Laure Sawaya

Laure is a distinguished attorney who focuses on IP, licensing, and commercial transactions within the fashion, cosmetics, and entertainment industries. With a career marked by positions at renowned publicly traded luxury fashion house Vince, as well as Maesa, she brings a wealth of industry-specific knowledge to her practice. She is particularly noted for her highly creative and practical approach to legal counsel, making her an invaluable asset to established brands, artists, and celebrity clients seeking to develop and exploit their IP assets effectively.

At Vince, Laure played a pivotal role in steering IP strategy, overseeing complex global licensing, retail, manufacturing, and retail agreements, and facilitating major commercial transactions and marketing efforts on a global scale. Her tenure at Maesa was similarly impactful, leading legal initiatives for high-profile product launches and celebrity collaborations that extended across global markets.

Laure’s practical approach is not just about managing risk, but also about enhancing value and exploring new revenue streams for her clients. Her ability to translate complex legal scenarios into clear, actionable strategies is the hallmark of her straightforward and inventive legal style. This has consistently delivered favorable outcomes for her clients, including several high-profile luxury brands and celebrities, helping them to not only protect but also maximize the returns on their creative endeavors.

She also has extensive experience managing the global selection, clearance, prosecution, and enforcement of clients’ brands and other related IP (including at the USPTO and TTAB).

Client highlights include:

• LVMH (including Berluti, Bulgari, Celine, Chaumet, Christian Dior, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Fred, Givenchy, Hublot, Kenzo, Loewe, Loro Piana, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Moynat, Patou, Rimowa, TAG Heuer, Tiffany & Co., Stella McCartney, and Zenith, etc.).
• Richemont (including Alaïa, A. Lange et Sohn, AZ Factory, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Chloé, Dunhill, IWC, Jaeger-Lecoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, etc.).
• L’Oréal (including Atelier Cologne, Clarisonic, Decleor, Dessange, House 99, IT Cosmetics, Kerastase, Kiehl’s, La Roche-Posay, Lancôme, L’Oréal Paris, Matrix, NYX Professional Makeup, Prada, Pureology, Roger & Gallet, Shu Uemura, Urban Decay, Valentino, Vichy, Victor & Rolf, Yves Saint Laurent, etc.).
• Delta Galil (7 for All Mankind, Karen Neuburger, Splendid, P.J. Salvage).
• sbe Entertainment/Accor (SLS Hotels, Delano, Mondrian, Hyde, etc.).
• Numerous other brands including Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, David Yurman, Ralph Lauren, and Chopard, among others.

Adding to her experience, Laure has ventured into the dynamic intersection of law and technology, particularly focusing on the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on IP and celebrity likeness. In 2019, she founded the New York Intellectual Property Law Association’s (NYIPLA) Fashion Law Committee, where she served as co-chair for four years, demonstrating her leadership and commitment to advancing legal practices in all area relevant to apparel, retail and cosmetics.

Her contributions to the field earned her the Rising Star Award from the Luxury Law Alliance in 2021, highlighting her creative approach to problem-solving and her ability to serve as the “voice of the client” within her team.