Workshop #2

STAGE 2

The Internet: Luxury’s saviour or saboteur
Hosted by Mishcon de Reya

Luxury was slow to embrace the internet; luxury is about scarcity, unattainability and exclusivity whereas the internet promotes accessibility and mass, so there is an obvious conflict. However, there has been a real shift in how luxury brands harness the power of online channels to augment their image and broaden their reach towards a mainstream market, with many placing influencer and social media led strategies at the heart of their retail experience and engaging increasingly with the gaming world. Amid the opportunities, luxury brands are encountering a new raft of challenges. This panel discussion will look at some of the legal aspects including:

• Brand dilution: Do luxury brands need to avoid diluting their brand when extending it through digital channels and collaborations?
• Reputational issues: Using influencers required brand to loosen their creative control; what are some of the key considerations before embarking on these arrangements?
• Data: We have seen newspaper headlines regarding the prospective fines being dished out for data breaches; how do luxury brands safely utilise data (from customer profiles and purchase histories through to social media comments and influencer feeds) to gain insight into consumer preferences and behaviours
• Competition issues: Following the high-watermark of the Coty decision, how will luxury brands continue to preserve their exclusivity and branding in the battle with online platforms such as Amazon and eBay?

Panellists:

• Andrew Hargreaves, Legal Counsel, Agent Provocateur
• Touker Suleyman, Entrepreneur, Dragon and Owner of Hawes & Curtis, Ghost and Low Profile Group
• Dan Webster, Group General Counsel, Harrods
• Sally Britton, Partner, Mishcon de Reya

Moderator: Lewis Cohen, Partner, Mishcon de Reya

Workshop #3

STAGE 3

Anti-Counterfeiting: Protecting your luxury brand
Hosted by Alibaba

Panellists:

• Rebecca O’Kelly-Gillard, Partner, Bird & Bird
• Luna Bianchi, IP Counsel, Ermenegildo Zegna
• Graham Clemence, Senior Director, IP Enforcement, Alibaba
• Peter Ratcliffe, Head of Funded Units – Economic Crime City of London Police

Workshop #4

STAGE 1

Sustainability and the power of Technology
Hosted by Baker McKenzie

This panel discussion will look at how technology can help progress the sustainability agenda and why this matters for luxury companies in the post-COVID world:

• How has the COVID-19 pandemic confirmed the need for a sustainability-driven strategic agenda and accelerated the use of technology
• What are the main enabling technologies and the latest innovation tools serving the luxury industry as we see an increased use of tech to advance transparency with the consumer and to promote more sustainable practices across the entire supply chain
• How can blockchain be a transformative solution in leading CSR and traceability efforts
• How can AI help understand consumer demand in order to adapt the consumer offer, strategy and supply
• What other technologies are out there that can aid sustainability efforts
• Are tech acquisitions driving luxury M&A?

Panellists:

• • Alyssa Auberger, Partner and Global Chair, Consumer Goods & Retail Industry Group, Baker McKenzie
  • Ben Allgrove, Partner, Global Chair, IPTech and Innovation Committee, Baker McKenzie
  • Sue McLean, Partner, IPTech, Baker McKenzie
  • Vanessa Grellet, Executive Director, ConsenSys

Workshop #5

STAGE 2

Insolvent Retailers – A Survival Guide for Brand Owners

Hosted by BCLP

The session will look at the following topics:

• Pre-insolvency practices: Getting your house in order
• Insolvency and CVAs: a user guide
• Negotiating through the process
• Lessons learned from recent luxury insolvencies (House of Frasers, Barneys of New York etc)

Ian Benjamin, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Rob Croxen, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal

Federica Pietrogrande, Managing Director, Gordon Brothers

Workshop #6

STAGE 2

Trade, acquisitions and foreign subsidies: What new EU rules might mean for luxury and retail brands in the wake of Brexit

Hosted by Van Bael & Bellis

As the UK gets ready to officially leave the EU, and against the backdrop of a global health and economic crisis, the European Commission is turning its attention to dealing with the distortive effects caused by foreign subsidies in the Single Market.

The European Commission has recently released a White Paper and launched a public consultation to seek input from stakeholders that should help the EU to develop future regulations that touch on several key legal areas for brands: trade law, merger reviews and state aid.

