers who report directly to the most senior lawyer in their company share a unique set of issues and face their own challenges. These “L2’s” will convene over lunch to discuss the issues and opportunities that they encounter. This is a private meeting only for RILA's Legal Direct Reports (or L2) Committee. 02:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Registration & Information Desk - Vinoy Grand Ballroom
03:00 PM - 03:10 PM
Welcome to the 2025 Retail Law Conference
General Session
Welcome to the Retail Law Conference 2025 – the place to connect with peer leading retail counsel and elite experts to prepare for a fast-changing future. Speakers:
- Merriann Metz |Senior Vice President, General Counsel |Publix
- Deborah White |Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, RILA; President, RLC |RILA
Merriann Metz
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
Merriann Metz has been at Publix since 2006, starting as an attorney in the corporate legal department before being promoted to Senior Attorney in 2010, and to Assistant General Counsel in 2011. Metz brings a wealth of experience to the role, having graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2002, and working as an attorney with the Lowndes Drosdick law firm in Orlando, FL.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM
| Welcome to the 2025 Retail Law Conference
Deborah White
Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, RILA; President, RLC
Deborah currently serves as Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). RILA is the trade association that represents only the major retailers in each vertical. In her current capacity, Deborah oversees the legal function of the association, the development of RILA’s Center for Retail Compliance, and programming for the corporate legal community of her members, including their general counsel. Programming developed during Deborah’s tenure has significantly increased member company legal community involvement in RILA.
Simultaneously, Deborah serves as President of the Retail Litigation Center (RLC), an independent 501(c)(6) association with its own membership and governance functions. The Retail Litigation Center reflects the voice of the retail industry in the judicial branch and develops litigation strategies to influence the arc of the law as it relates to issues of greatest importance to the retail community. The RLC participates amicus curiae in fifteen to twenty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and other significant appellate courts each year.
Prior to joining RILA and the RLC, Deborah was Principal of Regulatory Solutions, LLC, through which she provided regulatory advice and counsel to two of the most successful grocery chains in the country. She also served as Executive Director of the Recycled Paperboard Technical Association.
Deborah’s association experience began at the Food Marketing Institute, the major trade association for grocery retailing. She started as the association’s Regulatory Counsel and left ten years later as its Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. Over the course of her tenure, Deborah successfully represented the food retail industry before the key federal agencies responsible for the industry’s oversight and testified on behalf of the industry before the U.S. House of Representatives.
Deborah began her legal career as an associate attorney specializing in the law related to food and food packaging at the firm of Keller and Heckman.
Deborah holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctorate from the Washington College of Law at American University. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, and she is admitted to the bar associations of the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland. Deborah currently serves on the Advisory Council of the Georgetown University Corporate Counsel Institute.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM
| Welcome to the 2025 Retail Law Conference
03:10 PM - 03:55 PM
Legal Disruption Decoded: Rethinking Practice in a Tech-Driven Era
General Session
Legal departments are under pressure to evolve. This session explores how artificial intelligence, new legal service providers, and shifting professional norms are redefining the legal profession. Our panel unpacks the operational and philosophical shifts underway—and how in-house counsel can assess emerging risks, adopt flexible models, and lead with clarity through disruption. Moderators:
- Lacey Bundy |Chief Legal Officer |PetSmart
Lacey Bundy
Chief Legal Officer
Lacey Bundy joined PetSmart in August 2018. Prior to joining PetSmart, Lacey served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Express, Inc., a specialty retail apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio from 2010 to 2018. Before joining Express, Lacey spent five years with Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago where she advised public companies and private equity funds and their portfolio companies on a wide variety of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, corporate governance, joint ventures, private equity fund formation, and financing transactions. Prior to law school, Lacey practiced as a certified public accountant with Ernst & Young LLP in New York City for two years, first in the firm’s National Office where she advised public companies on their financial reporting obligations and then later in the firm’s tax consulting practice where she implemented tax savings strategies for retailers.
