Pre-Conference In Person Programming:

AI & Ethics for CPG Attorneys

Speakers:
Jane Metcalf, Partner, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
Jason Vitullo, Partner, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
Steve Zalesin, Partner, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

This session will provide up to 1.5 Ethics CLE credits(s) and the content will align with requirements as defined by each state’s CLE guidelines.

Sustainability Claims Workshop

Speakers:
Claire Chapla, Counsel, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Arianna Scavetti, Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

New for 2025, this session will feature perspectives from outside counsel working in collaboration with Consumer Brands. This 60-minute session will be part of our in-person pre-conference programming to follow our Legal Affairs Council and preceding the Ethics Session. This content will include practical exploration of climate science and claim substantiation vetting, as well as discussion of compliance strategies for federal guidance and the ever-changing patchwork of state regulations on environmental laws affecting the CPG industry. As with all our programming, CLE will be available for select jurisdictions. If you are interested in attending the course, please sign up as soon as possible on the registration page. Space is limited and registration is open on a first-come, first-served basis.

Keynotes:

Keynote: The Honorable Melissa Holyoak | Federal Trade Commission

Keynote: Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch | Partner, Paul, Weiss

General Sessions:

General sessions are designed to capture the essence of legal issues that affect the whole of the industry with captivating perspectives from company general counsels, legal approaches to ESG, curating acumen and intelligence from litigation and providing perspective from plaintiffs.

Highway to the Danger Zone?! A Holistic Review of Analytical Testing Issues for CPG Products

Speakers:
Mark Danis, Vice President – Deputy General Counsel, Clorox
Cindy Kruger, Legal Senior Director, PepsiCo
Amy Lally, Partner, Sidley Austin
Kate Spelman, Partner, Jenner & Block
Bill Tarantino, Partner, Morrison Foerster

Plaintiffs’ lawyers are increasingly testing products — or taking advantage of tests performed by others or media reports — to file consumer lawsuits alleging that food products contain minimal traces of chemicals. These are typically substances that are present in the environment or the manufacturing process. But while many tests or results of tests are often misapplied, CPG lawyers providing regulatory counsel must stay abreast of a range of testing protocols to vet product safety and confront ongoing compliance and litigation risk. From mass spectrometry use, NGO and media pressure to pseudo-science, this session will provide actionable strategies for coordinating and containing risk.

From the Corner Office: A General Counsel Fireside Chat

Speakers:
Nancy Dowling, General Secretary, Danone North America
Dara Kendall, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, The Procter & Gamble Company
Beth Kotran, Area General Counsel, Ferrero North America
Stacy Papadopoulos, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Consumer Brands Association

The role of the general counsel as the head of legal strategy has continued to evolve with a wide portfolio of leadership imperatives for CPG companies. This session will explore practical considerations from the toughest challenges to operationalizing efficiency and promoting innovation.

Preparing for the Inevitable: Leveraging Legal Acumen for Crisis Communications and Corporate Culture

Speakers:
Inés Bahachille, Chief Legal Counsel, Mondelēz International
Kimberly Branscome, Partner, Paul, Weiss
Sarah Brew, Partner, Faegre Drinker
Alice Kessler, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Jill B. Louis, Managing Partner, Perkins Coie

The General Counsel and senior legal roles in most CPG companies are becoming increasingly defined by a growing focus on holistic risk management. Whether its product recalls; health, safety and environmental incidents; customer relations conflicts; labor disputes; or investor relations, deliberate and calculated partnership by legal and communications is crucial to navigate the inevitable range of challenges that span short-term, long-term and crisis planning. This panel will draw upon the intersection of these issues to help inform how to structure strategic programs for alignment, efficiency and efficacy in the midst and aftermath of challenges. 

