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Future of Retail: Risk & Resilience Conference 2026

More about risk, resilience & compliance for retailers
Manchester reception

About the conference

Risks for retailers are risks for us all. That's why we bring together leaders and industry experts from retail and leisure for our Future of Retail: Risk & Resilience Conference.

Hosted by Helena Davies, Partner and Head of Retail, this year's free and invitation-only event will take place in London on Tuesday 21 April 2026. 

We'll cover how to protect against threats, health and safety management, cybersecurity and the integrity of your IT systems, artificial intelligence (AI), counterfeiting and social media risks as well as how to address false claims — all designed to equip you with the practical knowledge to protect your customers, employees and brand.

Discover our risk, resilience & compliance services for retailers

Highlights from the Future of Retail: Risk & Resilience Conference 2025

A man with short dark hair, beard, and black t-shirt smiling and speaking to a woman with blonde hair, in an indoor setting with beige and brown walls.
A security guard in a navy blue shirt with "SECURITY" written on the back, standing in front of an outdoor crowd behind a blue barrier.

Keynote — Martyn’s Law with Figen Murray OBE

Figen Murray OBE, a counter-terrorism expert and the force behind Martyn's Law, will deliver a powerful keynote on why regulation matters — especially when it's designed to protect lives.

Figen is the mother of Martyn Hett, one of 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. She's since transformed her grief into action, campaigning tirelessly to improve public safety.

Her efforts — from an online petition to a 200-mile walk from Manchester to Downing Street — led to Martyn's Law receiving Royal Assent in spring 2025. 

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Retail resilience — strategies for compliance, safety & crisis response

Our opening panel will tackle compliance, safety and crisis management, chaired by Claire Burrows, Partner in our regulatory team, with Dawn Holmes (Campus Security Manager, Google), Jack Busby (Head of Retail, Landsec), James Hiom (Director, JKH Partnerships) and Chris Brook-Carter (CEO, Retail Trust).

We’ll be discussing how to protect retail environments, employees and the public from external threats such as crime, looting and terrorism, as well as internal health and safety crises including workplace incidents, system failures and operational hazards.

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Navigating digital transformation

Partner and Head of Intellectual Property and Technology Colin Bell will chair the second panel with Shakie Kawuyu (Data and Analytics Director, RSM), exploring the opportunities and threats facing retail as digital transformation accelerates — including AI, social commerce, cybersecurity, ransomware, counterfeits and deepfakes.

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Truth, trust & trade marks​

The final panel will delve into how addressing false claims, enforcing IP rights and focussing on product transparency can help retailers to counter reputational threats.

Chaired by Partner and Chartered Trade Mark Attorney Hannah Fawcett with panellists including Nick Thornton (Founder, Aver), John Mulvihill (The Regatta Group) and litigation Partner Helen Otty, the session will cover responding to attacks on your reputation — including defamation and malicious falsehood — and managing external communications.

Helena Davies

About Helena

A specialist property litigator, Helena has led our retail sector team since 2021. She’s a regular industry commentator in publications such as Estates Gazette, Business Live and This is Money and both hosts and speaks at conferences across the country.

Helena is deeply committed to advancing sustainability objectives and enhancing retail’s social impact contribution within local communities. She has led multiple thought leadership initiatives, established new professional networks, organised industry events and produced extensive video and social media content to highlight exemplary practices and notable achievements in this field. Her projects have included contributions from prominent retail leaders like The Trafford Centre, as well as insights from media commentators.

In collaboration with legal experts and consultants across the retail sector, Helena offers legal services that address a broad spectrum of ESG-related challenges, including B Corp certification and environmental compliance. She’s also proactively developing initiatives focused on advertising standards, influencer partnerships and strengthening the role of retail in placemaking.

More about Helena
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About our retail team

It’s vital for retailers to have a true legal partner on their side to withstand the challenges and take advantage of opportunities presented by the ever-changing retail landscape. 

We act as that partner — one which deeply understands the sector and can help to achieve your commercial goals.

As a leading independent full-service retail law firm, we work closely with the UK’s largest retailers across beauty, fashion, leisure and hospitality, food and drink, automotive and health. 

We also have specialisms in ESG and placemaking as well as RetailTech and eCommerce.

Meet our team

Insights from our retail team