Sidley is a proud sponsor of the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s annual Retail Law Conference.
On October 13, Sidley partner Amy Lally will moderate a panel titled “A New Era – Change and Convergence in Antitrust and Consumer Protection Law” featuring Sean Royall, partner at Sidley; Lovesh Puri, Senior Corporate Counsel at West Marine; and Monica Welt, Deputy General Counsel, VP Compliance & Asst. Corp. Secretary at Big Lots Stores. The session will explore (1) strategies for navigating the increasingly complex FTC regulatory environment, both as relates to antitrust and consumer protection; (2) thoughts on where the FTC will focus its investigative and enforcement efforts, and how we can expect to see enforcement decisions affected by the trend toward convergence in antitrust and consumer protection (including data privacy) laws; and (3) recommendations for managing compliance programs, training, and risk management in these areas.
Antitrust and consumer protection laws have traditionally been long separate provinces — even within a dual mission government enforcement agency like the FTC that covers both fields. The FTC’s competition and consumer protection bureaus previously operated as independent silos, but now the degree of interaction and coordination is expanding rapidly as recent government enforcement activity, statements by the FTC’s leadership, and novel private litigation theories are now seeing the two converge, all while a new administration brings change in enforcement activity.
As antitrust and consumer protection principles and law enforcement approaches unite, retail industry in-house counsel will need to gain a solid grounding in both areas, and a deep appreciation for how the two interrelate. The same dual perspective will also be important in private litigation, as legal challenges blending antitrust and consumer protection concepts become more common — for example, as consumer privacy and data-related issues begin to surface more directly in antitrust investigations. This session will also cover the interconnectivity between antitrust and consumer protection, as well as best practices that retailers should consider when navigating these novel and largely uncharted waters.
As the premier event for retail corporate counsel, the Retail Law Conference attracts general counsel and other top in-house attorneys from the leading U.S. retailers. Attendees can connect with the senior-most retail corporate counsel, as well as elite outside counsel. Having represented retailers for decades, Sidley has built a reputation for successfully handling complex and multidisciplinary transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters spanning a range of legal areas. Our expansive experience in the retail industry, along with our lawyers’ frequent research and publication on industry trends, allows us to provide thoughtful advice for the myriad legal and business challenges that retail organizations face.
Additional information on RILA can be found here.