CPG & ESG

Speakers:
Joseph Aquilina, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Consumer Brands Association
Michael Duvall, Partner, Dentons
Perlette Jura, Partner, Gibson Dunn
Raqiyyah Pippins, Partner, Arnold & Porter
Arianna Scavetti, Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges

This session will provide a broad overview of how evolving standards for environmental, social and governance issues are shaping legal and business considerations. From state to federal and domestic to international, brands need to be keenly aware of standards for greenwashing, navigating anti-ESG backlash, leveraging legal for visibility and accountability across the supply chain whether on climate, ingredients or labor issues.

On the Docket: The CPG Litigation Horizon

Speakers:
Dean Panos, Partner, Jenner & Block LLP
Charles Sipos, Partner, Perkins Coie
Angela Spivey, Partner, Alston & Bird
Tyler Young, Partner, Faegre Drinker

From class action to mass torts and everything in between, CPG industry is confronting a comprehensive spectrum of litigation risk. Our panelists discuss the big takeaways from the last year, and how new developments in litigation are shaping current and future business considerations.

Protect this House: Company Heads of Litigation That Have Seen It All

Speakers:
Suzana Blades, Vice President, DGC Litigation, Government Relations & Legal Operations, Kimberly-Clark
Kelley Grady, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Campbell’s
Steve Mahieu, Deputy General Counsel, Litigation & Intellectual Property, The Kraft Heinz Company 
Hank Turner, Vice President & Chief Counsel, Conagra Brands
Moderated by: Joseph Aquilina, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Consumer Brands Association

CPG Brands faces a range of litigation risks from class actions on product and ingredient claims, ESG, labor and employment, to supply chain, trade spend and liaising with government agencies. These in-house litigators share what keeps them up and night and how they work to protect and promote company positions.

Business Track:

As nearly every business action carries legal implications, CPG lawyers are constantly providing a range of advisory counsel, whether it’s for product innovation, market expansion, managing risk, advising company leadership on governance or ensuring compliance.

Know Thy … Self-Regulatory Decisions: How Industry Self-Regulatory Programs Drive Advertising Legal Dynamics of CPG Products

Speakers:
Jeffrey Greenbaum, Managing Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz
Donnelly McDowell, Partner, Kelley Drye
Amy Mudge, Partner, BakerHostetler LLP
Ronald Urbach, Partner/Co-Chair, Davis+Gilbert

Attorneys with extensive experience counseling CPG companies discuss claims made, claims substantiated and everything in between and how these have driven traffic at the NAD, the FTC, class action litigation and other legal dynamics.

Antitrust Session — Competition Legal Landscape in CPG

Speakers:
Daniel Bitton, Partner, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
William H. Stallings, Partner, Mayer Brown
Ryan Tisch, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Laura Turano, Partner, Paul, Weiss

CPG industry represents a highly diverse and competitive industry with a healthy amount of M&A activity. But with continuing new updates to the HSR process, and transaction challenges with the nation’s top antitrust agency, the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, CPG lawyers need to be especially mindful of the current regulatory developments and enforcement dynamics.

Navigating Investigations: Strategies for Responding to Government Inquiries and Structuring Internal Reviews

Speakers:
Cynthia Cordes, Partner, Husch Blackwell
Gus Eyler, Partner, Gibson Dunn
Nina Frant, Special Counsel, Freshfields
Steve Swaney, Partner, Venable

With a range of issues spanning recalls, pricing and antitrust, alleged whistleblower actions, FCPA matters and an alphabet soup of enforcement entities that can span civil and criminal matters, CPG lawyers should be prepared for anything and everything with portfolios that span highly regulated products. This session, featuring a lineup of former government attorneys with enforcement experience, will help CPG lawyers draft a roadmap for navigating investigative demands and enforcement actions.

