Arnold & Porter hosted its inaugural Consumer Products, Retail, & Tech Forum on June 23rd at the firm's Seattle office in the U.S. Bank Center. The half-day program drew a strong turnout of legal and business leaders from across the consumer products, retail, and technology sectors and featured speakers from Arnold & Porter, government, and leading companies across industries.
The forum was designed for companies navigating a rapidly shifting state and federal regulatory environment, and the discussions reflected the increasingly complex legal and business challenges organizations face today. Across every session, a common theme emerged: enforcement priorities are evolving, new risks are emerging, and the organizations best positioned to manage them are the ones investing in practical, proactive legal strategies.
The afternoon began with a fireside chat featuring Laura Clinton, Consumer Protection Division Chief of the Washington Attorney General's Office, moderated by Seattle partner Todd Nunn. Their discussion explored the increasingly important role state attorneys general play in shaping consumer protection enforcement and offered practical perspectives on the evolving regulatory landscape.
Panel discussions addressed regulatory and enforcement trends in consumer protection and product safety, pricing and antitrust developments, consumer litigation, data privacy, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence. Each session brought together Arnold & Porter attorneys with significant government experience alongside senior in-house leaders, including Sara Gattie, Chief Risk Officer of Providence; Marissa John, Vice President and General Counsel of the Seattle Seahawks and Lumen Field; Zabrina Jenkins, Principal of Sidus Advisors and former Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Starbucks; and Jolene Marshall, Chief Legal Officer of HighLevel, whose perspectives grounded the discussions in the day-to-day realities facing legal departments.
The forum concluded with a networking reception, giving attendees the opportunity to continue conversations, strengthen professional connections, and build on the discussions from throughout the afternoon.
The forum marked an important milestone for Arnold & Porter's Seattle office, which opened in July 2025, and reflects the firm's continued commitment to serving clients throughout the Pacific Northwest. The firm looks forward to building on the success of the inaugural program in the years ahead.