While these areas typically have little or no overlap, the White Paper puts forth the potential for investigations that could involve all three areas, meaning that brands need to be aware of how to navigate the interface between trade and competition issues now to effectively mitigate risk later, as foreign subsidy investigations, which might target also the UK post-Brexit, may interfere with the supply chains of brands and their M&A activity.

Panellists:

• Philippe De Baere, Managing Partner, Van Bael & Bellis
• Andreas Reindl, Partner, Van Bael & Bellis
• Isabelle Van Damme, Counsel, Van Bael & Bellis
• Alex Stratakis, Partner, Van Bael & Bellis

Workshop #7

STAGE 1

The Power of Ethics – from ethical working practices to business integrity

Hosted by Hogan Lovells

Sustainability, ethical sourcing, and brand purpose are increasingly central to brand value. This workshop will discuss how consumer companies, and luxury brands in particular, are incorporating business integrity into their daily businesses – from procuring ethically sourced or organic products, ensuring fair pay and safe working conditions, using environmentally-friendly materials, to implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives—and attendant regulatory and legal issues.

• Kelly Hardy, Global Head, Consumer Industry Group Hogan Lovells
• Stephanie Keen, Singapore Managing Partner, Hogan Lovells
• David Ireland, Senior Partner, Navis Capital

Workshop #8

STAGE 3

Building a successful globalisation strategy – navigating legal challenges with new routes to online growth.

Hosted by Dentons

The global pandemic has reset the chess board both off-line and online. This session will cover legal challenges faced by Retail Luxury Fashion & Beauty companies implementing new technologies and alternative growth plans and enhancing digitalisation.

Babette Marzheuser-Wood, Global Head of Franchise Group, Dentons
Jenny Kim, General Counsel, Mercari
Aliza Reger, CEO, Janet Reger

Workshop #9

STAGE 1

Luxury in LATAM: Pandemic Challenges

Hosted by Cervieri Monsuárez

‘Luxury in LATAM: Pandemic Challenges’ Roundtable intends to create a discussion between luxury brand representatives, in order to share the experiences and challenges that this pandemic has brought to them in terms of their businesses, intellectual property and more. Dr. Virginia Cervieri will present an introduction of LATAM’s current situation before and after the pandemic. That’s when the invited luxury brand representatives will explain how their businesses have been affected by this worldwide situation. Arrigo Cipriani, architect Rafael Viñoly and Roxana Sullivan from MCM Worldwide, will give an insight into the impact this had on restaurants, constructions and luxury goods, which were some of the most affected businesses.

Panel Chair: Virginia Cervieri, Socia Directora, Cervieri Monsuarez

Arrigo Cipriani, Restaurateur

Roxana Sullivan, Senior IP Counsel, MCM Worldwide

Workshop #10

STAGE 2

Collaboration and consolidation opportunities in fashion, luxury and retail post-COVID?
Hosted by Winston & Strawn

Covering:

• Key changes, trends and opportunities in the current market
• Change management: insights and practical suggestions on navigating change
• Collaboration and consolidation: investment and acquisition market trends
• Global investment strategies and expectations in fashion, luxury and retail
• Sustainability and climate change: challenges and opportunities

Panellists:

• Panel Chair: Zoe Ashcroft, Partner, Winston & Strawn
• Richard Kestenbaumb, Partner, Triangle Capital
• Jeffrey Hellman, Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, PVH Corp.
• Julia Cook, CEO & Founder, Change Management Group

Workshop #11

STAGE 3

Luxury Protection Plan: How to DEFINE. PROTECT. ENFORCE. Your IP Rights Worldwide and Stop the Spread of Counterfeit Products During the COVID-19 Era
Hosted by Epstein Drangel LLP

This discussion will look at how we assist our luxury brand clients in developing and implementing tailored anti-counterfeiting programs in the United States and China taking into consideration each brand’s industry, markets, consumer base and current & potential counterfeiting issues – particularly in the COVID-19 era.  Our clients will discuss their experiences in navigating challenges posed by the pandemic and the effect COVID-19 has had on business and brand protection. Our discussion will focus on the luxury market’s increasing need for cost-effective brand protection strategies and our Beijing office’s strategic approach to protecting and enforcing our client’s IP in light of the recent changes in the copyright and trademark laws in China coupled with our U.S. office’s establishment of innovative, cost-neutral strategies for addressing counterfeiting on online marketplace platforms.

• Dwana Dixon, Associate, Epstein Drangel LLP
• Ashly Sands, Partner, Epstein Drangel LLP