Deborah White Joins RILA as EVP and General Counsel

Association veteran will bring unique legal experience to RILA

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) announced today that Deborah White will join the association as Executive Vice President and General Counsel.  The announcement coincides with RILA's second annual Retail Law Conference underway this week in Chicago, IL.

As RILA's chief legal officer, White will oversee all association corporate governance and related legal activities, serve as the primary liaison to RILA member company general counsels and members of the RILA General Counsel Committee, and lead the development of programming for the annual Retail Law Conference.

White will also serve as President of the Retail Litigation Center, which brings together the industry's most talented and respected legal professionals to identify and meaningfully engage in legal proceedings affecting the retail industry.

"In today's intense regulatory environment, retailers face a wide variety of legal and compliance challenges with significant implications on their operation and the consumer experience," said RILA President Sandy Kennedy. "We are pleased to welcome Deborah White to our team. She is a talented lawyer with tremendous experience and a unique expertise well-suited to help RILA members meet today's legal and compliance challenges and come out on top."

White is the founder of Regulatory Solutions, PLLC, which provides advice and counsel to a broad range of food-related clients on strategies to affect federal regulatory policy and to implement effective corporate compliance programs.  Immediately prior to founding Regulatory Solutions, White was Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer of the Food Marketing Institute.  In this capacity, White advocated for effective regulations on behalf of the industry across a broad range of federal agencies and developed compliance materials geared toward food retailers and wholesalers. As Chief Legal Officer, she managed the corporate legal needs of the association.

From 1992 to 1998, White practiced law at the firm of Keller and Heckman, LLP, where she specialized in the law governing food and food packaging materials.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University and her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Washington College of Law of American University.

"I am excited to be joining such a dynamic and well-respected association.  I look forward to working closely with the talented executives among RILA's member companies and to address the challenges they face," said White.

RILA is the trade association of the world's largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.

SOURCE Retail Industry Leaders Association