Unsubscribing from Data Risks — Cyber, Privacy and Crisis Management

Speakers:
Sukrat Baber, Assistant General Counsel, Employment & Compliance, Ferrara
Sam Goldstick, Senior Counsel, Foley & Lardner LLP
Bethany Lukitsch, Partner, BakerHostetler LLP
David Saunders, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery

Aside from product ingredients and claims, one of the most crucial aspects of business ERM is how CPG brands can safeguard and compliantly shepherd consumer and business data. From data breaches, to increasing state regulatory traffic, to ensuring transparency on how the cookies crumble, our speakers cover the best practices and teachable moments from CPG and other industries.

Litigation Track:

CPG products are essential to consumers everyday life which means not every consumer will be happy and many plaintiffs lawyers are given creative ammunition. Our faculty will provide insights on filings and notable rulings, practical perspectives to hone litigation skills that are specific to CPG, navigating international disputes, litigation funding and more.

Staying Classy: Recent Metrics and Holdings on Class Action Certification in CPG Litigation

Speakers:
Grant Ankrom, Partner, Dentons
Rory Collins, Associate, Faegre Drinker
Cort Lannin, Partner, Covington
Steve Zalesin, Partner, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler

This session will cover circuit splits on rule 23 including limited issue certification and predominance requirements, waivers, no-injury and piggyback actions, ascertainability class formation and discovery, anti-removal presumptions, pre- and post cert dynamics, leveraging experts for substantive and damages issues, winning defense challenges and circuit splits.

Settling … for Less in CPG Litigation

Speakers:
William Cole, Partner, Amin Wasserman Gurnani
Jamal Faleel, Head of Litigation and Disputes, Norton Rose
Erik Swanholt, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP

Practical strategies from recent trends and noticeable settlements across the CPG litigation landscape, leveraging settlements to help guard against future claims, strategies for claim objectors and the interplay of settlements with recalls and personal injury claims.

Always and Forever: Managing PFAS

Speakers:
Adriane Peralta, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
Emily Broach, Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel, Colgate-Palmolive
Sam Jockel, Partner, Alston & Bird
Lori Leskin, Partner, Arnold & Porter

This session will put PFAS issues under the microscope with discussion on litigation headwinds, how PFAS issues interface with consumer perception of key claims based on current orders and rulings and how CPG in-house lawyers can work with regulatory and technical affairs experts to manage risk.

Defense and Offense — Leveraging Constitutional Law and Federal Resources Post Loper Bright

Speakers:
Hannah Chanoine, Partner, O’Melveny
Stephen Cole, Senior Counsel, KDP
Trent Norris, Partner, Hogan Lovells
Mark Perry, Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges

The First Amendment, Preemption and Primary Jurisdiction have been some of the consistent resources for CPG litigation over the years, but the Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright/Relentless significantly modified agency deference. Several important cases and decisions related to agency authority, deference and reviewability of agency actions have been published over the past year and have created more uncertainty on the ability to leverage these theories in litigation especially at the crucial motion-to-dismiss stage.

Regulatory & Legislation Track:

Given that CPG products are regulated by a variety of agencies, it’s essential to be up to speed to ensure compliance ensure that company can operate with a measure of regulatory certainty. From recalls, ESG, forthcoming legislation, our faculty will approach this track with comprehensive insights.

Unpacking EPR and CPG: Becoming a Pro at Circularity Overviews and Compliance Strategies

Speakers:
John Hewitt, Senior Vice President, Packaging & Sustainability and State Affairs, Consumer Brands Association
Kristine Kruger, Senior Counsel, Perkins Coie
Meshach Rhoades, Partner, Crowell & Moring
Erin Sindberg Porter, Partner, Jones Day

California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine and Minnesota are among the most recent crop of states passing new extended producer responsibility laws. Learn the nuances of these states, how the CPG lawyer should be mapping out compliance and interplay with environmental marketing claims.

