Walmart Hires Regulatory Head, Walgreens Legal Chief to Exit

Retail giants Walmart Inc. and the Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. are making changes to their in-house legal teams ahead of the new year.

Walmart hired Elisebeth “Beth” Collins, a former lawyer at Boeing Co. and Caterpillar Inc. who most recently was general counsel for World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., as of Monday to be chief counsel for regulatory and specialty legal, according to an internal memo viewed by Bloomberg Law.

Collins, one of four legal chiefs in three years at Vince McMahon’s WWE, replaces the retiring Jeanine Jiganti as the top lawyer overseeing several critical functions at Walmart, including antitrust, environmental, financial services, health and wellness, food and product safety, and labor and employment.

Walmart’s appointment of Collins comes as the company also promoted Julie Kass, a former Big Law practice leader it hired two years ago, to chief counsel for its health and wellness unit. Kass, who will report to Collins in her new role, takes over a position that had also been previously held by Jiganti.

Also joining Walmart this month as lead counsel for regulated product claims and advertising is Chalana Damron, who had been a senior counsel and regulatory lead for grocery giant Albertsons Cos. Inc. Damron and Collins are the latest legal additions at Walmart, which this year saw former general counsel Karen Roberts and head of litigation Kerri Ruttenberg choose retirement.

While Walmart has not yet named Ruttenberg’s replacement, Roberts saw her duties transition to Walmart’s top lawyer, Rachel Brand. In August, Walmart hired Discover Financial Services deputy general counsel Jeffrey Medeiros to be chief counsel for its financial services segment.

Walgreens

Walgreens announced Dec. 15 that its parting ways with chief legal officer Danielle Gray amid a recent shakeup in its C-suite. Gray, a former Obama administration lawyer who joined Walgreens in 2021, will depart after the company’s chief medical officer Kevin Ban went for the exit last month.

A Walgreens spokesman confirmed Gray will leave next month for an unidentified opportunity. Gray declined to discuss the matter. Matthew D’Ambrosio, global chief compliance and ethics officer at Walgreens, has been named interim legal chief as the company seeks Gray’s permanent successor.

“Danielle has helped resolve some of the most significant and longstanding litigation and regulatory enforcement matters facing the company, including reaching a nationwide settlement with state attorneys general regarding opioid dispensing,” Walgreens said in a statement.

Walgreens is reportedly looking to cut $1 billion in costs under Tim Wentworth, its new chief executive officer, and could spin-off UK pharmacy chain Boots.

Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS Health Corp. agreed a year ago to a more than $13 billion settlement resolving thousands of opioid-related lawsuits that accused the pharmacy owners of mishandling the powerful painkilling medication.