Stilettos & Subpoenas – Here Are The Law Firms Walking Fashion’s Legal Runway

The fashion world isn’t all champagne flutes and runway shows—it’s a cutthroat battlefield where a ripped seam can mean a $100M lawsuit and a knockoff handbag can topple a brand’s valuation. So who are the legal tailors stitching together IP armor, M&A megadeals, and anti-counterfeiting strategies for luxury’s elite?

From LVMH’s Tiffany heist to Louboutin’s red sole wars, here’s who’s holding the needles in fashion law’s most VIP atelier, an area that continues to see a growth in fashion law reviews and awards – just like corporate and litigation law – and taught in law schools.

After all, this is an industry sector that employs over four million people and generates over $400 billion in annual sales in the United States alone. It’s not small beer by any stretch.

1. The IP Gladiators

Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu operates like the Ocean’s 11 of trademark law, with a client roster (Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton) that reads like a Met Gala afterparty guest list. They’re the reason you’ll never see a Burberry knockoff that actually looks like Burberry—their global anti-counterfeiting ops make Interpol look lazy.

Arent Fox has a significant fashion law practice, with lawyers like Anthony Lupo (pictured) handling a wide variety of tech, media and fashion work, including publishing the leading legal fashion blog, Fashion Counsel.

Not to be outdone, Debevoise & Plimpton once told Christian Louboutin to “step off” YSL’s red soles—and won.

Knobbe Martens protects Rolex and Kate Spade with the ferocity of a bouncer at a Hermès sample sale. The firm’s burgeoning fashion and beauty group continues to handle a large number of cases and work for major fashion players.

2. The Global Power Brokers

When LVMH needed $16.2B to swallow Tiffany & Co., A&O Sherman didn’t just open their wallet—they rebuilt the global jewelry market’s plumbing. 

Over at DLA Piper, they’re too busy herding H&M and Lululemon through 57 countries’ sustainability laws to care about your “local compliance issues”. Like any fashion law issues, the range of legal ramifications from this work is significant, with everything from intellectual property, employee benefits, litigation, regulatory compliance and a whole lot more.

But the real MVP? Dentons. They’ve turned Revolve’s influencer drama into cross-border contract magic while keeping 20-something “creative directors” from accidentally starting trade wars. Globalization has never looked so chic.

3. The Silicon Valley of Style

Cooley LLP and their Fashion, Apparel and Beauty division have clients like Rent the Runway and Kim Kardashian’s SKNN. Key lawyers like partner Jodi Bourdet (pictured) a seasoned venture capital, public offerings and similar deals for tech, fashion and life sciences companies.

Meanwhile, Reed Smith out here playing 4D chess with AI-driven designs and blockchain authentication like it’s normal.

But let’s pour one out for Loeb & Loeb, who somehow convinced Moncler that selling $2K puffer jackets on Amazon won’t destroy their brand equity.

4. The Crisis Cleaners

Remember when Shein’s supply chain practices made activists riot? Greenberg Traurig turned that dumpster fire into a “sustainability journey” PR win—while quietly settling 14 class actions. 

Sheppard Mullin did Chanel a solid by annihilating What Goes Around Comes Around in court, proving that “vintage” isn’t code for “counterfeit”.

And hats off to Paul Weiss for making Estée Lauder’s Tom Ford acquisition look less like corporate cannibalism and more like a $2.8B love story (finally cemented back in 2022). When your brand’s rep is circling the drain, these firms are the legal equivalent of Botox—fast, expensive, and weirdly effective.

5. The Gen-Z New Guard

Morrison Cohen launched their luxury practice in 2024 like a TikTok drop—complete with AI fashion tech hot takes and metaverse brandjacking defense. 

Benesch out here rewriting retail law for Depop entrepreneurs while keeping Warby Parker’s IP tighter than their frames.

Perkins Coie is another fashion law leader. The firm, lead by fashion law experts like Grace Han Stanton (pictured) a trademark expert whose team handles everything from IP protection to licensing and enforcement.

6. The Old Money OGs

Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman has been dressing legal wins since 1957—back when “Zara” was just a Spanish grandma’s name. Now they rep Zara USA and Warby Parker without breaking a sweat. 

Barack Ferrazzano remains LVMH’s forever consigliere, proving loyalty isn’t dead—just really, really billable. The firm’s LVMH main lawyers are Daniel L. Dominguez and Kait E. Kelly with a team who handle the specialist fashion law work. 

Daniel Dominguez (pictured)  is a key advisor to the LVMH Group and such luxury brands in fashion, beauty and wines and spirits as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Moët Hennessy, Tiffany, and Sephora.

And White & Case? They’re over here making Chanel’s $200B empire look effortless while low-key running a luxury law TED Talk series.

White & Case partner George Paul was recently quoted on an issue shaking up the fashion industry and its regulatory risks regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to block fashion house Tapestry’s US$8.5 billion planned acquisition of competing fashion company, Capri.

Not all fashion work is trademarks and licensing. There is also heavyweight legal work going into these major and emerging brands, requiring an array of legal skills and lawyers.

Some things never go out of style—like having a 100-year-old firm on speed dial.