Executive Director | Restaurant Law Center

Angelo Amador is Executive Director of the Restaurant Law Center. He also serves as Senior Vice President of Legal Advocacy and Regulatory Counsel for the National Restaurant Association.

Amador serves as chief litigation officer for the Association, prioritizing legal matters to be pursued through amicus briefs or first party litigation. He also represents the Association’s interests by advocating before regulatory agencies; testifying at public hearings; drafting and filing regulatory comments; and, when necessary, recommending and managing legal challenges.

Prior to his current role, Amador was vice president of labor and workforce policy. He was  responsible for working with the business community to develop the restaurant industry’s position on labor, health care, immigration, education and other issues affecting the benefits, availability and quality of the workforce. He advocated on behalf of the Association and its members before Congress and the executive branch.

Before joining the National Restaurant Association, Amador served as an executive director in the Labor, Immigration and Employee Benefits Division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. At the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, he had responsibility for workforce issues, global migration, and travel/border policy. Previously, he was in private practice and served as law clerk to the Hon. David T. Stitt, judge in the 19th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. Prior to his clerkship, he worked in Washington, D.C., for the governor of Puerto Rico as assistant director/legislative counsel and as staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Member of the Firm | Epstein Becker Green P.C.

Employers in a range of industries, including health care, retail, hospitality and insurance, count on Kathleen Barrett to defend them in employment litigation in state and federal courts. Kathleen has represented companies across the country in wage and hour class actions. She also regularly represents companies in cases involving allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or wrongful termination brought by single-plaintiff employees at all levels of a company.

In addition, Kathleen proactively counsels clients to ensure their employment practices comply with current or new workplace laws and regulations. For example, she has guided clients through new workplace issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also offered training and guidance on the legalization of recreational and medical cannabis and its impact on a client’s workplace drug policies, complaint procedures, disciplinary action policies, and accommodations practices.

Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Kathleen worked in medical prosecutions at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. She has published numerous articles and presented on a variety of employment law topics, including the impact of the legalization of cannabis on the workplace, wage and hour compliance, and reasonable accommodations in health care workplaces. She also speaks on developments in wage and hour class action law, managing remote employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fair Labor Standards Act classification, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and cannabis workplace issues.

Senior Corporate Counsel | Whataburger Restaurants LLC

Kay serves as Group Director for Whataburger Restaurants LLC, where she manages transactional matters, intellectual property and data privacy for the company. Prior to joining Whataburger, Kay was in-house counsel for HEB Grocery Company and provided advice and counsel on real estate, commercial matters and mergers and acquisitions.

Kay has a broad practice, which has included preparing the FDD for Whataburger’s franchise operations, managing Whataburger’s intellectual property portfolio in the United States, Canada and Mexico, handling all marketing, technology, retail, supply, distribution and fintech matters, and managing franchisee disputes and intellectual property litigation, as well as antitrust class action matters.

Global Legal Director | Taco Bell 

Kimberly is the Global Legal Director for general litigation, compliance and risk management at Taco Bell. Prior to joining Taco Bell, Kimberly was an employment litigator and provided advice and counsel on labor and employment issues for companies of all sizes.

Partner | Fisher Phillips LLP

Ted Boehm is a partner in the firm’s Atlanta office and the force behind his clients’ labor and employment legal successes. He has litigated hundreds of cases, representing management in state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the United States Department of Labor. Ted is a core member of the Firm’s Wage & Hour Practice Group and a member of the Compensation Audit and Counseling Services team.

Having significant experience working with restaurant employers, Ted is also a key member of the firm’s Hospitality Practice Group, where he regularly advises his clients on compliance matters including the “tip credit.” He works closely with a variety of hospitality employers including franchisee associations in the quick service and casual dining space.

Ted dedicates a substantial portion of his practice to providing counsel on “preventive” employee relations including advice on wage and hour compliance, harassment investigations, disciplinary strategies, and many other issues faced date-to-day by today’s employers. He also conducts regular employment and wage and hour assessments. Clients call upon Ted regularly to provide training to attorneys, executives, human resources professionals, managers, and supervisors on these and other subjects.

When litigation cannot be avoided, Ted defends clients in wage hour, discrimination, retaliation, and harassment claims in court. A significant portion of Ted’s litigation practice includes the defense of class and collective actions, where he excels at mitigating risks and thereby mitigating costs for his clients.

