Lifetime Achievement Award

Joyce Smyth, Glastry Advisory Partners

Joyce is a lawyer who has not only impressed the judges with her legal and business skills but won the confidence of one of the top bands of all time – the Rolling Stones. Her representation of this band led to her founding a boutique artist management firm with the likes of Celine Dion on the books. The judges commended her strategic leadership and commitment to elevating women in the music industry.

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Brands

General Counsel of the Year

Emma Howe, Selfridges

Emma is recognised for her leadership as general counsel of a leading luxury department store group during a period of major organisational change, including the sale of a significant ownership stake. The judges praised her role in managing legal, governance and stakeholder matters throughout the transition, while strengthening the group’s ethical and ESG frameworks.

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In-house IP Team of the Year

BVLGARI

This year’s winner is a five-strong, all-female team based across Europe and Asia who manage the global IP portfolio for an Italian luxury house specialising in fine jewellery. The judges noted a recent decision by the Paris Court of Appeal affirming the distinctiveness of a signature design, in a case that strengthened protection for one of the brand’s key visual assets.

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Legal Team of the Year

Breitling

This year’s winner supports a luxury watchmaker and was recognised for the impact and breadth of its work across legal, compliance and ESG. The judges highlighted its role in a US court ruling that confirmed “red gold” as a generic term, resolving a long-running trademark dispute and setting an important precedent for the industry.

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ESG Initiative of the Year

Sue Timney

Sue is a leading global designer whose work is celebrated in top museums and shows and most recently appeared as a judge on one of the most popular interior design TV programmes. Latterly she has focused on inclusivity for older living, creating living spaces focusing on culture, creativity, luxury and the environment.

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Business Leader of the Year

Nessa McGill, Align Pictures

Nessa is commercial and legal director at a film finance and production company.  In 2025, she has worked with actors from Samuel Jackson and Kiefer Sutherland to Jon Hamm and Jennifer Aniston. With a special interest in mentoring young talent, she also dedicates much of her time to supporting arts and literary charities.

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Fashion Counsel of the Year

Emma Anthony, Phoebe Philo

Emm is general counsel of a luxury fashion label renowned for its modern, minimalist design. The judges praised her broad in-house experience, deep understanding of the fashion retail landscape and ability to support creative vision through sound legal leadership.

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Entrepreneur of the Year

Nishanth Chopra, Oschadi Collective

Nishanth is the founder of a regenerative fashion collective in India that integrates farming, weaving and garment production to promote sustainability and ethical practices. The judges praised his entrepreneurial vision and success in creating a transparent, scalable supply chain rooted in traditional methods.

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Global General Counsel of the Year

Niccolò Pallesi, Ferretti Group

Niccolò Pallesi is a lawyer who has combined legal skills with business acumen and an appreciation for the heritage of luxury. Not only has he steered his company through double listings in Hong Kong and Milan, his focus on ESG and his leadership role in the Italian luxury legal sector impressed the judges.

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Private Practice

Luxury Law Firm of the Year – International Law Firm

Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie boasts a market-leading luxury law practice, advising on landmark deals, ESG compliance and digital brand protection worldwide. As one judge noted: “I love that they are not only interweaving ESG advice to luxury clients but also living the values with their own strategy and targets.

Luxury Law Firm of the Year – Independent Law Firm

Litvin Marzorati Legales

Litvin Marzorati Legales is a woman-led boutique firm based in Buenos Aires, recognised for its work advising luxury brands, designers and high-net-worth individuals. The judging panel praised the breadth of its expertise, from brand protection and corporate structuring to digital enforcement and ESG.

Partner of the Year

Keith Markel, Morrison Cohen

Keith Marke advises some of the world’s leading luxury brands — including Valentino, Moncler, Dolce & Gabbana, Zimmermann and Dion Lee — on employment law, litigation strategy and HR risk. The judging panel highlighted his technical skill, sector insight and long-standing client relationships.

IP Team of the Year

Stobbs

Stobbs impressed the judges with its strategic handling of a complex counterfeiting case, securing a rare freezing injunction in an intellectual property context — a great success, as one judge noted, given how notoriously difficult these are to obtain. The team’s meticulous approach not only halted the infringer’s activity but also provided valuable intelligence for the client on how counterfeiters operate, helping its broader anti-counterfeiting efforts.