Lawyers from LVMH, Burberry and Ralph Lauren were winners at the Luxury Law Summit Americas awards today, alongside executives including Arrigo Cipriani, proprietor of the legendary Harry’s Bar.

The online awards saw Cipriani recognised for his lifetime of service to the luxury hospitality sector alongside another top executive, Brian Duffy, CEO of Watches of Switzerland.

Duffy’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognised a career in luxury that most recently saw him oversee last year’s listing of Watches of Switzerland following its expansion into the US.

Also recognised, as winner of the Luxury Law Department award, was the LVMH Americas legal team led by Louise Firestone, while Melissa Roth, Burberry’s US-based global vice president of brand protection, won Luxury Corporate Counsel.

This year’s rising star, meanwhile, was Derek Morales, senior director, IP counsel, at Ralph Lauren while the Luxury Business Leader award went to Ulrik Garde Due, chief executive of heritage US leather goods brand Mark Cross.

Garde Due said the Covid-19 pandemic was accelerating the digitalisation of the sector prompting Mark Cross to enhance a digital-first strategy that was already on its roadmap.

He added that consumers were also demanding increased transparency amid “a growing antipathy towards waste”.

Firestone also reflected on the impact of coronavirus, praising her team for adapting quickly to remote working. 

"We had to think of new ways to collaborate and share information because in the early days especially information was critical," she said, adding: "The resilience and persistence that the team has shown during these many months has been incredible."

Meanwhile, speaking from his home city of Venice, Cipriani said he had been adapting Harry’s Bar to accommodate Covid-19 restrictions and hoped once the pandemic was over there would be a sense of excitement reminiscent of the 1950s.

“In the 50s, at the end of the war, everybody wanted to come out from themselves and do something with great happiness,” he said. “I am doing everything I can to make it happen.”

The awards took place at the end of the day-long Luxury Law Summit Americas, now in its third year, but taking place online for the first time.

Speakers included The New York Times’s chief fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, co-chair Barbara Kolsun, director of The FAME Center and professor of practice at Cardozo Law School, and Shane St. Hill, global director of legal at Godiva Chocolatier.

Top brands represented at the summit included, Amazon, eBay, SENTALER, David Yurman, Chanel, Christian Dior, L’Oreal, Vince Holding, PVH, Coty and Kering.

Luxury Law Award Americas 

Arrigo Cipriani – Luxury Lifetime Master Award 

Brian Duffy, CEO, Watches of Switzerland – Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Bennett Jones

Ulrik Garde Due, CEO, Mark Cross – Luxury Leader

LVMH Americas – Luxury Law Department 

Melissa Roth, Burberry Luxury Corporate Counsel 

Derek Morales, Ralph Lauren