Ted has been listed in Georgia Super Lawyers – Rising Stars and Georgia Trend’s Legal Elite for Labor and Employment Law. He regularly provides pro bono legal assistance to non-profit organizations and has been named a “Pro Bono All-Star” by the Georgia Bar Journal.

Managing Director, External Affairs and Government Relations | Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance

As the Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance’s Managing Director of External Affairs and Government Relations, Tod leads the external affairs and government relations teams at the Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance (ORHA), which represents the third-largest private sector employer in our
state with 24,821 locations, more than 564,000 employees and $33.1 billion in total sales in our Buckeye state. Ohio restaurants showcase a blend of successful new concepts, iconic establishments, wonderful brands and a support network all over the state. The industry does a great job of meeting
consumer needs with delicious food, exceptional service and forward-looking innovation. The ORHA positively represents restaurants and the hospitality industry by promoting them throughout Ohio and on a national basis, while working to protect food-service businesses and jobs with effective advocacy.
As the primary restaurant and hospitality advocate in the State of Ohio, Tod understands the importance of thriving hospitality businesses to vibrant communities. Tod speaks regularly to groups of all sizes championing every part of Ohio’s restaurant, hospitality and foodservice
community. From the federal to the state and even local levels of government, Tod connects with elected, agency and community leaders to further the interests of Ohio’s hospitality businesses. Under Tod’s leadership, while facing some of the most significant challenges to our industry in recent memory, the scope of the ORHA’s influence has broadened significantly.

Beyond Tod’s tireless advocacy for Ohio hospitality, Tod also simply loves restaurants, bars and breweries, coffee shops, food trucks and every other part of Ohio’s hospitality community. You will often find him promoting one of Ohio’s awesome establishments while enjoying some amazing food, drinks and fun vibes.

Prior to joining the ORHA, Tod was a long-time Ohio political consultant and campaign fundraiser, successfully serving clients at every level of government service and throughout the state. Tod’s knowledge, professionalism, commitment and calm demeanor were valued by those campaigns and public officials he served in the over 25 years he worked in Ohio politics and government service.

When Tod talks about his work to promote and protect Ohio’s hospitality businesses he says, “I am excited to be a part Ohio’s dynamic foodservice and hospitality industry where so many people begin their careers, learn valuable life lessons and become part of the high energy food service business. A strong hospitality industry is essential to a robust Ohio economy and to thriving communities that attract workers and families to our state.”

Partner | Jenner & Block

Marcus joined Jenner & Block after serving as investigative counsel to the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol, where he conducted more than 60 depositions and interviews of key witnesses. Marcus also played a vital role in bringing the January 6th Committee’s investigative findings to the American public. He assisted with coordinating the primetime hearings and was featured in one of the most viewed hearings. Prior to the January 6 Committee, Marcus served as an assistant staff judge advocate for the US Air Force and a special assistant US attorney in the Middle District of Georgia, where he oversaw more than 100 criminal investigations.

Now, Marcus brings the full depth and breadth of his government experience to bear for clients. He skillfully handles sensitive criminal and congressional investigations in a manner that allows clients to advance their business goals and maintain their reputations. Marcus routinely advises clients on congressional, Department of Justice (DOJ), and sensitive internal investigations, and counsels clients on investigations related to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA), the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), human rights issues, and other white-collar matters. Leading media outlets, including CNN, the BBC, and MSNBC, frequently turn to Marcus for his insight on high-profile government crises.

Marcus is also passionate about issues impacting the Black community, and as such, serves as a Co-Chair of the firm’s DEI Protection Task Force. In this role, Marcus helps companies and organizations navigate the political and litigation risks stemming from the Supreme Court’s decisions finding race-conscious admissions programs unconstitutional. Marcus is also an active member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, serving as a City Lead in Washington, DC, and is a member of the DC Bar Association’s DEIA Task Force.

Director, Employment Law | Bloomin’ Brands

Jarrett joined Bloomin’ Brands in 2021. Jarrett is tasked with managing a substantial caseload of administrative investigations (i.e., EEOC, DOL, OSHA, NLRB), which includes drafting position statements and attending agency mediations. Jarrett directly oversees the employee relations and leave of absence team. He provides frequent guidance to internal business partners and executive leadership team members on a wide range of labor and employment law issues, and ensures that policies are updated to reflect changes in employment laws. Jarrett also assists the Sr. Director of Employment Law on managing outside counsel in defense of single-plaintiff and class action lawsuits.