Jumping on the Banned Wagon Here, There and Everywhere: Examining How Ingredient and Chemical Bans are Shaping Regulatory Practices in CPG in the United States and Abroad

Speakers:
Mara Burr, Vice President, Regulatory & Technical Affairs, Consumer Brands Association
Francesco Planchenstainer, Global Head of Food Law, Nestlé
Desiree Ripo, Head Counsel – Food Law & Regulatory, Ferrero
Brian Sylvester, Partner, Perkins Coie

This session will examine the growing friction around additive safety, how multinational and NGO groups are influencing regulatory environments abroad and shaping state and federal landscapes. This conversation will include a review of current bans in the United States and proposals that may signal new legislation and operational risk.

Prop 65 — Our Least Favorite California Regulation

Speakers:
Dale Giali, Partner, King & Spalding
Jeff Margulies, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
Greg Sperla, Partner, DLA Piper LLP
Will Wagner, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Jasmine Wetherell, Partner, Perkins Coie

This session will explore the latest and even not-so-greatest, developments with Prop 65. This panel will provide a comprehensive, if clear and reasonable, overview of filing trends, crucial federal court cases to track and interplay of the listing process and CPG business imperatives.

Managing Recalls in CPG

Speakers:
Stefanie Fogel, Partner, DLA Piper
Martin Hahn, Partner, Hogan Lovells
Ron Rothstein, Partner, Winston & Strawn
Jackie Welch, Vice President, Litigation, The J.M. Smucker Company

Scaling legal risk, preventative strategies to curtail litigation, crisis management development, determining how/when to notify relevant authorities and the interplay of recall with litigation and reputational challenges.

Roundtable Sessions: Ask the Experts 

Our roundtable sessions will allow attendees to gain expert perspectives on nuanced legal affairs topics with actionable learnings for a variety of CPG companies.

Going the Distance: An Overview of Learnings from Major CPG Trials
Amin Wasserman Gurnani
While a majority of litigation does not go to trial, it’s helpful to scan cases that go the distance for instructive takeaways on how to ensure efficient and effective trial advocacy on a range of issues from labeling, regulatory, product liability and recalls and more. 

What’s Coming Next Under a Trump Administration’s FDA and USDA
Alston & Bird
CPG brands in the food and beverage industry are scoping the regulatory and legal climate with the Trump Administration in 2025. This includes navigating FDA and USDA regulatory matters and working with clients to influence future policy direction and orient their operations.  

May Contain Headaches: Pre-Suit Lessons and Demand Letters
Arnold & Porter
Pre-suit dynamics and demand letters are a frequent feature of disputes in the CPG space, whether as an initial step to a class action complaint, Prop 65 or issues related to products or warranties. Our speakers will discuss preparation and responses for initial and long-range considerations. 

Urge To Merge: Making a Practical Sense of Antitrust Enforcement
Axinn
The broad spectrum of CPG products and healthy amount of M&A means brands need to be up to speed on the latest updates for merger enforcement, big changes at the FTC and DOJ and what they mean for preparation, diligence and enforcement.  

Sales Practices: From Slack Fill to Up to Claims, Serving Up Insights and Labeling Strategies
BakerHostetler
CPG legal dynamics are not short on sales practice issues, whether in litigation or rhetoric critiquing the industry. Our speakers will be serving up a heaping amount of insight on how to think through current dynamics with your daily value of perspective. 

Litigation Financing
Burford Capital
Given that litigation can be a very expensive problem, whether it’s the pre-filing of a complaint, pleadings, discovery, motions, trial or an appeal, brands are best prepared when considering the spectrum of costs. 

Hashtags and Warning Letters: How to Navigate Social Media Dynamics
Davis+Gilbert
Given the ubiquity of utilizing social media to further dialogue with customers and stakeholders, CPG brands need to be versed in how to evaluate and confront potential risk. Attendees will like and subscribe to the insights provided on working with influencers, platforms and ensuring continuity and compliance.

Expert Perspectives: Maximizing Expert Witnesses and Consumer Perception Research for Litigation and Claims Substantiation
Dentons 
Survey says: you had better have a strong strategy for using consumer perception research and expert opinions. This roundtable will examine recent examples of surveys and how to maximize probative value, overcome Daubert challenges and how to ground product substantiation with effective methods, controls and questions. 

