Event Check In 

Location: Lobby Atrium

Breakfast

Location: Bay Terrace

Supported by Jenner & Block LLP

General Counsels Breakfast

By invitation only

Location: Marina and Sunset (Crown Landing Restaurant)

Keynote: The Honorable Melissa Holyoak
Federal Trade Commission

Location: Commodore CDE

Moderated by Svetlana Gans, Partner, Gibson Dunn, & Crutcher LLP

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

Location: Commodore CDE

Networking Break

Supported by Jenner & Block LLP

Concurrent Sessions

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

Location: Commodore B
Presented by BakerHostetler

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.

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

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

Location: Commodore A
Presented by Hogan Lovells

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.

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

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

Location: Commodore CDE
Presented by DLA Piper LLP

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.

Speakers:
Grant Ankrom, Partner, Dentons US LLP
Rory Collins, Partner, Faegre Drinker
Cort Lannin, Partner, Covington
Jane Metcalf, Partner, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Networking Break

Supported by Jenner & Block LLP

Concurrent Sessions

Business: Antitrust Session — Competition Legal Landscape in CPG

Location: Commodore B

Presented by BakerHostetler

The 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.

Speakers:
Daniel Bitton, Partner, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
Bill Stallings, Partner, Mayer Brown
Ryan Tisch, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Laura Turano, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Regulatory: 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

Location: Commodore A

Presented by Hogan Lovells

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.

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 USA, Inc.
Brian Sylvester, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP

Litigation: Settling … for Less in CPG Litigation
Location: Commodore CDE

Presented by DLA Piper 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.

Speakers:
William Cole, Partner, Amin Wasserman Gurnani LLP
Shannon Dudic, Of Counsel, DLA Piper LLP
Jamal Faleel, Head of Litigation and Disputes, Norton Rose Fullbright US LLP
Erik Swanholt, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP

Networking Lunch

Location: Bay Terrace

Supported by Venable LLP

General Session

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

Location: Commodore CDE

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.

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

Networking Break

Supported by Jenner & Block LLP

Concurrent Sessions

Business: Navigating Investigations: Strategies for Preempting and Responding to Federal and State Government Regulations and Agencies

Location: Commodore B

Presented by BakerHostetler

With a range of high-risk government regulatory requirements facing companies, the industry faces an alphabet soup of enforcement entities from DOJ, ICE, FTC and DOL to state Attorney General’s Offices. Whether it be immigration or labor, food and drug, or state sales bans like Prop 12, businesses need to know how to navigate – and what’s ahead – in an industry with highly regulated products. This session, featuring a lineup of former government attorneys with enforcement experience, will help CPG lawyers prepare, preempt, and respond to forthcoming government actions and aid in helping you prepare for the updated regulatory landscape under the new administration.

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

Regulatory: Prop 65 — Our Least Favorite California Regulation

Location: Commodore A

Presented by Hogan Lovells

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

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

Litigation: Always and Forever: Managing PFAS

Location: Commodore CDE

Presented by DLA Piper LLP

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.

Speakers:
Emily Broach, Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel, Colgate-Palmolive Company
Sam Jockel, Partner, Alston & Bird LLP
Dean Porter, Senior Associate, Arnold & Porter
Michelle Ramirez, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Networking Break

Supported by Jenner & Block LLP

Concurrent Sessions

Business: Unsubscribing from Data Risks — Cyber, Privacy and Crisis Management

Location: Commodore B

Presented by BakerHostetler

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.

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

Regulatory: Managing Recalls in CPG

Location: Commodore A

Presented by Hogan Lovells

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.

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

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

Location: Commodore CDE

Presented by DLA Piper LLP

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.

Speakers:
Hannah Chanoine, Partner, O’Melveny
Stephen Cole, Senior Counsel, Keurig Dr Pepper
Brian Liegel, Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Trent Norris, Partner, Hogan Lovells

Networking Break

Supported by Jenner & Block LLP

General Session

From the Corner Office: A General Counsel Fireside Chat

Location: Commodore CDE

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.

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

Break

Sponsor Roundtables & Happy Hour

Location: Bay Pavilion

Break

Pre-Cruise Docked Reception

Location: Marina Excursion Dock

Networking Dinner Sets Sail

Location: All Aboard the California Spirit

Supported by Arnold & Porter, Frankfurt Kurnit, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Jones Day, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP

Breakfast

Location: Bay Terrace

Supported by Davis+Gilbert LLP

General Session

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

Location: Commodore CDE

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.

Speakers:
Inés Bahachille, SVP & Chief Legal Counsel North America, Mondelēz International
David Biderman, Firmwide Chair, Consumer Products & Services Litigation, Perkins Coie LLP
Kimberly Branscome, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Sarah Brew, Partner, Faegre Drinker
Alice Kessler, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP

General Session

CPG & ESG

Location: Commodore CDE

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.

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

Networking Break

Supported by Davis+Gilbert LLP

General Session

On the Docket: The CPG Litigation Horizon

Location: Commodore CDE

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.

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

General Session

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

Location: Commodore CDE

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.

Speakers:
Suzana Blades, Vice President, DGC Litigation, Government Relations & Legal Operations, Kimberly-Clark
Kelley Grady, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, The Campbell’s Company
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

Lunch

Location: Bay Terrace