Fashion law, aka as apparel law, which is basically Intellectual Property law focused on the fashion industry is an emerging legal specialty that encompasses issues surrounding the life of a garment from conception to brand protection. Fashion law clients include designers, fashion houses, distributors, manufacturers, modeling agencies, retailers, and photographers.

The Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Protection Act (IDPPPA) protects designs that are deemed to be “unique” and “original.”

Pagliara Law Group’s Fashion lawyers  advise clients on legal issues facing the fashion, textile, apparel, luxury, footwear, jewelry, and cosmetics industries. These range from licensing, merchandising, distribution, and franchising agreements to intellectual property, employment, and labor relation issues. They include safety, sustainability, and consumer protection issues. Various aspects of corporate, real estate, tax, and business law also come into play.

We can perform a broad range of duties from drafting and negotiating contracts to addressing and litigating trademark, copyright, and other intellectual property issues. Our attorney can form and dissolve business entities and advise on branding development and protection.

We can also consult on design protection, import-export, licensing and other issues.

Our fashion industry attorneys have represented clients in a wide array of matters.

• Business formation and structuring
• Distribution and marketing agreements
• Executive compensation and employee benefits
• Factoring and finance planning and agreements
• Import, export and custom matters
• Joint ventures, franchises and other strategic relationships
• Labor and employment matters, including employment litigation
  – wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, wage and hour, etc.
• Leasing of warehouses, showrooms, and other facilities
• Licensing and endorsement agreements and strategic planning
• Litigation, dispute resolution and appeals
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Trade secrets
• Trademarks, patent and copyright registration
• Trademark and copyright enforcement and defense

The internet age has exacerbated many of the legal issues that designers and fashion companies encounter, fueling the necessity for fashion-specific legal advice and protection. For example, design piracy and copycat litigation have grown in recent years, prompting new legislation that provides legal protection for fashion designs. These issues are of particular importance to those in the fashion industry.

Pagliara Law Group has the  creativity and cutting edge legal skills to create a perfect fit with your business.

Other Resources

Fashion Law Institute 

Council of Fashion Designers of America and Diane von Furstenberg.  The Institute offers J.D. and LL.M. students the opportunity to study fashion-related legal issues.  The Fashion Law Institute also provides pro bono legal counseling for designers in need. Specialty courses include topics such as Fashion Law and Finance and Fashion Ethics, Sustainability, and Development, as well as Fashion Retail Law and the Fashion Law Practicum.  The institute offers a public seminar series for design and legal professionals, as well as a summer intensive course that’s open to both degree and non-degree students.

Whether you are a start-up designer looking to establish yourself in the marketplace, an established manufacturer or distributor of an ready line, or a licensee or licensor of a new brand, our fashion lawyers in NJ are here for you.