Our Managing Director and Senior Partner, Mel Stephens, can fairly be described as one of the world’s leading commercial as well as legal experts in the area of international distribution and licensing arrangements. Over the past several years he has acted as an expert witness in a number of major cases involving the termination of international distribution and license agreements, providing our clients with an exceptional level of expertise in terms of custom and practice in the sports and fashion industry, gained as a director and advisor to leading companies in this sector.

Mel Stephens – Expert Witness Profile

Core Expertise

In depth legal and commercial expertise in all areas of international distribution and licensing arrangements in the sports fashion industry.

Experience

Mr Stephens is a U.S.-qualified attorney and has a doctorate from Oxford University and the University of California. He is also co-author of International Business and National Jurisdiction with the late Sir Alan Neale (Oxford University Press – 1988). Mr Stephens worked extensively with Nike Inc. in the 1980’s and has since worked closely with the Adidas / Reebok group of companies for more than 20 years. He is currently Managing Director of Reebok International Limited, the principle holding company of the Reebok Group.

Mr Stephens has negotiated and drafted literally hundreds of international distribution and licensing agreements over the past 25 years. While the majority of this experience has been in the sports fashion sector he has also acted on a regular basis for a number of global fashion brands. He has managed more than 20 terminations and this is perhaps where his expertise can be most helpful. Although Mr Stephens provides legal advice to his clients he is also a key business advisor and as such generally renders his services as an expert in custom and practice in the sports fashion industry rather than on technical legal issues.

Mr Stephens has acted as an expert and key witness in three major arbitrations over the past five years. The first was in connection with the termination of the Latin American licensing rights for a major U.S.-based sports brand. The second involved the termination of a major European license for one of the largest UK-based sports brands. Finally, he was retained earlier this year on behalf of the European licensee of another U.S.-based sports fashion brand. Each case involved detailed written submissions as well as extensive cross examination by opposing counsel.

Contact

Mr Stephens is based in London but travels extensively. He can be reached by email at mel@stephensandassociates.com and by telephone at + (44) (0)20 7930 2500.