Lacey earned her B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and a J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:10 PM - 3:55 PM
| Legal Disruption Decoded: Rethinking Practice in a Tech-Driven Era
Speakers:
- Lucy Bassli |Attorney, Author, and Founder |InnoLaw Group
- Roland Vogl |Executive Director, CodeX - the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics; Executive Director, the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology |Stanford Law School
- Omar Haroun |Co-Founder and CEO |Eudia
Lucy Bassli
Attorney, Author, and Founder
Lucy Bassli is an attorney, author of The Simple Guide to Legal Innovation and CLM Simplified: Efficient Contracting for Law Departments, and founder of InnoLaw Group, PLLC, a niche consultancy focused on operationalizing commercial contracting and extracting effeciencies. Her team works with law departments on modernizing their commercial contracting practices in support of their business. Lucy’s “been there, done that” approach brings first-hand experience to all things contracting: resource allocation, automation, process optimization and smart risk-taking.
Lucy is a highly sought-after legal industry expert, engaging in thought-leadership projects to drive change and evolution in the delivery of legal services. She is a former Assistant General Counsel of Legal Operations and Contracting at Microsoft. During her 13-year tenure, she led the legal support for global procurement and redefined how legal services were delivered internally by leveraging automation and taking smart risks.
Lucy is a strategy advisor for several legal tech start-ups. She is a frequent speaker on topics of legal services innovation, legal technology and legal process outsourcing. She was honored as one of WorldCC’s 2021 Inspiring Women in Commerce and Contracting. In 2015, she was named to the National Law Journal list of Outstanding Women Lawyers.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:10 PM - 3:55 PM
| Legal Disruption Decoded: Rethinking Practice in a Tech-Driven Era
Roland Vogl
Executive Director, CodeX - the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics; Executive Director, the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology
Dr. Roland Vogl is a scholar, lawyer and entrepreneur who, after more than twenty years of academic and professional experience, has developed a strong expertise in legal informatics, intellectual property law and innovation. Currently, he is Executive Director of the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology and a Lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School. He focuses his efforts on legal informatics work carried out in the Center for Legal Informatics (CodeX), which he co-founded and leads as Executive Director. Dr. Vogl is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Vienna, Austria and where he teaches about U.S. intellectual property law and at Bocconi University in Italy where he teaches computational law. Dr. Vogl is also actively involved in the rapidly growing legal tech industry. He was named to the American Bar Association Journal’s “Legal Rebels,” a highly-regarded group of legal innovators and he was previously selected as one of the Fastcase 50. Dr. Vogl is on the Board of Directors of Merico, LexCheck, and IPNexus and on the advisory board of Thomson Reuters, Midpage.ai, Lawgood and Clairvolex. Previously, he co-founded and served as CFOO of Vator, Inc. and SIPX, Inc., a copyright technology company which was acquired by ProQuest in 2015. His experience also includes working as the first teaching fellow of Stanford Law School’s international LLM degree program in Law, Science and Technology, as an IP associate at Fenwick & West LLP, as a press associate at the European Parliament and as a law clerk at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Audiovisual Media, Information and Communication. Vogl holds both a Dr.iur. (JSD) and a Mag.iur. (JD) from Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Austria as well as a JSM from Stanford Law School.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:10 PM - 3:55 PM
| Legal Disruption Decoded: Rethinking Practice in a Tech-Driven Era
Omar Haroun
Co-Founder and CEO
Omar Haroun is the co-founder and CEO of Eudia, the leading AI platform for Fortune 500 chief legal officers. Under Omar's leadership, Eudia has achieved record revenue growth and raised over $105 million in capital from top investors including General Catalyst, Sierra Ventures, and Floodgate. Eudia made waves in the industry by launching Eudia Counsel, the first AI-native law firm in 2025.
Previously, Omar co-founded Text IQ, the first AI company to gain traction with Fortune 500 legal departments. Text IQ was acquired by Relativity in 2021. After the acquisition, Omar led AI strategy at Relativity, advising on AI adoption, ethical considerations, and legal innovation.
