Readers of the Retail Law Observer are invited to join us on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. EDT for a complementary webinar entitled “Is California a Canary in the Coalmine? Emerging Trends and the Future of Chemical Regulation in California.” I will moderate the panel, which will include Crowell & Moring partners Warren Lehrenbaum and Kevin Mayer.

The webinar will be of particular interest to retailers doing business in California. During the last decade, the chemical industry has experienced unprecedented changes in the regulatory and litigation environment. The traditional regulatory paradigm relating to human health and environmental protection is being supplanted by more precautionary and public policy-based approaches. This shift has increased costs not only for chemical and product manufacturers, but also for retailers that sell those products.

Our panel will explore the political, scientific and legal aspects of this paradigm shift and focus on specific burdens imposed on product manufacturers by California’s Proposition 65 and Green Chemistry initiatives. Specific guidance will also be provided. Please click on the link to register.