TIME: 9:00-6pm
PLACE: Fordham Law School, 150 W. 62nd Street
NYS CLE: 6.0 hours total (5.0 professional practice,
transitional & non-transitional, and 1.0 ethics)

Schedule:

9:25am
WELCOME

9:30-10:45am
Idea-ologies: Recent trends in fashion & intellectual property litigation

Last year’s Fashion Law Institute symposium took place on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear Star Athletica v. Varsity, the now historic case about copyright and cheerleader uniforms, and that was just the first of a series of high-profile fashion and IP cases that occupied courtrooms over the following months. Samsung v. Apple, Converse v. ITC, Louis Vuitton Malletier v. My Other Bag, and Jenny Yoo’s convertible bridesmaid’s dress lawsuits – do these and other disputes signal a revolutionary new approach to intellectual property jurisprudence or a return to familiar legal principles? Industry insiders launch the day with a discussion of the latest developments and scope out what lies ahead.

11am-12:15pm
Mercenary Matters: Technology and the changing world of retail

From smart mirrors to connected dressing rooms, the tech revolution that initially allowed us to shop anywhere, anytime is now changing the in-store retail environment. But can stores win back the allegiance of consumers? Will the ongoing war between clicks and bricks lead to a retail armageddon or an omnichannel détente? On the other hand, can online shopping ever provide a satisfactory answer to the boutique experience or the real-world store’s ultimate weapon: the opportunity to try before you buy? And what will be the influence of wearable tech on how the full spectrum of fashion is marketed? Join leaders on the front lines of fashion law and retail as they share their strategies for deploying retail technology and capturing the customer of the future.

12:15-1:45pm
LUNCH

1:45-2:45pm
Freedom Fighters or Anarchists? Tailoring legal ethics to an era of deregulation

U.S. federal regulations are facing the firing squad as the forces of deregulation mount a fresh offensive against the power of the administrative state, including a controversial executive order requiring that every new regulation be counterbalanced by the elimination of two old ones. With potential effects on the fashion industry ranging from the end of the Dodd-Frank conflict mineral disclosure requirements and possible sidelining of proposed cosmetics law reform to the weakening of environmental, employment, and data privacy regulations, do lawyers have a responsibility to fill the legal void, or is legal liberation itself a social good?

3-4pm
Border Wars: Fashion, global trade, and the new isolationism

Trade relations have become contested territory. The past year has heralded Brexit, President Trump’s proposed border adjustment tax, the death of the TPP, and an uncertain fate for NAFTA. What the shift from expansive internationalism to protectionist isolationism will mean for fashion remains unclear, but the status quo is poised to change dramatically. And given the global nature of the fashion industry – in the U.S. alone, 97% of all clothing and footwear is manufactured outside the country – the stakes are significant.

4:15-5:15pm
Grassroots Uprising: Frontiers and landmines for fashion entrepreneurs

Fashion law is about more than courtroom battles, legislative skirmishes, or even international relations. It can both empower and impede designers as they seek to conquer new markets, and the most effective advisor is one who can help entrepreneurs use law to their tactical advantage at a time of sweeping changes. Arm yourself for the revolution as a stellar panel of fashion industry leaders joins U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, a leading advocate for the industry in Congress, to explore the cutting edge of legal and business strategy.

5:15-6pm
RECEPTION