A recognized authority at the intersection of AI, business, and ethics, Omar frequently speaks and guest lectures at Stanford University, Columbia University, UC Berkeley, and Oxford Univeristy on topics related to AI, ethics, and the law. He holds a JD and MBA from Columbia University, an MA from Oxford, and a BA from UC Berkeley. Omar is also a recipient of the White House Champions of Change Award.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:10 PM - 3:55 PM
| Legal Disruption Decoded: Rethinking Practice in a Tech-Driven Era
03:55 PM - 04:40 PM
Beyond the Till: Embedded Payments, Crypto, and Retail’s Financial Future
General Session
At its core, retail is the exchange of goods for payment. As payment systems like digital currencies mature, how should retail legal teams prepare? This session dissects the evolving financial technologies reshaping how retailers engage consumers—and the regulatory, investigative, and cost-saving implications that come with them. Moderators:
- Michelle Kallen |Partner |Steptoe LLP
Michelle Kallen
Partner
Michelle Kallen, the former Solicitor General of Virginia, co-chairs Steptoe's Appeals and Advocacy practice. Building on her deep administrative law knowledge and her experience in both state and federal government, Michelle helps clients navigate complex matters before federal and state appellate courts. Leading companies in the technology, aerospace and defense, and transportation industries benefit from Michelle's unique insight into multistate and constitutional litigation matters, and award-winning appellate work.
Michelle regularly litigates matters in the US Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Virginia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Eastern District of Virginia, and other state and federal courts. Michelle also served as lead counsel in the Commonwealth's election matters and in litigation to certify and publish the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution.
Michelle's past public service includes serving as Special Litigation Counsel in the US House of Representatives, where she successfully defended the House, House committees, and individual members in high-profile matters involving separation of powers and the scope of Congressional subpoenas.
Clients benefit from Michelle’s deep understanding of regulatory proceedings, knowledge of the inner workings of government and administrative agencies, and experience both defending and challenging regulatory actions. She uses this skillset to assist clients in strategically navigating litigation crises and controversial challenges at the intersection of law, law enforcement, and government regulation.
Michelle speaks regularly on a wide variety of topics including constitutional law, state and federal regulations, appellate cases, crypto currency, and equal rights. She maintains an active pro bono practice and is committed to serving her community. Michelle serves as a mentor for The Appellate Project and has litigated pro bono cases on behalf of the Center for Reproductive Rights. She is also a founding member of the Ad Idem Corporate Counsel Network, the Washington Area Women Trial Attorneys, and the Women Lawyers on Guard.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:55 PM - 4:40 PM
| Beyond the Till: Embedded Payments, Crypto, and Retail’s Financial Future
Speakers:
- Juliana Gerrick |Partner |Steptoe LLP
- Jelena Djuric |Co-Founder and CEO |Noble
- Scott Binnings |Associate General Counsel, Safety & Core Services |Uber
- Daniel Kaleba |Vice President, Deputy General Counsel |Circle
Juliana Gerrick
Partner
Juliana is a partner in Steptoe's Financial Industry group and the Financial Innovation & Regulation practice. She helps financial institutions, fintechs and other non-bank financial services providers navigate federal and state lending and payments laws to launch cutting-edge consumer and B2B financial products, services, and platforms. Juliana provides clients with a broad spectrum of consumer financial services compliance and regulatory advice in connection with deposit, credit, and alternative financing products. She has extensive experience working with clients to develop credit programs and is a go-to attorney in credit card lending. She also assists clients in responding to federal and state regulator inquiries and defending against government enforcement actions, including those involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI). Juliana has also represented banks and fintechs in transactional matters, such as bank partnership agreements and receivables sales.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:55 PM - 4:40 PM
| Beyond the Till: Embedded Payments, Crypto, and Retail’s Financial Future
Jelena Djuric
Co-Founder and CEO
Jelena Djuric is co-founder and CEO of Noble. Noble brings real-world assets into the digital realm, focusing on security and cross-chain functionality. Jelena previously co-founded the Canadian Web3 Council, a leading national advocacy organization for the cryptocurrency and Web3 ecosystem. Prior to her work on Noble, she served as a core contributor to a number of blockchain protocols and businesses in the Cosmos, Dfinity/Internet Computer and Celo ecosystems.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:55 PM - 4:40 PM
| Beyond the Till: Embedded Payments, Crypto, and Retail’s Financial Future
Scott Binnings
Associate General Counsel, Safety & Core Services
Scott Binnings is an Associate General Counsel at Uber, based in the company’s San Francisco headquarters. He leads Uber’s global legal work on payments, safety, identity, fraud, insurance, and customer support. His team supports Uber’s adoption of varied payment methods in more than 70 countries, giving him a unique perspective on global payments centered on technology, access, and trust.