Prior to joining Bloomin’ Brands, Jarrett worked in private practice at Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney where he represented employers in all aspects of labor and employment law.

Jarrett earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida in 2015 and graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2018.

Member of the Firm | Epstein Becker Green P.C.

Paul DeCamp is a Member of the Firm in the Employment, Labor & Workforce Management practice, in the Washington, DC, office of Epstein Becker Green. He is Co-Chair of the firm’s national Wage and Hour practice group. A former Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Wage and Hour Division, Mr. DeCamp has more than two decades of experience representing employers and trade associations in the most complex and challenging wage and hour litigations, government investigations, and counseling matters.

Additionally, Mr. DeCamp has served as lead counsel in class and collective actions across the country. His work spans a broad range of industries, including aerospace, financial services, gaming, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, restaurants, retail, and transportation, as well as many others.

Appointed as Wage and Hour Administrator by the President of the United States in 2006, Mr. DeCamp was the chief federal officer responsible for interpreting and enforcing the nation’s wage and hour laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and a variety of prevailing wage statutes affecting government contractors. Most recently, Mr. DeCamp was a partner at a labor and employment law firm, where he served as National Chair of its Wage and Hour practice for eight years.

Principal | Jackson Lewis P.C.

Felice B. Ekelman is a Principal in the New York City office of Jackson Lewis P.C. where she serves as the Co-Lead of the Firm’s Restaurant Industry Team, and Leads the Firm’s Hospitality Industry Group (restaurants, hotels and fitness).  Felice is an established leader and has served on the Jackson Lewis Board of Directors, as well as the Boards of other organizations.  Felice approaches the attorney-client relationship as a business partnership, and clients rely on her to develop both legal and business strategies and when necessary, to litigate “bet the company” cases.

Felice places paramount importance on understanding her clients’ businesses, their goals and tolerance for risk. She has decades-long relationships with clients because of her ability to communicate with senior management, develop consensuses in problem solving, and work with clients to execute their goals. Known for her ability to develop thoughtful and creative solutions to complex workplace issues, clients trust her judgment.  Felice has in-depth knowledge of the challenges facing employers in the hospitality industry.  Her experience in the industry is wide-ranging.  She is a well-known class action litigator and has defended countless wage and hour claims both in court and before arbitrators.  She is an experienced trainer and investigator, having investigated claims of wrongdoing asserted by employees as well as customers.   Felice prides herself on providing practical well thought out advice that addresses the particular needs of the employers she represents.  Her experience in the hospitality industry is well established, and she is a sought-out speaker at industry events.

Chief Public Affairs Officer | Texas Restaurant Association

Kelsey Erickson Streufert is a licensed attorney and Texas Capitol veteran serving as the Chief Public Affairs Officer for the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA). The TRA represents the state’s $70 billion foodservice industry with more than 50,000 locations and 1.3 million jobs across Texas.

Kelsey joined the TRA at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, making quick work of her experience to drive recovery efforts at the local, state, and federal levels. Under her leadership, the TRA helped to safely reopen restaurant dining rooms, secured the cocktails to-go regulatory waiver, and partnered with Texas’ federal delegation to pass the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act—creating a critical lifeline for businesses across the country. Kelsey then led the TRA to its most successful Texas legislative session in memory, with the legislature passing six of the TRA’s eight priority bills and blocking every bill that the association opposed.

Prior to joining the TRA, Kelsey served as General Counsel for Texas Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin), and as a Policy Analyst for Texas Senator John Carona (R-Dallas). A double Longhorn, Kelsey graduated at the top of her class from UT Austin with her Bachelor of Arts in Government and, six years later, her law degree. Kelsey also spent two years in Washington, DC, beginning with the Bill Archer Fellowship Program and an internship with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Kelsey grew up in Central Dallas but considers Austin her adopted hometown. When she’s not working, she enjoys visiting local restaurants and spending time outside with her husband Preston and their three dogs—Maggie, Blue, and Ted.

Associate | Sheppard Mullin

Tiana Garbett is an associate in the Corporate Practice Group in the firm’s New York office. She is an associate co-lead of the Artificial Intelligence Team and a member of the Technology Transactions Team and Esports and Games Team.

