Audience:
Open industry. All apparel and footwear industry professionals, regardless of AAFA membership, are encouraged to participate.
Description:
Litigation continues to distract and disrupt apparel and footwear companies and suppliers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will address the latest waves of significant litigation facing these businesses, including: public nuisance/employee safety claims; class actions (such as product labeling, marketing, pricing, advertising, accessibility, product performance and warranty, text messaging, automatic renewals, temperature checks, and country of origin claims); IP/brand protection suits; and privacy actions and enforcement activity. The speakers will provide insight into the evolving litigation landscape and highlight practical strategies to consider in an effort to maximize protections and reduce risk.
- To assess the relevant litigation environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To gain knowledge of emerging areas of litigation risk facing apparel and footwear companies and suppliers.
- To learn of practical strategies to take back to your business that can meaningfully reduce litigation risk.
Speakers:
Meredith Slawe
Partner, Co-Chair Retail Industry Group; Co-Chair Class Actions Practice, Cozen O'Connor
Cozen O'Connor
Meredith Slawe is Co-Chair of Cozen O'Connor's Class Actions Practice Group and Co-Chair of the firm's Retail Industry Group. She is a nationally-recognized litigator with deep expertise and focus in the retail space. Meredith represents many leading retailers, including several apparel and footwear companies, in class actions and other complex litigation in federal and state courts across the country, and advises them on related compliance measures. She has significant experience addressing advertising, marketing, pricing, product labeling, privacy, environmental, text messaging, and physical and digital accessibility practices. She also crafts, revises, and enforces terms and conditions, privacy policies, arbitration agreements, and vendor contracts. Meredith is an advocate for the interests of the retail industry in the judiciary. She has filed amicus briefs in federal courts, including in the U.S. Supreme Court, and before regulatory bodies on class action and consumer privacy-related topics.
Danielle N. Garno
Partner, Co-Chair Retail Industry Group, Cozen O’Connor
Cozen O’Connor
Danielle Garno is Co-Chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Retail Industry Group. Danielle focuses her practice on issues faced by the fashion community, including startup phase and commercial advice, intellectual property such as trademark and copyright infringement, social media marketing, advertising, and anti-counterfeiting, as well as employment and general business litigation. She has significant experience litigating both individual and class actions. Danielle represents luxury brands and fashion clients of all sizes from startups to multinational, global brands, helping them navigate through legal issues as well as counseling them on growing and sustaining a successful brand. Danielle has written extensively and lectured all over the United States on topics relating to fashion law and currently teaches fashion law at the University of Miami School of Law.
Michael Schmidt
Partner, Vice-Chair Labor & Employment Practice
Cozen O’Connor
Mike is the vice chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Department, and the office managing partner of the New York Midtown office. For more than 25 years, Mike has assisted businesses and their management teams throughout the United States accomplish their goals through litigation, negotiation, and day-to-day counseling.
Mike is a trial lawyer who represents employers in federal and state courts, in arbitration, and before government agencies on issues including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; wage and hour, including class and collective actions; FMLA, ADA, and other federal, state, and local leave obligations; breach of contract; whistleblowing, including SOX and other laws; restrictive covenants, non-competes, and non-solicits; social media use; WARN; Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and other COVID-19 legislation; and other employment law matters. Beyond his regular client practice, Mike serves as the chairman of the board of directors of After-School All-Stars of New York, the New York chapter of a national charitable organization founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the mid-1990s to provide after-school and summer programs for inner-city youth. Mike earned his undergraduate degree, with honors, from Brandeis University in 1990. He earned his law degree, with distinction, from Hofstra University School of Law in 1993, where he was a notes and comments editor of the Hofstra Law Review.
Moderator:
Steve Lamar
President and CEO
AAFA
Stephen E. Lamar is President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, the national trade association representing more than 1,000 brands in the apparel and footwear industry. Steve leads a dedicated team of professionals who represent AAFA members before the government, through the media, and in industry settings on key brand protection, supply chain and manufacturing, and trade issues. Steve also advises AAFA member companies on legislation and regulatory policies. Prior to becoming President and CEO, Steve served as Executive Vice President for the association.
Prior to AAFA, Steve spent more than a decade engaged in international public policy work, including stints at the U.S. Commerce Department and in the Peace Corps. A runner, juggler, and genealogist in his spare time, Steve is President of the Washington International Trade Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Colgate University and a Master of Arts Degree in International Affairs (with a concentration on African politics and international trade) from George Washington University.