Astrea / what we do / Fashion & Retail

Fashion & Retail

Astrea is a one-stop-shop business law firm for companies active in the Fashion and Retail industry.

With our head office in Antwerp, home to many fashion designers and flagship stores, we have developed a specific expertise on the Fashion and Retail sectors, working with businesses such as fashion houses, designers, distributors and retailers.

Our multi-disciplinary legal teams provide strategic legal advice to all businesses active in the Fashion and Retail sectors thanks to our lawyers’ understanding of the stakes of this industry in constant evolution.

In particular, our Intellectual Property team can support fashion brands in creating, protecting and exploiting their brands and goods safeguarding their intellectual property whether offline or online. Its services include counselling, rights clearances and acquisitions, IP audits, strategic advice, drafting and negotiating licenses, and managing bigger and smaller IP portfolios in order to create IP, brand and business value and return on investment. We counsel on all kind of trademark, design, copyright and counterfeiting issues.

On the commercial side, we advise on all types of commercial issues such as: contracts, concessions, franchises, market practices, supply and distribution agreements, sponsorship, advertising, marketing and all aspects of after-sales service as well as on e-commerce related issues.

Our Technology Law team has ample experience in assisting retailers in the fashion industry to tackle the legal obstacles that retailers face when implementing new technologies: digital transformation, data protection issues relating to consumer data, managing fraud and securing electronic transactions, cybersecurity, wifi tracking, online marketing campaigns and advertising, Internet-of-Things, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, blockchain, etc.

Our Corporate and M&A team, advises fashion and retail clients, entrepreneurs and investment funds active in those sectors on investments, mergers & acquisitions, auction sales, buy-outs, business formation and structuring and joint ventures in the Fashion and Retail sectors.

Our Employment team assists clients in the Fashion and Retail sectors with employment issues in the areas of executive compensation, employee benefits, compliance with employment and labour laws, and individual employment litigation.

Additionally, we counsel clients in the Fashion and Retail sectors in the areas of real estate and retail leases.

The increasing globalization of fashion brands is creating the need for experienced lawyers with international connections to be able to provide their clients with the best global legal advice possible. Thanks to our wide international network and our tight relationships with our “best friend” firms, we can serve clients internationally, guiding and connecting them with the best professionals worldwide.

Our services

  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Real estate
  • Licensing and franchising
  • Intellectual property
  • Marketing and advertising
  • IT and privacy law
  • E-commerce
  • E-commerce
  • Dispute resolution
  • Employment law