General Counsel Discuss Ways To Keep Up With Pace Of Change In Retail
San Antonio, TX, 2015-10-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — Yesterday, the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), in partnership with the Retail Litigation Center (RLC), launched the 2015 Retail Law Conference in San Antonio, TX. Now in its sixth year, the Retail Law Conference offers education and networking opportunities for legal counsel across the retail industry.
Day one of the conference opened with a presentation from The Future Hunters’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Erica Orange, who shared insights into social, technological, economic, political, demographic and environmental trends and how they effect the role of retail general counsel. Among the topics discussed were how to identify trends and countertrends and observations about the speeding up of disruptive change and how retail general counsel adapt to that change.
“The general counsel plays a critical role within the retail enterprise. The pace of change in retail is dramatic and general counsel not only have a front-row seat to that change but also an obligation to manage risk,” said Deborah White, executive vice president and legal counsel for RILA, and president of the RLC. “The Retail Law Conference allows these leaders an opportunity to discuss these challenges, share best strategies, and connect with leading experts in the field.”
The first day concluded with a panel titled “Implications of Future Trends for Retail’s Legal Leaders,” moderated by Orange. The panel, which featured general counsel from QVC, Target, and Whole Foods Market, identified the need to build strong relationships with peers across the retail enterprise and to prioritize nimbleness in legal departments in order to keep up with change in the industry.
The three day conference will feature discussion around a range of retail issues, including cybersecurity, innovations in payment options, patents and federal and state regulations.
RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.
The Retail Litigation Center is a public policy organization that identifies and engages in legal proceedings which affect the retail industry. The RLC, whose members include some of the country’s largest retailers, was formed to provide courts with retail industry perspectives on significant legal issues, and highlight the potential industry-wide consequences of legal principles that may be determined in pending cases.
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Brian Dodge
Executive Vice President, Communications and Strategic Initiatives
Phone: 703-600-2017
Email: brian.dodge@rila.org