Areas of Practice

Tiana assists clients in a variety of transactional matters, including technology transactions, venture capital and growth equity financings and mergers & acquisitions. She has experience counseling technology companies and start up businesses and drafting agreements for SaaS services, intellectual property licensing and commercial contracts. Tiana has represented clients across multiple industries, including software, technology, cybersecurity, financial services, healthcare, food and beverage and entertainment.

Tiana also supports the firm’s pro bono initiatives through her work with immigrants and asylum seekers in the San Diego community.

Partner | Jenner & Block LLP

An appellate and complex commercial litigator, Gabriel Gillett develops, evaluates, and executes successful long-term legal strategies for clients facing multifaceted disputes. He crafts winning briefs and arguments in courts across the country on a range of issues, including contract and business disputes, class actions, government regulation, insurance coverage, antitrust, civil procedure, securities, preemption, and constitutional and administrative law.

Leading Jenner & Block’s partnership with the Restaurant Law Center, Mr. Gillett has been a go-to lawyer on major issues impacting restaurant and hospitality companies, franchisors, and franchisees. He has led the firm’s high-profile lawsuits in Chicago and New York on behalf of iconic restaurants seeking business interruption coverage from their insurance carriers. Mr. Gillett has also served as appellate counsel for the Restaurant Law Center and state restaurant associations in many federal and state cases involving business interruption claims, regulatory challenges, antitrust, ERISA, and other important issues.

General Counsel | P.F. Chang’s China Bistro 

Lisa Gressel joined P.F. Chang’s in October 2016 where she is General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer, managing all legal, licensing, risk and HR activities for the Company.  Lisa has a deep level of experience handling complex legal, risk, compliance, and policy issues at publicly-traded and private companies.  Prior to joining P.F. Chang’s, Lisa developed and managed the compliance and enterprise risk management programs at PetSmart.  Lisa has also held positions as Deputy General Counsel of GE Aircraft Engines, SVP & General Counsel of L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, General Counsel of Avella Specialty Pharmacy and EaglePicher Technologies, and Chief Compliance Officer of Nortel Networks in Toronto.  Lisa teaches a masters of law class in Enterprise Risk Management at Sandra Day O’Connor Law School at Arizona State University and is a frequent lecturer on Global Compliance & Ethics programs. She is experienced in partnering with Boards, senior management, and business managers in developing legal, risk and compliance programs to best meet the needs of the organization and advance its business objectives.  Lisa has a B.A. in Economics and a J.D.

Senior Manager | Amazon

Kai is a Senior Manager for Public Policy at Amazon.com in Washington, D.C.  As part of the government affairs team, Kai advocates for Amazon’s immigration, labor and employment policy priorities before Congress and the administration.

Prior to Amazon, Kai was Senior Government Affairs Rep at Caterpillar, Inc. Kai also served as Labor Counsel for the Senate HELP Committee. He has also worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Kai graduated from American University Law School in Washington, D.C. with an LL.M. in Administrative and Regulatory Law.  He earned his J.D. from Gonzaga Law School in Spokane, WA, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Partner | Steptoe LLP

Tony Hopp is an experienced trial lawyer who represents clients in complex commercial, environmental, and mass tort matters. Tony handles all phases of single plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, and class action claims, and has tried multiple commercial and mass tort cases to verdict in state and federal courts. He has also argued and won appeals in Illinois, California, New York, Nebraska, and the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Some of these matters include defeating class certification in multiple consumer class actions, obtaining decertification of a consumer class, and defeating class certification for medical monitoring after a multi-day evidentiary hearing. Tony has also argued and won multiple motions to dismiss in putative consumer class actions involving allegations of consumer fraud and “slack fill”. He has successfully litigated numerous matters involving Lanham Act violations, trade secret claims, and breaches of post-employment restrictive covenants.

Over the course of his career, Tony has handled a wide variety of litigation and counseling engagements. His litigation experience includes mass tort matters, CERCLA cases, RCRA private citizen suits, consumer class actions, insurance coverage disputes including bad faith, unfair competition and Lanham Act claims, trade secret claims, actions for violation of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, shareholder derivative claims, dealership termination cases, housing discrimination and zoning litigation. His counseling experience includes risk management and product stewardship issues, environmental audits, internal corporate investigations, and local siting of solid waste management facilities.

