Opening Remarks

What Keeps You Up at Night? A Candid Look at Real-Time Pressures Facing In-House Legal and Compliance Leaders

Tariffs shift overnight. States pass laws that conflict with federal guidance. Marketing wants to move faster. Regulators, plaintiffs and advocacy groups are all paying closer attention. For in-house legal and compliance leaders in the food and beverage industry, the challenge isn’t just knowing the rules—it’s making decisions in an environment where the rules are constantly changing, and the stakes keep getting higher. Join senior practitioners for an unfiltered conversation on what’s really driving concern right now, where risk feels hardest to manage, where internal pressure is increasing, and how teams are making calls without clear answers. Expect candid perspectives, real-world examples and a chance to benchmark how your peers are navigating today’s uncertainty.

• Managing whiplash from tariffs, trade shifts and global instability and the downstream legal and compliance impact
• Responding to increasing scrutiny on ingredients, labeling and “what’s really in the product” from regulators, plaintiffs and the public
• Navigating inconsistent execution across facilities, regions or partners, where policies exist on paper but implementation varies in practice
• Designing products for global markets, where differing regulatory requirements force tradeoffs between consistency, speed-to-market and compliance
• Balancing pressure to move faster and say more with the need to manage legal and compliance risk

Federal vs. State: How Do You Operate When the Rules Don’t Align?

For in-house legal and compliance leaders, the challenge is no longer just keeping up with regulations—it’s making defensible decisions when federal and state requirements conflict and enforcement priorities diverge. Federal guidance doesn’t always align with state law, and regulators at both levels are increasingly active in areas like ingredient restrictions, labeling, and consumer-facing claims. This session will take a practical look at where these conflicts are creating the greatest legal exposure and how enforcement is actually playing out in practice. Hear how your peers are assessing risk, prioritizing compliance across jurisdictions, and making judgment calls in an environment where scrutiny is increasing and the “right” answer may depend on who is enforcing it.

• Where federal and state requirements are diverging most, and how that impacts risk exposure
• How recent enforcement actions are shaping decision-making around ingredients, labeling, and claims
• How teams are managing inconsistent requirements that impact both product formulation and marketing decisions
• Practical approaches to risk-based decision-making across jurisdictions, especially in gray areas influenced by evolving scrutiny
• How in-house leaders are advising the business when the answer is not “yes” or “no” but “it depends where, how and what you say”

Networking Coffee Break

The MAHA Movement: Legal and Regulatory Strategies for Ingredient Scrutiny and Consumer Transparency

As scrutiny around ingredients and product transparency accelerates, in-house legal and compliance leaders are being asked to make real-time decisions without clear regulatory alignment. This interactive session will walk through real-world scenarios facing food and beverage manufacturers today, with live polling and peer discussion on how to approach reformulation, labeling and claims decisions.

• Best practices for responding to state-level ingredient bans and conflicting requirements
• When to reformulate, relabel or hold position—and what drives that decision
• How far to go on ingredient transparency and “ultra-processed” positioning
• Where you draw the line on “free from” and other proactive claims

Approve, Edit or Reject? A Live Claims Decision Lab

From “all natural” and “clean” to functional benefits and emerging GLP-1-adjacent positioning, food and beverage claims are facing increasing scrutiny. During this interactive, scenario-based session, attendees will step into the role of decision-maker and evaluate a range of real-world claims through live polling. Walk away with practical frameworks to assess substantiation, identify risk and support the business with confidence.

• Evaluating a range of claims, including “natural,” “clean,” functional benefits, sustainability and ESG-related claims (e.g., ‘eco-friendly,’ ‘carbon neutral,’ ‘responsibly sourced’), and GLP-1-adjacent positioning
• Applying substantiation standards and assessing the strength of supporting evidence
• Identifying risk triggers that may lead to regulatory scrutiny or class action exposure
• Practical frameworks for deciding when to approve, modify or reject claims

Networking Luncheon

AI in Practice: How Legal and Regulatory Teams Are Using It—and Where the Risks Lie

AI is quickly moving from experimentation to everyday use across legal, regulatory and compliance functions. This interactive session will explore how legal and regulatory teams are using AI in practice today, where it is adding value, and where guardrails are essential.

• Where AI is being used across legal and regulatory workflows (e.g., claims review, research, documentation)
• Key risks tied to accuracy, confidentiality and reliance on AI-generated outputs
• How teams are establishing internal policies, approvals and guardrails for AI use
• Practical considerations for balancing efficiency gains with legal and compliance risk

Protecting Your Brand: Practical IP Strategies for Legal and Compliance Leaders

Brand protection is no longer just an IP issue—it’s a cross-functional priority that touches legal, compliance, marketing and innovation teams. Learn how to spot risks early, align internal teams and implement scalable strategies that safeguard your brand while supporting the business.

• Identifying and mitigating risks related to trademarks, trade dress, packaging and marketing assets
• Managing copycat products and brand enforcement in a fast-moving and highly competitive market
• Establishing internal processes and guardrails to ensure consistent and compliant brand usage across teams and partners
• Best practices for collaborating with marketing, innovation and external partners to protect IP without slowing down the business

Networking Coffee Break

End of Day 1

Networking Cocktail Hour