Event Recap
This community of legal and retail experts is unlike any other, and we thank all our colleagues, partners and friends who made RLAW 2024 in Chicago an event to remember.
The Retail Law Conference is designed for counsel at the forefront of a changing legal and economic landscape: shifting demographic and social changes impacting both customer preferences and employee expectations; geopolitical tensions that upend trade policy and threaten decades of meticulous supply chain and business planning; advancements in AI and other technologies that will redefine the retail experience; myriad federal regulations and splintered state laws lurking to dampen innovation and opportunity.
The environment facing retailers creates increasing demands on retail legal counsel to understand new opportunities and risks and provide dynamic counsel to the c-suite to accelerate the business. The Retail Law Conference is designed to help retail counsel meet this moment.
There is no event like this anywhere else. The Retail Law Conference is designed specifically to elevate retail counsel and prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
CHIEF LEGAL OFFICERS
Connect and build relationships with retail’s legal elite.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
Meet your colleagues wrestling with similar challenges. Discuss mutual threats and opportunities in retail. Come home prepared to help elevate the business.
EXPERT OUTSIDE COUNSEL
Hear from thought leaders influencing public policy and the industry’s future. Gain insight into the forces shaping the industry, and help your team navigate for what lies ahead.
Our Speakers
Past Featured Speakers
Ashlie Shanley (Chair)
District Attorney, Prosecutorial District 25 (NC)
Bradley Schoenleben
Senior Deputy District Attorney, Orange County District Attorney's Office
David Lund
DICKS’s Sporting Goods, Inc.
Eric Zahnd
Prosecuting Attorney, Platte County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Martin Ebel
Vice President, Division Counsel
Martin focuses on employment discrimination issues as Senior Counsel for Albertsons. Prior to this role, he served in the EEOC for more than 10 years, including roles as the COO and field management directorships. He also served in a variety of roles for organizations that advocate for disability rights, such as the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, National Amputee Golf Association, and the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board. He holds a JD from Boston College.
Thursday October 9, 2025
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
| Scanning for Risk: Decoding the New EEOC's Enforcement Agenda for Retail
BreAnna Davis
Corporate Counsel
BreAnna Davis supports JD Finish Line's domestic and international supply chian department, brand management, IT department, and ESG work, in addition to reviewing contracts and managing litigation. Prior to this role, BreAnna worked at Frost Brown Todd and as an Indiana Registered Mediator with the Judicial Branch of Indiana. BreAnna also served as an associate at Lee, Cossell & Crowley LLP and has externed for the NCAA, in addition to holding a judicial clerkship at the Indiana Court of Appeals. BreAnna holds a JD from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, along with certificates in Civil and Human Rights and Public Policy Mediation.
Thursday October 9, 2025
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
| Trash Talk: Defending Junk Fee Litigation
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
Anne-Marie Waggoner
Associate General Counsel, Employment
Anne-Marie Waggoner is Associate General Counsel – Employment at Ashley Furniture Industries, where she leads the employment legal and compliance teams. With over 30 years of litigation experience, she previously served as employment litigation and wage and hour counsel at Walmart and Cabela’s and was a Shareholder at Littler Mendelson. Anne-Marie has successfully defended major retailers and other clients in PAGA cases, wage and hour class actions, and other high-stakes litigation matters.
Thursday October 9, 2025
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
| How to Get Ahead in Navigating a New Frontier of PAGA Actions
Danielle Hohos
Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel
Danielle Hohos is Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and supports all nine brands at the company including Pottery Barn, West Elm, Mark & Graham and Williams Sonoma. She is responsible for a broad range of legal matters including labor and employment, privacy, marketing, regulatory, government affairs, and all litigation matters for the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. Danielle also leads the company's Loss Prevention function and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the California Retailers Association on behalf of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. During her time at the company, Danielle has repeatedly been recognized for her leadership in creating an environment where her teams can excel.