Member and Former Chair | National Labor Relations Board

Marvin E. Kaplan has served as a Member of the NLRB since August 10, 2017. On July 29, 2020, the Senate confirmed him for another term of five years expiring August 27, 2025.

​​Previous to his appointment to the NLRB, ​Chairman Kaplan served as Chief Counsel to the Chairman of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Before his work with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, he served as counsel for the House Committee on Oversight Government Reform and as policy counsel for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He also worked at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards and with the law firm McDowell, Rice, Smith & Buchanan. Mr. Kaplan received his J.D. from Washington University in St Louis, and his B.S. from Cornell University​.

Partner | Fisher Phillips LLP

Emily Litzinger is a partner in Fisher Phillips’ Louisville, Kentucky office and serves clients nationwide.  Emily understands the impact employment litigation can have on a business, and she partners with companies to minimize liability and reduce risk with preventative strategies focused on compliance, training, and the implementation of best practices.  When workplace disputes arise and litigation cannot be avoided, these same companies call on Emily to represent them throughout every phase of the adversarial process.

As a member of the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Restaurant Association, Emily is often tapped to speak and write about topics that impact the hospitality industry. She is known for her presentations on preventing workplace harassment and discrimination, conducting effective internal investigations and ensuring compliance with wage and hour practices.

Shareholder | Littler Mendelson

Jorge R. Lopez has practiced immigration law for more than 30 years and focuses on corporate immigration, processing temporary and permanent corporate visa petitions, and all aspects of the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding visa benefits and Federal I-9 immigration compliance. Jorge often appears before the Department of Homeland Security on immigration benefits and compliance matters, as well as before the Department of State and other state entities regulating immigration compliance. He also represents clients in international forums on global migration issues.

Board-certified in immigration and nationality law by the Florida Bar, Jorge has advised multinational companies on how to meet their global workforce needs and on the management of I-9 audits and federal investigations. He also has actively managed the worldwide transfer of staff for a number of multi-national companies.

Additionally, Jorge provides advice on immigration-related employment discrimination, as regulated by the Office of the Special Counsel for Immigration Related Employment Discrimination. He has developed training programs for in-house legal teams and managers at client sites related to immigration compliance modules involving I-9 and visa issues.

Jorge has published numerous articles on immigration law and frequently presents regionally, nationally and internationally at seminars and training programs addressing immigration issues. He works with a diverse selection of clients that span the following industries:

• Healthcare
• Technology
• Education
• Finance
• Manufacturing
• Airlines
• Hospitality
• Media and publishing
• Retail

A shareholder of Littler Mendelson and a chair of the Global Mobility & Immigration Practice Group, Jorge previously worked in private practice.

Operator | North Country Brewing Co. 

Bob McCafferty has a deep appreciation for the hospitality industry, the communities they serve, and the team members that they employ.  Flexible scheduling and the tipped wage, for instance, paid for two-thirds of Bob’s BS Environmental Geoscience degree, as well as rent, books and food.  Through college, Bob started brewing beer styles in order to fully embrace chemistry classes and make it fun.  After graduating, professionally, Bob ran archaeology crews within the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic regions, hopping from project to project and backpacking in every state that he was sent.

Bob and Jodi purchased the buildings that house North Country Brewing Co. in 1998, and immediately started renovating. Trees were harvested that were timbered off archaeology sites and milled locally in North Liberty rather than burned on site by the state.  While deconstructing the building, they reused everything back into the building.  The original sidewalk is the back patio bar, the tin ceiling is now backsplash, cobbles pulled from creating the new foundation make the chimney and walls of the back patio.  When the community of Slippery Rock voted itself wet in 2001, Bob immediately quit his job and wrote the business plan.  However, their loans were tied to PLCB licensing approvals, so Bob started bartending nights once again at their favorite bar, Harmony Inn, where Jodi and Bob had first met.  Bartending once again paid the bills while they renovated and weathered the legal licensing storm.  North Country Brewing opened in 2005, and with the help of their team, grew when they could, to open the cannery in 2012 as well as return to purchase the Harmony Inn in 2013.

The challenges of operating a business have been expanded by regulation and unintended policy consequences, which led to writing op-eds and involvement.  Bob has been honored to sit on numerous boards over the years such as Brewers of PA and Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, and presently serves as Government Affairs Chair of PRLA, President of Butler County Brewer’s Coop, and member of Slippery Rock Development.

