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Retail & Apparel
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At M&R, we act as a trusted advisor, devoted to the continued success of the retail and apparel clients we support.

Our Retail & Apparel attorneys handle various labor and employment, intellectual property, commercial real estate and trade agreement matters for large and small apparel, retail and manufacturing operations. We are entrenched in the industry and keep apprised of the market trends and regulations that have the greatest impact on our clients’ businesses. 

We routinely resolve issues for retail and apparel clients surrounding trademark and copyright infringement, unfair competition, trade dress, trade secret protection and licensing agreements. Additionally, we provide counsel on branding strategy and enforcement, U.S. and foreign trademark clearance and prosecution, and intellectual property transactions, obtaining injunctions against counterfeiters when necessary. We also advise clients on the legal aspects of distribution, trade regulations and franchising, and we routinely resolve contract disputes with vendors and landlords.

M&R attorneys litigate on behalf of retail and apparel clients on wage and hour and harassment and discrimination class actions. We conduct in-house seminars for domestic and multinational clients on employment issues to minimize the possibility of such cases arising. We also counsel clients on workplace and EEOC investigations, and navigate them through the state and federal regulations that can impact their growth.

Areas Of Expertise

  • Corporate Transactions

    M&R attorneys handle complex corporate transactions for our retail and apparel clients, from  inception through initial and follow-up rounds of financing. Clients work with our Corporate and Securities attorneys on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity-backed transactions. We navigate clients through corporate structuring and investing and finance documentation. 

  • Employment Counseling & Litigation

    Our Labor & Employment attorneys draft employment policies and procedures, and counsel and litigate on behalf of retail and apparel clients in all employment matters, including wage and hour, harassment, discrimination and wrongful termination claims. They also conduct EEOC investigations.

  • Trademark & Trade Dress Infringement

    Our Intellectual Property Department has vast expertise favorably prosecuting counterfeiting and trademark infringement actions for retail and apparel clients including notable designers and apparel manufacturers.

Contract Litigation: Obtained a favorable verdict in a liability case on behalf of a major retail chain, so that our client paid nothing after facing $20 million dollar exposure.

Disability Discrimination: Resolved dual employment actions brought against major glass manufacturer and retailer.

Disposition: Represented the owners of a specialty shoe manufacturer in their sale of the company.

Employment Litigation: Represented several of the top national retailers in wage and hour and sex/race/age/disability harassment and discrimination class actions as well as other workplace and EEOC investigations and employment litigation matters. She has also drafted employment policies and procedures for retail clients.

Restructuring: Represented a Europe-based consumer products manufacturer and distributor in the restructuring of the company’s international retail operations.

Sale: Represented senior management in the sale of a specialty apparel manufacturing company in two successive private equity-backed transactions, each involving the rollover of management equity.

Trade Dress Infringement: Performing factual investigations for large furniture company and drafted statement of facts for successful summary judgment motion in defense of trade dress infringement lawsuit.

Trademark Infringement: Prosecuted counterfeiting and trademark infringement action for Italian jewelry designer.

Trademark Infringement: Successfully represented numerous luxury goods and fashion apparel manufacturers in trademark infringement, gray market and counterfeiting disputes.