LEGAL BRIEF: Ashlee Froese
This is the third in AdvocateDaily.com’s occasional feature series Legal Brief, profiling lawyers in the Toronto area.
By Kayona Lewis
Branding and fashion lawyer Ashlee Froese’s Toronto practice includes trade-marks, copyright and domain name laws. Her focus is in assisting fashion designers protect their creativity. Froese has made great use of Twitter to brand herself and her original website CanadaFashionLaw which features her take on the law of fashion. She spoke with AdvocateDaily.com from her King St. W. office at Gilbert’s LLP where she is an associate.
Kayona Lewis: You practice a few different areas of law. Why did you choose to focus on intellectual property and in particular fashion law?
Ashlee Froese: My scope of practice encompasses trade-marks, copyright, domain name and social media laws, which is quite a mouthful. In simple terms, I am a branding lawyer who focuses on the fashion industry. I have a love of fashion and greatly appreciate the dedication and creativity of fashion designers. I believe that they oftentimes do not appreciate how intellectual property laws can be incorporated as a business tool to assist in carving out their space in the marketplace.
KL: Did you always know you wanted to focus on such a niche within the law profession?
AF: I fell into trade-marks law and my practice focus has evolved from there. During my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, I worked at a boutique firm that focused in anti-counterfeiting enforcement (a small niche within trade-marks law). With that experience, I was attractive to other intellectual property boutiques during the hiring process, once I obtained my law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. My move to fashion law really stems from an entrepreneurial spirit.
KL: I see that you use social media outlets like Twitter to promote your business and your blog CanadaFashionLaw. Have you found that social media has given you the push you need to get your name out there?
AF: I have found Twitter to be a great tool to (a) become embedded within a niche global community (b) acquire breaking news (c) disseminate my own breaking news. It has helped me reach a wider audience and also allows clients and referrals to get a better understanding of my personality.
KL: How did the idea for your blog come about?
AF: CanadaFashionLaw.com was a natural evolution and off-shoot from my Twitter account (@brandfashionlaw). Through CanadaFashionLaw I look at case law and legislation that pertains to or impacts the fashion industry. I also go beyond the law and look to government policies that affect the fashion industry. I also cover fashion events and interview fashion designers. The response has been fantastic and still surprises me. I have had over 15,000 hits, a number of subscribers and been featured in a number of publications.
KL: What boards and committees do you participate in?
AF: I am a board member of Fashion Group International (Toronto Chapter). I am an executive member of the Toronto Intellectual Property Group. I also participate in several committees with the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada and also the International Trademarks Association. In addition, I do a lot of public speaking to organizations, colleges and universities on the legal aspects of brand protection. I participate in these different organizations and institutions as (a) it keeps me on my toes and ensures that I am “on the beat” with developments in the law, (b) is a great way to give back to the design community, (c) is a great way to reach out to prospective clients and (d) with respect to my speaking engagements, I like to “rock the mic.”
KL: Knowing the importance of branding oneself, what is one common piece of advice you give to your clients about the importance of branding?
AF: Be true to yourself and have one core message. The more honest you are with yourself and others, the easier it will be to stick to that core message. It’s that simple.
KL: How do you differentiate your services from other trade-marks lawyers?
AF: Ultimately, trade-marks law is trade-marks law. However, there are nuances in the fashion industry that make the application of the law and the business considerations behind its application is different. Understanding how the industry works assists in applying the law in a business-savvy way.
KL: What are some of your favourite pastimes outside of work?
AF: Travelling is a very expensive hobby of mine! I’ve lived in Toronto since 1998, but exploring this wonderful city always brings a smile to my face. Also, best of luck tearing me from a dance floor – especially if there’s some good east coast hip hop. I call it my cardio!