Partner, Complex Litigation and Trials; Mass Torts, Insurance and Consumer Litigation | Skadden LLP

For more than two decades, Mike McTigue has represented companies in class action defenses and complex civil litigation in jurisdictions across the country.

Mr. McTigue has counseled clients in international arbitration proceedings in the United States and in international forums. Additionally, he has substantial experience representing companies in the financial services, retail, telecommunications, technology, pharmaceutical and life sciences, education, hospitality and insurance industries.

Mr. McTigue has a successful record of obtaining early dismissals and plaintiffs’ voluntarily dismissal of claims, defending cases on the merits, defeating class certification, negotiating favorable individual settlements and curtailing the efforts of professional litigants. He routinely defends clients in matters that involve federal and state statutes, including numerous consumer protection laws, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act, among many others.

In recognition of his work, he has been repeatedly recognized by the BTI Consulting Group, Benchmark Litigation and The Legal Intelligencer for client service and contributions to the legal profession.

For several years, he has co-authored the Pennsylvania chapter of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Litigation and Dispute Resolution as well as the USA chapter of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Consumer Protection Laws and Regulations. Additionally, he has been a guest lecturer at Villanova University School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Executive Director, Workplace Policy Institute | Littler Mendelson 

Shannon Meade is the executive director of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute^® (WPI^®), the firm’s government relations and public policy arm. A highly seasoned government affairs professional, she advocates for the interests of employers to help define and shape workplace policy at the international, national and local levels.

Drawing on more than two decades working in senior roles on Capitol Hill and for prominent trade groups, Shannon develops strategic advocacy campaigns in partnership with clients to advance their legislative and regulatory priorities. Her deep policy experience, political acumen and vast relationships with government officials and industry associations allow her to build coalitions that protect and promote the collective interests of companies, trade associations, state chambers of commerce and business groups. Over the last several years, she has been at the forefront of major workplace policy debates and legislative victories, including efforts to defeat the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act at the national level and state-specific reforms such as the push to reform Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act.

In addition, Shannon helps clients navigate transformational workplace issues and developments that the law has yet to address but that employers are grappling with in real-time. She is actively engaged in advocacy efforts with key federal and state lawmakers related to such issues as artificial intelligence, automation, contingent workers and wage and hours laws. Shannon and WPI are also engaged in legislative efforts to address the skilled labor shortage in the U.S., including supporting legislation aimed at modernizing the nation’s workforce development and education system.

Prior to joining Littler, Shannon served as the vice president of public policy and legal advocacy for the National Restaurant Association, the leading business association for the restaurant and foodservice industry. She also served as the deputy director of the Restaurant Law Center, the legal arm of the Association, and worked extensively with the Association’s Educational Foundation on workforce development programs. Before that, Shannon was a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, chief of staff and legislative director for Congresswoman Kay Granger, and legislative counsel on the U.S. House Government Reform Committee.

Executive Director | National Federation of Independent Business

Beth Milito serves as the Executive Director of the Small Business Legal Department at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Ms. Milito came to NFIB from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs where she defended the agency in employment and labor lawsuits and was responsible for training and counseling managers on fair employment and HR practices. She has an extensive background in tort, medical malpractice and employment law.

Prior to serving as an attorney at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Ms. Milito worked as a trial attorney at Nationwide Insurance Company. At Nationwide, she completed over 100 trials to verdict. Ms. Milito was the editor of notes and comments for the Maryland Law Review at the University of Maryland School of Law where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in May of 1996. Following her education, she served as a clerk to the Honorable Alan M. Wilner on the Maryland Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court.

Ms. Milito is responsible for managing litigation and amicus work for NFIB. She has testified before Congress, federal agencies, and state legislatures on the small business impact of labor and employment issues. She also comments and writes regularly on small business cases before federal and state courts. Ms. Milito frequently counsels businesses facing employment discrimination charges, wage and hour claims, wrongful termination lawsuits, and in most other areas of human resources law. She also provides and develops on-line and on-site training on a variety of employment law matters and is a frequent media spokesperson on employment and labor matters.

