Genova Burns Launches Fashion Industry Law Practice

Firm Points to Region’s Status as a World Fashion Capital and Growth of Fashion Industry as Reasons to Launch Industry-Focused Group

On Nov 13, 2019

Genova Burns LLC, a Newark-based law firm serving New Jersey and the greater northeast, has launched a Fashion Law Group, leveraging the skills of some of its leading attorneys with its proximity to one of the world’s primary fashion capitals, New York City. The group will be led by Kathleen Barnett Einhorn, a partner with Genova Burns, and Maria Fruci, who serves of counsel to the firm.

“According to industry studies, fashion means big business, employing 180,000 people in our region alone and generating $10.9 billion in total wages,” says Einhorn. “With a growing industry that is constantly challenging and reinventing itself, the need for competent, qualified, and experienced legal counsel is increasing every day. For Genova Burns to establishing a law practice that focuses on fashion law makes sense for us as a major legal player in the region.”

The Fashion Law Group will work with clients in legal areas that include labor and employment, intellectual property, licensing, franchising, copyright law, retail leasing and real estate, counterfeit litigation, transportation and general counsel services. The group will build upon the Form’s existing business law expertise and help fashion clients manage the logistical challenges of import/export and other areas of business transactional law.

“The world of fashion is evolving, and it goes beyond which styles of clothing are trendy at the moment. The fashion industry has become increasingly complex, and Genova Burns is poised to guide clients through both the long-standing and newer legal intricacies of this bourgeoning segment of industry,” says Fruci. “With an estimated 900 fashion companies headquartered in New York City, the region needs a capable law firm that can hit the ground running with corporations that intersect this robust market.”

At Genova Burns, Fruci serves as general outside counsel for various businesses including a successful start-up fashion house. She also focuses on Commercial Litigation, Class Action Defense, Intellectual Property, and Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Groups.

Meanwhile, Einhorn is a pioneer for women in the legal field. She is the first woman attorney in Genova Burns’ history to serve as an executive committee member and the first to chair a practice group at the firm. She is the current chair of the Complex Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Practice Groups.  Einhorn also serves as a mentor to female law associates, guiding women in a profession where men still outnumber women at a ratio of nearly two to one.

“At Genova Burns, we realize the importance of industry-specific focus groups and promoting innovation in the way we practice law,” says Angelo Genova, co-founder, managing partner, and chairman of Genova Burns LLC. “The new Fashion Law Group draws on our deep experience in many areas of law that are interconnected with and important to this growing industry. We are also confident that Kathleen and Maria can guide our firm into this unique specialty market while we maintain our commitment to serving the needs of our clients.”

This new law group is also part of Genova Burns’ ongoing commitment to ensuring the racial and gender diversity of its staff and its operations. As one of the few firms in the Northeast with a proven track record of diversity, the firm launched its India Law Group, led by Rajiv Parikh, a partner with the firm and of Asian-Indian origin, this past September. The firm also employs one of the largest groups of female attorneys in the region, bucking the trend of this male-dominated industry.

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