Scott also oversees regulatory engagements and insurance litigation across the United States and Canada, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC. Since joining Uber in 2015, he has held roles advising global safety and risk programs and managing regulatory matters in the Central US and for (then) emerging businesses such as Uber Eats.
Before Uber, Scott spent nearly a decade in private practice at major law firms in Washington, D.C., where he specialized in government oversight of the utility and energy industries and supported large-scale generation, transmission, and renewable energy projects.
Scott holds degrees from the College of William & Mary and Tulane University Law School. He is a member of the New York and DC Bars and is registered as in-house counsel in California.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:55 PM - 4:40 PM
| Beyond the Till: Embedded Payments, Crypto, and Retail’s Financial Future
Daniel Kaleba
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel
Wednesday October 8, 2025
3:55 PM - 4:40 PM
| Beyond the Till: Embedded Payments, Crypto, and Retail’s Financial Future
04:40 PM - 05:30 PM
Agile by Design: Leading Legal Teams with Purpose and Precision
General Session
The legal leaders of tomorrow are building teams that move with purpose and adapt in real time. This discussion brings together seasoned general counsel to share how they cultivate agility—in structure, culture, and talent—and make confident decisions in fast-moving, complex environments. Moderators:
- Monica Welt |President, RLC - Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel |RILA
Monica Welt
President, RLC - Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Ms. Welt joins RILA and the RLC after nine years with the Ohio-based retailer Big Lots. At Big Lots, Ms. Welt built the company’s first compliance department, then ascended through the legal department, rising to Deputy General Counsel in 2021. In that role, Ms. Welt was the retailer’s top compliance leader and assistant corporate secretary, leading legal, compliance and corporate governance strategies for the $6 billion public company. Among her responsibilities were leading cross-functional activities, including supporting the retailer’s omnichannel strategy, establishing oversight for sourcing operations abroad, and co-leading the company’s nationwide response to COVID.
During her time at Big Lots, Ms. Welt was an active participant in several RILA peer communities.
Prior to joining Big Lots, Ms. Welt focused on product liability litigation and risk management as an attorney with Crowell & Moring, LLP, in Washington, DC. Ms. Welt began her career as a trade attorney at Dewey Ballantine LLP and later as a litigator at Wallace King Domike & Branson.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
4:40 PM - 5:30 PM
| Agile by Design: Leading Legal Teams with Purpose and Precision
Speakers:
- Merriann Metz |Senior Vice President, General Counsel |Publix
- Ann Munson Steines |Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |Nordstrom
Merriann Metz
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
Merriann Metz has been at Publix since 2006, starting as an attorney in the corporate legal department before being promoted to Senior Attorney in 2010, and to Assistant General Counsel in 2011. Metz brings a wealth of experience to the role, having graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2002, and working as an attorney with the Lowndes Drosdick law firm in Orlando, FL.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
4:40 PM - 5:30 PM
| Agile by Design: Leading Legal Teams with Purpose and Precision
Ann Munson Steines
Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Ann Munson Steines is the Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Nordstrom. Ann is accountable for Nordstrom’s risk management strategies and policies and provides strategic counsel on legal, risk, business and operational matters. Ann joined Nordstrom from Macy’s, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary since 2009. She originally joined Macy’s, Inc. in 1998 as Assistant Counsel, Employment Law, and rose through positions of increasing responsibility. Prior to Macy’s, Ann was a Senior Attorney with the Overnite Transportation Company, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Corporation. She began her legal career with Dinsmore & Shohl in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1990 and then practiced law with the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Wednesday October 8, 2025
4:40 PM - 5:30 PM
| Agile by Design: Leading Legal Teams with Purpose and Precision
06:30 PM - 09:00 PM
An Evening with Dalí: A Surreal Spanish Welcome
Networking
Kick off the Retail Law Conference 2025 with an unforgettable evening at the Dalí Museum. Savor a Spanish-inspired culinary experience paired with regional wines, while exploring the museum’s world-renowned collection with knowledgeable docents. Immerse yourself in Dalí’s artistry through the 360° experience, create a custom keepsake with the YourPortrait activation, and take home a personalized silkscreened tote bag. Step outside to the beautiful museum gardens, where views of Tampa Bay provide the perfect backdrop for conversation and connection. This one-of-a-kind celebration blends art, flavor, and imagination—setting the stage for a thought-provoking and inspiring conference ahead.