Litigation Counsel | YUM! Brands

Amber Nicely serves as Litigation Counsel for YUM! Brands, Inc., where she oversees litigation matters and provides legal support and guidance to YUM!’s expanding portfolio of international restaurant brands, including Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and The Habit Burger Grill. Amber navigates a wide range of legal challenges facing the Quick Service Restaurant industry today, including franchisee disputes, data privacy matters affecting employees and consumers, intellectual property litigation, employment matters, and consumer class actions relating to food packaging, environmental, and sustainability concerns.

Prior to joining YUM! in 2023, Amber spent 18 years practicing in the business litigation group at Stites & Harbison, PLLC in Louisville, Kentucky.  During her time there, Amber managed a diverse litigation practice that encompassed complex commercial disputes, product liability matters, class actions, and mass tort actions, representing clients such as YUM!, Taco Bell, KFC, and other entities in the food service sector.  Amber also led the firm’s electronic discovery team and played a key role on the firm’s Ethics Committee.  In 2023, she was recognized by Best Lawyers for her expertise in Commercial Litigation.  Amber earned her J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and holds a B.A. from Indiana University in Political Science, with Minors in Economics and Sociology.

Outside of work, Amber can be found in a Disney park, road tripping across the country with her husband and daughter on their mission to visit all 30 MLB stadiums, or curled up with a good thriller and a cat on her lap.

Denis Raglin | Partner, Steptoe LLC

Dennis Raglin has over 25 years of experience counseling and defending clients in California’s Proposition 65 right-to-know chemical warnings law and is co-chair of Steptoe’s Prop 65 group. He is a tenacious litigator who has represented clients in bet-the-company cases.  Dennis was trial counsel in one of the few Prop 65 cases to ever be tried to verdict in the law’s 37-year history – representing a national food manufacturer. He was also part of the team achieving victory at the California Court of Appeals establishing federal law preempts Prop 65 warnings for generic over-the-counter medication.  He has also secured favorable settlements for national clients in high-profile Prop 65 suits brought by the state Attorney General. His practice includes knowledge of, and counseling on, a broad range of other state and federal chemical laws and regulations, including those related to foods and the FDA, PFAS, personal and children’s products, TSCA and CPSIA, packaging and recycling, and green chemistry initiatives.

Dennis works with companies large and small to understand these laws and fashion the most effective outcome, whether it be a strengthened compliance program, resolution and settlement, or through litigation – always with an eye toward what works and what gets the best results. Dennis partners with his clients to understand their business and then works together to achieve their goals.

Dennis also defends clients in products liability matters, with a focus on medical devices and pharmaceuticals. He is currently California counsel for a national medical device manufacturer. His diverse experience has encompassed defending products such as implantable and prescription medical devices, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, biologics, baby and toddler formula and nutritional supplements. .

Dennis has been both a speaker and an author of numerous articles in his fields of practice. He has spoken to various companies and trade groups on best practices for compliance with Prop 65 and regulations in California and other states related to green chemistry, PFAS chemicals, and consumer product chemical reporting obligations, all issues of increasing importance with states across the country enacting more regulations in these areas.   He has also written numerous articles on the constitutionality of Prop 65, including on the issue of federal preemption.  In the area of medical and pharmaceutical products, he has presented and written on topics related to FDA regulation of nutritional supplements, best practices in complying with FDA guidance governing device and pharmaceutical companies’ social media policies, and scientific information exchange.

Vice President & Associate General Counsel I GoTo Foods, LLC

Hans Schmidt is Vice President and Associate General Counsel for GoTo Foods LLC. He provides legal support and guidance to GoTo’s family of brands (including Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Schlotzsky’s) on trademarks, marketing (including loyalty programs, sweepstakes, press releases, menus and packaging, POP, and other marketing materials), litigation, and employment law matters. Hans also supports the Retail Channels licensing business, which involves licensing of brand trademarks for use in the CPG and foodservice space. Hans joined GoTo Foods in September 2019. Prior to joining GoTo Foods, Hans spent six years with a subsidiary of a global apparel manufacturer based in Nashville, TN, supporting its international workwear apparel business on wide variety of legal issues from supply and uniform contracts to global trade sanction and anti-bribery compliance. Prior to starting his in-house career, Hans spent eight years with a firm practicing business litigation and employment law in Birmingham, AL and Nashville, TN. When not working, Hans and his wife love raising their eight-year-old daughter and taking care of their two dogs.