The Curse of Disbursement: Fraud-Proofing the Claims Administration Process in CPG Litigation
Epiq Global
Speakers will profile top considerations to operationalize efficiency in the claims process, spanning notice requirements and notice fulfillments, opt-outs and communication with potential class members on how to establish controls to detect potential fraud. 

Seeing Red with Green Claims: Litigation Lessons for ESG and Beyond
Faegre Drinker
Our speakers will explore how the intersection of the CPG industry with ESG issues showcases a crucial opportunity to assess current enforceable laws, litigation trends and how both mitigate legal risk and maximize the brand to consumer dialogue. 

State Regulatory Trends on Consumer Data
Foley & Lardner LLP
Since the passage of the California Consumer Privacy Act, many states have been active enacting comprehensive consumer data privacy laws in rapid succession. While there are similarities across state regulatory schemes, there are also important differences among them. This roundtable will explore nuances and how CPG Brands can structure effective compliance plans with insights on obligations, privacy notices and practical considerations for marshalling data. 

AI and the Future of Marketing
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC  

Crossing Borders: Best Practices for New Market Expansion
Freshfields
With market expansion being a key catalyst for growth and the increasingly global reach of brands, CPG lawyers need to be mindful of how to counsel for best results with jurisdictional nuances, customer segments and finding clarity in cross-border market complexity. 

Stepping In It: Product Reviews, Bots and Legal Risk
Greenberg Traurig

Going Green in the Golden State
Hogan Lovells
There’s universal perspectives informed by legal interpretation and regulations … and then there is California. From SB 343 to climate disclosures, CPG brands need to be mindful of the unique regulatory traffic in the golden state and how to position their brands for compliance. 

Futurecasting Sustainability Commitments
Jones Day
Sustainability goals — whether reducing energy consumption, committing to more recycled content in packaging, exploring new technology or partnering with third-party certification groups — have shown that no good deeds go … unscrutinized. Our speakers explore the best practices and how to grapple with a variety of stakeholders and crafting and amending sustainability goals. 

On the Horizon: The Next Class of Chemicals Fueling Intrigue and Risk
Morrison Foerster
Chemical management issues proliferate in litigation and regulatory requirements involving chemicals, including Prop 65, TSCA, OSHA, FHSA and the European Union’s REACH and RoHS Directives — presenting a host of issues of which CPG lawyers need to be aware. Our speakers will explore current thinking and look around the corner at emerging chemicals management issues with a horizon scan of inputs from media, research, international organizations, NGOs and more.

Stepping In Their Shoes: A Survey of Private Attorney General Statutes from California to DC
Norton Rose Fulbright
The head-spinning complexity of the language and process of public and/or private enforcement statutes form an area where CPG brands need to be fluent. From PAGA and Prop 65 to the DC Consumer Protection Procedures Act, our speakers will translate the latest learnings.

Personal Care & Household Cleaning Developments
Perkins Coie
From navigating MoCRA to clean beauty claims, the cosmetics and personal care product segments of CPG face a range of challenges and considerations. Our speakers discuss navigating regulations, emerging litigation trends and best practices for clear and compliant labeling and marketing for manufacturers and retailers. 

Gut Check or Gut Punch: Digesting the Latest Legal Developments on Probiotics

Sidley Austin

Class Action Risk Following Prop 65 Consent Judgments

Venable

The Nuance of Nuisance: Public Nuisance Cases in CPG
Weil, Gotshal & Manges
The now not so novel movement of cases against consumer goods companies from NGOs, State AG’s, and municipalities alleging public nuisance have signaled a new area where CPG counsel need to be up-to-speed with unique legal theories and defensive strategies. Our panelists will explore the movement of these cases and what to expect in the year ahead.