Arnold & Porter Hosts 2026 Chicago Consumer Products & Retail Forum

Arnold & Porter hosted its 2026 Chicago Consumer Products & Retail Forum on September 24 at the firm’s Chicago office. The afternoon program brought together legal and business leaders for timely conversations on litigation, regulatory, and commercial developments shaping the consumer products and retail industry. 

Across the sessions, Arnold & Porter lawyers and in-house leaders explored recent court decisions, evolving regulatory developments from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other federal and state agencies, and the changing enforcement landscape. That included U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) priorities and increased activity from state attorneys general and local prosecutors. 

The program also addressed strategies for managing commercial agreements, litigation, and distressed businesses, as well as emerging trends in product liability, pricing, privacy, artificial intelligence, and other issues companies are navigating across the industry. 

Each session paired Arnold & Porter attorneys with senior in-house leaders whose perspectives grounded the discussions in the day-to-day realities legal departments face. Speakers included Emily Newhouse Dillingham, Head of Legal of Better-For-You and Nature’s Bakery Brands at Mars Snacking; Kamran Khan, Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Altria; Laura Kleinschmidt, Associate General Counsel of Kerry Group plc; Jon-Peter Kelly, SVP-General Counsel, Litigation & Chief Compliance Officer of Walgreens; and Angie Steele, SVP and U.S. General Counsel of McDonald’s Corporation. 

The forum concluded with a networking reception, giving attendees the opportunity to continue conversations and build on the discussions from throughout the afternoon. 

We appreciate the clients, colleagues, and speakers who joined us in Chicago and contributed their perspectives to an engaging afternoon of discussion and connection.

© Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP 2026 All Rights Reserved. This Blog post is intended to be a general summary of the law and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with counsel to determine applicable legal requirements in a specific fact situation.