Chief Legal and Administrative Officer & EVP | Denny’s Corporation

Gail Sharps Myers is Executive Vice President, Chief Legal & Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary for Denny’s Corporation and is responsible for overseeing all legal functions including real estate, labor and employment law, compliance, and all employee-related initiatives for the company. Before joining Denny’s in June 2020, Myers worked as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at American Tire Distributors. Prior to that role, she worked as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at Snyder’s-Lance, Inc., as well as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Counsel at US Foods, both leaders in the food industry. Myers has a track record of improving and reimagining legal strategy while promoting open communication and transparency with Boards. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from The Washington College of Law at The American University, her MBA from Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business, and her BA in Political Science at Howard University.

Office Managing Principal | Jackson Lewis P.C.

Amanda Simpson is the Office Managing Principal in the Orlando, Florida office of Jackson Lewis P.C., where she serves as the Co-Lead of the Firm’s Restaurant Industry Team and is a core member of the Class Actions and Complex Litigation practice group. Amanda believes it is her professional calling to stand with and for her clients to educate, minimize legal risks, and when faced with litigation achieve the most advantageous outcome in every case. Amanda has successfully tried cases on the state and federal levels and argued appeals. She has led large teams of Jackson Lewis attorneys to successfully navigate highly complex class and collective actions and mass arbitrations.

Amanda has in-depth knowledge as to the unique needs of hospitality clients based on working with a variety of restaurant and hotel clients in the industry. She has defended a number of wage and hour matters, charges and claims of discrimination and DOL investigations for hospitality clients. She is regularly asked to speak at a number of industry events. Amanda believes that education and manager training are key to helping clients navigate ever-changing workplace regulations, stay apprised of critical information and avoid litigation.

Partner, Complex Litigation and Trials; Mass Torts, Insurance and Consumer Litigation | Skadden LLP

Meredith Slawe represents clients across a range of industries in class actions nationwide and mass arbitrations. She often secures early victories to help clients avoid protracted litigation, including by developing strategies that prompt plaintiffs to dismiss their claims, compelling arbitration, defeating class certification and obtaining dismissals at summary judgment. Ms. Slawe also advises retailers and consumer-facing companies in connection with artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.

Ms. Slawe frequently works on cases focused on cutting-edge privacy and consumer protection issues under federal and state statutes. Prior to joining Skadden, she served as head of her previous firm’s retail industry practice and co-head of its class actions practice, giving her deep experience in advising retailers and consumer companies on class actions and mitigating litigation and enforcement risk. She has handled matters in several jurisdictions involving compliance with federal and state laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, California Consumer Privacy Act and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, among many others.

Ms. Slawe was elected to the American Law Institute and the American Bar Foundation and has been the recipient of numerous legal awards and accolades, including from The American Lawyer, Benchmark Litigation and The Legal 500. She is frequently invited to speak and write on issues pertaining to class actions, privacy, consumer arbitration and the retail industry. Additionally, she has been a guest lecturer on privacy at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and has presented at the Annenberg School of Communications. Ms. Slawe is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion and speaks regularly on issues pertaining to women in the profession.

SVP & Association General Counsel | Darden Restaurants

In her role as AGC at Darden, Dawn oversees the company’s commercial litigation, employment dispute resolution, and employment law compliance practices.  Dawn has been on the Darden legal team since 2007, serving as a trusted advisor and business partner across the enterprise.  Darden’s family of restaurants features some of the most recognizable and successful brands in full-service dining — Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Chuy’s, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s and Bahama Breeze.  Darden owns and operates more than 2,100 restaurants and proudly employs 195,000 team members across the United States and Canada who serve up memorable experiences for 420 million guests every year.  Prior to joining Darden, Dawn practiced commercial litigation with the international law firm of Foley & Lardner.

Shareholder | Greenberg Traurig LLP

Landes Taylor represents restaurant businesses, private equity investors, emerging growth companies, and venture capital firms in complex transactions, including debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, and private tender offers. His practice includes modeling complex capital structures, financing scenarios, and liquidity events to help investors and entrepreneurs analyze possibilities and understand potential consequences of various transaction structures. In addition, Landes regularly acts as outside counsel to startup company clients in the restaurant, food, beverage, consumer, and technology sectors, as well as various other industries, advising them on matters such as corporate governance, business formation, and joint ventures.