Restaurant Law Center Names Robin Repass as Executive Director

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Restaurant Association announced Robin Repass as executive director and chief legal counsel of the Restaurant Law Center (RLC), the independent public policy organization created specifically to represent the interests of the food service industry in the courts.

Repass is a strategic litigation and public policy leader with experience representing business owners in federal, state and appellate courts with a focus on workplace safety, employment litigation and regulatory compliance, RLC said. She has built and led multistakeholder coalitions, bringing together trade associations, outside counsel, government officials and industry leaders to protect business interests, particularly in the hospitality and foodservice sector, according to the center. 

"The Restaurant Law Center is the center-point for the National Restaurant Association's work correcting unfair marketplace practices and regulatory overreach impacting the restaurant industry. Robin has an exceptional breadth of experience and knowledge that make her the right leader for the RLC," said Michelle Korsmo, president & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. "With more than 20 years engaged as inhouse and outside legal counsel, and her extensive understanding of policymaking and commitment to coalition building, she is the courtroom advocate the restaurant industry needs safeguarding our place as engines of opportunity, connection, and economic growth."

Prior to joining the Restaurant Law Center, Repass was a partner at Fisher & Phillips in Washington, D.C., where she led workplace safety, employment law and government relations matters for employers and trade associations nationwide, including clients in the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality sectors. In this role, she litigated complex employment and OSHA cases in federal and state courts, engaged directly with regulators on rulemaking and enforcement issues, and served as a leading legal spokesperson in public and regulatory forums, RLC said. 

She also held senior legal and public policy roles at Amazon, leading global workplace safety compliance initiatives, advising executive leadership on regulatory and legislative strategy, and engaging with federal and state policymakers, according to the center. Earlier in her career, Repass served in leadership roles at Ogletree Deakins and Tesla. 

"I am excited to step into a role protecting the restaurant and foodservice industry as the executive director and chief legal counsel of the Restaurant Law Center," said Repass. "Restaurant operators face an unrelenting wave of legal and regulatory challenges, and having an independent organization solely dedicated to fighting for them in the courts matters enormously. I'm honored to lead this work alongside an exceptional board and our law firm partners, and I look forward to expanding the RLC's impact on behalf of operators across the country."