Operations Forum

Operational Discipline: Your Brand’s First Line of Legal Defense
July 15th
3:30 – 5:00 pm MT
KeHE Innovation & Growth Office
1750 14th St, Boulder, CO 80302

Purpose of the Session:

• This roundtable helps operations leaders understand the legal exposures embedded in everyday operational decisions across manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and people systems. The focus is on reducing ambiguity, strengthening contracts and cross-functional alignment, and building operational discipline that protects the brand long before legal issues surface. Leaders will walk away with practical tools, clearer expectations, and a stronger partnership model with legal and compliance teams.

Core Discussion Themes/Questions:

• What “good” looks like in legally resilient operations
• How to strengthen co-man and supplier agreements to reduce risk and clarify ownership
• Contracting as an ops lever: aligning terms with real workflows (specs, change control, QA release, forecasting, escalation)
• Labor and employment law essentials every operations leader must understand
• Marketing, claims, and labeling risk — and how Ops influences compliance
• Digital systems, data privacy, and cybersecurity as emerging operational liabilities

Optional Discussion Questions:

• Where does legal ambiguity most often show up in your operations — specs, contracts, claims, or labor practices ?
• What’s one clause you wish every co-man or supplier contract included ?
• Where do co-man relationships break down most often?
• What’s the most common ‘handshake assumption’ you see with suppliers/co-mans that later turns into a dispute?
• If you could eliminate one legal risk with a system or process change, what would it be?
• Which legal areas feel most disconnected from day-to-day operations — and how could alignment improve?
• How do you train teams to avoid unintentional legal exposure, and when do you partner with your internal (or external) legal teams when engaging third party providers?

Speaker: Wes Lang​, KO Law​

Wes is a commercial attorney who brings a holistic approach to commercial contracts and collaborates with clients as they develop, protect, and monetize their commercial assets, and achieve their business goals.

Wes partners with clients on their day-to-day operations and negotiates commercial agreements that form the lifeblood of any business to create effective, value-driven relationships with their strategic partners. He advises companies in the outdoor recreation, retail and manufacturing, and food, beverage, and consumer goods industries on a range of commercial contracts, including procurement and supply chain agreements, manufacturing and distribution agreements, consulting agreements, and master service agreements. Wes has been included in the latest Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.

Prior to joining KO, Wes practiced corporate law at Holland & Hart and DLA Piper. Wes received his law degree from the University of Colorado Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Wes is admitted to practice law in Colorado and Texas.

Outside of work, Wes enjoys cycling, mountain sports, adventuring with his wife, Callie, and spoiling their Goldendoodle, Alfie.