Thursday October 26, 2023
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM
| Navigating Corporate Crises: Complying with Ethics Rules While Facing “Unknown Unknowns”
Igor Bakhilov
Senior Corporate Counsel, Amazon Advertising
Igor manages advertisement sales, custom campaigns and global sales operations for Amazon.com. Prior roles at Amazon included serving as corporate counsel for Amazon Web Services and for the company's Kindle division. Before Amazon, he was a Senior Associate at King & Wood Mallesons.
Thursday October 9, 2025
10:20 AM - 11:20 AM
| Retail Media Networks: Flipping the Liability Script
Suzanne Whisler
Vice President, Legal
Suzanne has been with Designer Brands for over 7 years in a variety of legal roles. Pror to this, she served as a partner at Carpenter Lipps & Leland. She holds a JD from Ohio State and a BA in economics from the University of Chicago.
Thursday October 9, 2025
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
| Partnering for Success: A Practical Guide for Retail Counsel on Finance Transactions and Related Legal Issues
Elizabeth Baran
Vice President & Associate General Counsel
Elizabeth Baran is Vice President, Associate General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary for DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc., the largest omni-channel full-line sporting goods retailer in the United States. Ms. Baran oversees various aspects of the legal and compliance function at the Company, including certain public company matters, private brand operations, marketing practices, intellectual property management, and corporate compliance programs. She works closely with the corporate social responsibility team, manages government affairs, and serves as the Corporate Secretary for The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation. She loves the diversity of her work and is proud to work for an exciting brand focused on serving its customer athletes. Beth began her career in private practice with a large law firm as a corporate and securities associate before joining the DICK’S in-house team. Beth lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and three young children, all of whom play sports and are glad she gets an employee discount at DICK’S.
Thursday October 17, 2019
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
| US and EU Antitrust Issues: Brick & Mortar vs Online Retail Formats
Amy Croft
General Counsel
Amy Croft is the General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of VENUS Fashion. At her prior role at Smith Gambrell Russell, Ms. Croft focused her practice on commercial litigation and insurance litigation, including bad faith litigation and agent/broker litigation. Ms. Croft received her J.D. from The Florida State University College of Law in 1998, Cum Laude where she was a member of Phi Delta Phi, the legal honor society. While in law school, she also participated in a study abroad program at Oxford University, served as a teaching assistant and earned a Book Award in Local Government Law. Ms. Croft earned her B.S. from The Florida State University in 1995. Ms. Croft was an adjunct and associate professor of lawyering process for over seven years. In such role, Ms. Croft was responsible for teaching best practices regarding legal research and writing. She also served as the faculty chief justice of the honor court. She is a past president of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association.
Thursday October 9, 2025
11:40 AM - 12:40 PM
| Turning the Tide: Navigating Financial Distress and Transformation
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
The Retail Law Conference brings forward the best and brightest minds in the retail law industry. From general counsel to firms that have seen it all. We feature experts who will enlighten you and bring forth knowledge about the changing legal landscape of retail.
Keynotes and General Sessions
Learn how to manage the groundbreaking shifts affecting the retail environment from industry and leadership experts, political thought leaders, and more.
Who Attends
Equip yourself (and your team) with the knowledge and network to operate in a unique and evolving retail ecosystem. See the list of CLOs and retail teams that have attended the conference.
Program
The Retail Law Conference education line-up will bring you the latest on retail-specific legal issues such as employment, privacy, litigation, regulatory developments, workplace safety, ESG, AI and more!
CLE Credits
Earn Continuing legal education credits when you attend the Retail Law Conference. Discover how to earn credits & prove your attendance.
The Retail Law Conference is your chance to gain access to and build relationships with the top legal decision-makers from the nation’s top retailers.
We offer a wide range of opportunities for you to engage with our attendees from networking to thought leadership. The Retail Law Conference 2025 partnership packages provide a wide range of opportunities developed for almost any budget and are designed to help achieve your branding, networking, and/or thought leadership goals.
Thank You to
Our Co-Host
Directed by the chief legal officers of the country's leading retail companies, the Retail Litigation Center (RLC) is the only organization dedicated to advocating for the industry's top priorities in the federal and state judiciary. The RLC also works with leading law firms and retail corporate counsel to develop forward-thinking strategies to combat meritless mass action litigation.