From April 9th-11th, TWG attorneys Glenn Wicks and Ali Orr represented the Industrial Packaging Alliance of North America (IPANA) at the spring installment of its biannual conference in Nashville, TN. At the conference, member companies from IPANA and its affiliate organizations in the industrial packaging space convened for board and member meetings, networking events, and unique opportunities to discuss relevant topics with industry experts and regulators.
The conference included a series of plenary sessions featuring various presentations from experts in matters relevant to the industrial packaging sector. A few highly informative examples of these presentations included the following:
Shane Kelley, the Director of Standards and Rulemaking at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), discussed the relationship between agency regulator and industry in his address, highlighting the special permit process and the petition for rulemaking process as areas ripe for industry and agency to share perspectives and work together to prioritize safety while encouraging innovation. Mr. Kelley was also available to meet with representatives from member companies one-on-one to discuss specific regulatory topics of their choosing.
Mark Woods, the president and founder of Ethylene Strategies International Inc., highlighted the impact of tariffs on polyethylene exports.
Christopher Lind, a packaging and transportation regulatory expert and technical advisor to IPANA and TWG, conducted a deep dive, updating attendees on new international and domestic regulatory efforts of particular relevance to industrial packaging.
Since 2003, TWG has proudly served as general counsel IPANA. In its role as general counsel, TWG ensures that IPANA members maintain awareness of and adherence to established antitrust guidelines for trade associations. TWG also provides legal advice to IPANA and its members on matters related to hazardous materials and transportation regulatory compliance, such as drafting and following up on applications for special permits.
TWG is deeply grateful to IPANA for hosting such an informative conference and is honored to continue to provide support to IPANA and its affiliate organizations. For more information about The Wicks Group, please contact Glenn Wicks at gpwicks@wicks-group.com.