Hayley Paige is one of the world’s best known wedding dress designers, and a frequent past guest on “Say Yes to the Dress.” When she was unable to reach a new agreement with the couture house that marketed her designs, they sued, temporarily depriving her of her livelihood, her primary social media, and even the use of her own name.
Our litigation response strategy used media and social media coverage intensively while waiting for the courts to reach the right conclusion. These elements included:
- Placement on national broadcast and print media, from ABC’s Good Morning America, People Magazine, and the New York Post to dozens of industry publications. Earned media impressions reached into the tens of millions.
- Advice on using her own brand of social media effectively through back up accounts, which codified public support and anger at her adversary, resulting in grassroots calls for boycotts and shunning the entire brand of her prior partner.
- Hailey pivoted successfully to a new business not prohibited by her prior agreements. She was invited to testify in front of the US Senate on her experience with non-compete agreements, creating a cascade of media coverage at a pivotal moment.
As the courts caught up and she received positive rulings, the pressure placed on her adversary started to show.
Outcome
Hayley’s adversary was forced into a restructuring, citing reputation issues surrounding her litigation as a major contributing factor. A federal appeals court issued a landmark decision on ownership of social media accounts used for both personal and professional purposes. And Hayley purchased the rights to her name, her designs and her intellectual property, ending the litigation.
*Certain details are withheld or changed to protect the confidentiality of our clients, without altering the key steps or outcome significantly. Outcomes are highly specific to individual circumstances.
