December 9, 2015
Fashion and retail companies face significant challenges in the current financial climate. With the decline of brick and mortar stores and shopping malls, fashion retailers must invest in on-line and social media strategies. At the same time, suppliers are facing their own economic pressure, adding uncertainty to supply sourcing and costs. All of these challenges plus the need to focus on innovation, selling experiences, and becoming consumer centric should be top of mind for any fashion, retail, or consumer business looking to succeed.
In this presentation, we address these challenges and opportunities faced by fashion, retail, and consumer businesses as well as present practical advice on how to face both operational and financial stresses.
This webinar is hosted by Gibson Dunn’s Fashion, Retail and Consumer Products Practice Group. The group is comprised of a team of highly experienced attorneys who focus on the complex and unique issues facing companies in the Fashion, Retail and Consumer Products industries. Members of the Practice Group include attorneys from our corporate, litigation, intellectual property, tax, real estate and business reorganization departments.
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PANELISTS:
Harry J. Kobritz — Mr. Kobritz is a Managing Director of SHM Corporate Navigators. In his 30 years as a senior financial, operating executive, and strategic advisor, he has primarily served middle market companies in enhancing financial and operational performance, due diligence, corporate and family governance. Mr. Kobritz has initiated and completed transactions with a combined value of $500 million and provided strategic advisory services for companies with enterprise values exceeding $1 billion. His extensive expertise includes retail, fashion and beauty, manufacturing, global import and distribution, cross border transactions, staffing, advertising and marketing. He has restructured legendary retail chains and structured the US path to entry for some of the most iconic fashion brands in the world such as Max Mara, Issey Miyake, and several others. In 2010, he co-founded SHM Corporate Navigators, a corporate advisory and merchant banking firm to enable middle market companies, family businesses, and portfolio companies of private equity firms to further differentiate themselves in the market and grow by integrating and enhancing their financial, marketing, operational, and channel performance, and providing the necessary capital to achieve these results. Mr. Kobritz’ executive experience includes roles as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Restructuring Officer and Chief Financial Officer at both public and private middle market companies. He holds a BS in Finance and Accounting from Brooklyn College and graduated with honors. He is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in New York and is an alumnus of Ernst and Young where he was a member of the Assurance Group as a Senior Audit Manager for over seven years. Industry affiliations include: New York State Society of CPAs Financial Reorganization Committee, Chairman Emeritus; The Economic Club of New York, Member; Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Member, Programming Committee; and American Institute of CPAs, Member. He has published editorials and white papers in Middle Market Growth published by ACG.
Sam Newman — Mr. Newman is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and a member of both the Business Restructuring and Reorganization Group. His practice involves representing creditors, debtors and other parties-in-interest in Chapter 11 cases. He also advises buyers, sellers, lenders and borrowers in transactions involving distressed assets. Mr. Newman has also represented debtors in significant cases and out-of-court restructurings. He has been named as one of California’s leading lawyers in business and restructuring by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers and recognized by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law. Mr. Newman currently serves as a member of the Boards of Directors of the Turnaround Management Association, the Financial Lawyers Conference and the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum.
Martin L. Okner — Mr. Okner is a Managing Director of SHM Corporate Navigators. With a total of over 20 years of experience in branded consumer goods, Mr. Okner has created and developed strategic plans in marketing, channel development, and business lifecycle management to grow middle market companies through proven methodologies. He has accomplished this with middle market companies and with companies such as Revlon, Cadbury and Philip Morris. His strategies have generated over $2.5 billion of incremental retail value with many iconic brands. In 2010, he co-founded SHM Corporate Navigators, a corporate advisory and merchant banking firm to enable middle market companies, family businesses, and portfolio companies of private equity firms to further differentiate themselves in the market and grow by integrating and enhancing their financial, marketing, operational, and channel performance, and providing the necessary capital to achieve these results. He has advised private equity firms on investment targets in fashion and beauty retail such as Fossil, Timberland, Hanesbrands and Wet Seal. Mr. Okner holds an MBA from Fordham University Graduate School of Business Administration in Corporate Finance, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (Minor, Business Administration) from Seton Hall University where he graduated summa cum laude. Additionally, he is an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Fordham Graduate School of Business Administration and Parsons, The New School for Design. Industry affiliations include: Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Chairman; the Economic Club of New York, Member; and ACG Cares New York Chapter, Inc., Board Member. He has published editorials and white papers in Forbes, Chain Drug Review, Mergers & Acquisitions and Middle Market Growth published by ACG. Mr. Okner was recognized by M&A Advisor as the 2011 winner of the 40 Under 40 Award and by Walmart and Cadbury Adams USA as 2005 Supplier of the Year.
Janet Weiss — Ms. Weiss is a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and a member of the Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group. She has more than 25 years of experience representing debtors, creditors, committees, secured lenders, DIP financing lenders and acquirers in bankruptcy cases, including pre-negotiated and pre-packaged cases, and out-of-court restructurings. She also has significant experience in bankruptcy litigation and bankruptcy aspects of asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. Ms. Weiss has been named as one of the elite bankruptcy lawyers in New York and one of New York City’s top women lawyers by Avenue Magazine. The Deal’s Bankruptcy Insider named her as one of the top ten lawyers for acquirers in bankruptcy acquisitions. She has lectured on bankruptcy topics at numerous programs sponsored by the American Bankruptcy Institute, the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar. Her article, The Time Bomb in Your Indenture—No Action Clauses and Creditor Standing, and a chapter entitled Rights of Trademark Licensees: Protection for Non-Debtors After Rejection of Trademark License Agreements were recently published. Ms. Weiss’s fashion related representations include: Saks Fifth Avenue in proposed acquisition of Barney’s in its first chapter 11 case (In re Barney’s Inc.) ; BCBG Max Azria Group in acquisition of substantially all leases from G+G Retail’s chapter 11 case; (In re G&G Retail, Inc.), Hoop Holdings LLC, which sold Disney clothing and other Disney products, in its chapter 11 case (In re Hoop Holdings LLC); The Finish Line in proposed acquisition from In re Foodstar Inc.; and landlord for Syms’ retail space in its chapter 11 case (In re Syms Corp.).