"Retail is a cutting-edge industry with the opportunity to work on challenging and exciting issues every day."
WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today announced that it has hired veteran trade association attorney Ceara Flake as vice president and deputy general counsel.
“As a long-time counsel at a major trade association, Ceara Flake has been a trusted legal advisor to both internal clients and corporate stakeholders,” NRF Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel Stephanie Martz said. “Beyond her legal skills, she has a proven record of collaborating cross-functionally to promote innovation. She brings broad experience and expertise that will be highly valuable to both NRF and our member companies.”
“Retail is a cutting-edge industry with the opportunity to work on challenging and exciting issues every day as the industry strives to better serve its customers,” Flake said. “I look forward to being part of this vital industry.”
Flake will provide general legal analysis and advice on business matters and work on both contract and compliance issues. She will also assist in strategically planning projects, agreements and communications.
Flake comes to NRF from the American Cleaning Institute, where she served on the legal team for seven years, most recently as assistant general counsel. She managed the gamut of ACI’s legal affairs including transactions, compliance, governance and trademark and brand management. In addition, she helped build the infrastructure for the ACI Future Leaders initiative, an innovation lab that researches, designs and delivers solutions for industry issues. Prior to ACI, Flake taught legal communications at Howard University.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Denison University and a law degree from Georgetown. Between college and law school, she was an intern for former Senator Fred Thompson, R-Tenn. After law school, she clerked for a federal judge in the U.S. Virgin Islands and later practiced litigation at a civil rights firm in Washington.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.