Group general counsel | Christian Louboutin
Xavier Ragot
Group general counsel | Christian Louboutin
Group general counsel | Christian Louboutin
group general counsel | Christian Louboutin
The legal department of the renowned shoe designer Christian Louboutin is a surprisingly new entity considering the world-wide fame of the company’s brand. The department was created in 2009 when...
High fashion brand Christian Louboutin’s general counsel Xavier Ragot is responsible for the creation of the in-house legal department at the company, and now presides over two teams dedicated to separate legal areas. One team, consisting of five members, is responsible for IP and digital matters whilst the other is dedicated to business affairs and corporate issues, and consists of four members. A key theme of Ragot’s work is the protection of Christian Louboutin’s intellectual property, in particular its “red sole” trademark that is a core part of the brand’s unique fashion portfolio.
Forming a department that is known as being a ‘global business partner’ according to Ragot, he has successfully built an environment whereby ‘the legal awareness has grown significantly amongst operational staff members and the legal aspects of business projects are integrated at a very early stage’. Speaking on what makes a top-quality in-house counsel, he says: ‘Creativity, flexibility, [being a] good practitioner, a sense of human relationships, a sharp mind [and] leadership. You need to adapt and to be able to give accurate advice to your client swiftly and taking into account the reality of the business. Sometimes you also have to lead the way to the whole organisation to reach critical goals’. Adept at working collaboratively and drawing resources together, Ragot has overseen the construction of a strong team of in-house and external lawyers to be able to manage the company’s legal workload effectively. Transitioning from a more independent role as private practice lawyer, Ragot states his position is now one of a ‘team leader with a global vision and defining global strategy’ and he can point to many accomplishments to prove this.
He cites the creation of dedicated entities and setting up the distribution network for the launch of a new beauty business, a licence deal that he explains took the business ‘to the next level’ and being a part of the negotiations as particularly noteworthy. The recipient of a large amount of trust from senior management, Ragot describes this as an ‘honour’ and a ‘great opportunity’ to improve his negotiation skills and develop his legal expertise.