Deborah Greaves
Deborah E. Greaves is a partner in the corporate team of the international law firm, Withersworldwide. Her practice focuses on providing clients with domestic and global intellectual property, privacy and protection strategy in the fashion, food, consumer products, retail and technology sectors, along with corporate, commercial and employment-related legal services. Extensive in-house legal experience at top apparel companies has fostered her unique understanding of the inner workings of companies and the mind-set of management and C Suite executives.
Deborah has a particular strength in developing and monetizing IP and brand enforcement strategies for companies operating internationally, domestically, or both. She also has experience negotiating licensing and distribution agreements, domain registration strategies and defending against counterfeiting or infringement that could damage or dilute a company’s brand. She also assists with corporate creation, corporate governance, data protection and privacy, regulatory compliance, and employment-related matters, such as effective employment agreements, severance packages, and employee handbooks. Her agreements focus on key clauses and provisions that protect employers.
Deborah formerly served as an advisor to the Executive Committee of the California Lawyers Association (formerly the California State Bar Intellectual Property Law Section), after serving as its Chair, and has penned the “Counterfeit Corner” column in New Matter, the Section’s quarterly publication. She is also a frequent speaker on IP and fashion law subjects and serves as an adjunct professor teaching courses in Fashion Law, Fashion Law Business Transactions and Retail & Fashion Law at Loyola Law School. She has served two terms as a North American Anti-Counterfeiting Committee member of the International Trademark Association and was recently appointed to its Get Real committee, which is tasked with public awareness and educational outreach programs. Deborah was also a member of the Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, serving on its Board of Directors. Deborah has been recognized for her leadership advising companies including as a Corporate Counsel of the Year Finalist by Los Angeles Business Journal, a Top 20 General Counsel in California by The Daily Journal, and Global Counsel of the Year for Intellectual Property by Lexology.
