Fashioning IP 2026 – Innovation, Protection, Influence: Where Fashion, Intellectual Property, and Emerging Technology Converge

New York State Bar Association – IP Section Fall Meeting

Fashioning IP 2026 – Innovation, Protection, Influence: Where Fashion, Intellectual Property, and Emerging Technology Converge

Thursday, September 24th, 2026

3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET

Calvin Klein Showroom

205 West 39th Street, New York, NY 10018

3.0 Credits in Areas of Professional Practice

Program Description

This program examines current legal and business issues at the intersection of fashion, intellectual property, and emerging technology. Through panel discussions and a fireside conversation with in-house counsel, speakers will explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the fashion industry, strategies for protecting brands against counterfeiting and online infringement, and the evolving role of intellectual property in supporting innovation and commercial growth in the fashion industry.

This program is designed for attorneys advising fashion brands, designers, technology companies, and other creative businesses. The program will provide practical perspectives on copyright, trademark, licensing, enforcement, AI governance, and brand protection.

Registration

IP Law Section Members: $60 | NYSBA Members: $75 | Non-Members: $395 | *Law Students: $30 (Applied automatically at checkout.) 

Registration includes admission to the CLE program, digital course materials, networking reception, and light refreshments.

*Law students may join the New York State Bar Association at no cost and may join any or all NYSBA Sections for free. Law student members receive substantial discounts on CLE programs and other Section events. To become a member, visit the NYSBA Membership page or contact the Member Resource Center at mrc@nysba.org or 800-582-2452.

Program Schedule

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.    Check in and Networking

3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.    Opening Remarks

3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.    Session 1: AI Considerations in Fashion: Licensing, NIL & Intellectual Property

4:45 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.    Break

4:55 p.m. – 5:55 p.m.    Session 2: Beyond the Knockoff: Modern Strategies for Counterfeit and Online Brand Enforcement

5:55 p.m. – 6:05 p.m.    Break

6:05 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.    Session 3: Inside the Brand: A Fireside Chat with Philippa Bergin Fisher, General Counsel, Zimmermann

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.    Reception

Session Information

AI Considerations in Fashion: Licensing, NIL & Intellectual Property

Generative AI is transforming every stage of the fashion lifecycle from concept development and product design to marketing campaigns, virtual models, and consumer engagement. While these technologies present unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency, they also raise complex questions regarding intellectual property ownership, copyrightability, licensing, infringement risk, contractual allocation of rights, NIL and AI use.

This multidisciplinary panel will explore the rapidly evolving legal and business landscape at the intersection of artificial intelligence, fashion, NIL and intellectual property. Drawing on perspectives from industry, government, and private practice, panelists will examine how fashion companies are incorporating AI into their creative and commercial workflows, the implications of recent copyright guidance and litigation, and the contractual frameworks needed to effectively and ethically harness AI technologies and AI-generated content while mitigating legal and reputational risk.

Attendees will gain practical guidance on advising clients and organizations as they develop, deploy, and license AI-enabled products and services in an increasingly complex regulatory and technological environment.

Moderator:

Brooke Erdos Singer, Davis+Gilbert LLP

Speakers:

Miriam Lord, Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Public Information and Education, United States Copyright Office

Emma-Jane Tritton, Head Counsel, Brand Protection, Richemont International

Beyond the Knockoff: Modern Strategies for Counterfeit and Online Brand Enforcement

Counterfeiting has evolved from street markets to sophisticated global e-commerce ecosystems, social media platforms, livestream shopping, and AI-enabled marketplaces, creating unprecedented challenges for brand owners. Effective enforcement now requires a coordinated strategy that combines intellectual property rights, customs enforcement, online platform takedowns, investigations, and cross-border collaboration.

The panel discussion will focus on current IP enforcement strategies and the need for a coordinated multi-lateral approach that combines cross-border investigations, customs enforcement, online platform takedowns, and stakeholder collaboration. Panelists will discuss practical approaches to identifying and disrupting counterfeit networks, leveraging U.S. Customs and Border Protection recordations and seizures, navigating online marketplace and social media enforcement programs, preserving evidence, and coordinating global enforcement efforts. The discussion will also explore emerging issues posed by AI-generated listings, digital marketplaces, and evolving technologies that counterfeiters are using to evade detection.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies for developing comprehensive enforcement programs that protect brand integrity while balancing cost, efficiency, and business objectives.

Moderator:

S. Claire Gibson, Day Pitney

Speakers:

Dawn Atlas, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel Calvin Klein, Inc. and Tommy Hilfiger Licensing LLC

Jennifer Halter, Managing Counsel Brand Protection, Burberry

Alaina van Horn, Chief, Intellectual Property Enforcement Branch/Exclusion Order Enforcement Branch, Regulations and Rulings | Office of Trade | CBP

Michael Wheeler, Assistant General Counsel, Coty

Fireside Chat  – Inside the Brand: A General Counsel's Perspective on Protecting and Evolving a Global Fashion House

For in-house counsel at a global fashion brand, intellectual property is not a discrete legal function. It is the connective tissue running through every business decision, from the design studio to the distribution channel, from the licensing negotiation to the Instagram takedown. As the legal landscape grows more complex, the role of the General Counsel has evolved from reactive problem-solver to strategic business partner, tasked with aligning IP protection with brand identity, commercial growth, and reputational risk.

In this fireside chat, Philippa Bergin Fisher, General Counsel of Zimmermann, offers a candid and practical perspective on how a modern fashion house navigates the full spectrum of intellectual property challenges from the inside. Drawing on her experience managing brand protection, licensing, enforcement, and emerging technology issues across global markets, she will discuss how in-house counsel balance legal rigor with commercial pragmatism, build and manage external counsel relationships, and advise leadership on risks that often do not fit neatly within existing legal frameworks.

Moderator:

Deborah Robinson, SVP IP Enforcement & Senior Counsel, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC)

Speaker:

Philippa Bergin-Fisher, General Counsel, Zimmermann