Mary Geraghty

Mary helps clients grow their brands, IP and business value in the UK and internationally, through company–owned growth, third–party franchising, licensing, distribution, JVs, and strategic brand collaborations, helping businesses navigate risks, challenges, and disputes to achieve their strategic goals. 

• Advising Poltronesofà S.p.A following its acquisition of SCS Furniture – board governance, insolvency and restructuring issues, senior hires and exits, corporate reorganisation, advertising & labelling, FCA Regulation, supplier disputes, and commercial contracts. 
• Advising a bar and nightclub operator on a JV agreement, brand licence and roll-out of a London restaurant/bar/nightclub concept. 
• Starbucks Coffee Company – grant and renegotiation of franchise and master franchise agreements in the UK and across the EMEA region.   
• Advised Starbucks in relation to its shareholding in a founder led bakery and restaurant concept, including store leases, supplier agreements, marketing and events, employee hires and exits, completing several funding rounds, navigating shareholder disputes, and insolvency issues.  
• Roll-out of Starbucks’ Delivery Program with UberEats. 
• Concession, distribution, online marketplaces wholesale and brand licensing agreements for Harrods, Kurt Geiger, Starbucks Coffee Company, and Topshop. 
• Acting for a UK menswear brand following the insolvency of a key supplier and retail distributor. 

Mary advises clients across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa on the grant and renegotiation of franchise agreements, and the resolution of franchise disputes. 

• Starbucks – grant and renegotiation of franchise and master franchise agreements in UK, Italy, France, Germany, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa.   
• Resolution of franchisee disputes – operational breaches, insolvency, failure to meet development targets, termination and exit arrangements.  
• Operations – roll-out of technology stacks to franchisees, logistics, and supply chain agreements. 

Mary works with businesses and leadership to prepare a business for a sale, navigate a sale process, and to deliver post–completion and transition services activities. She works with specialist M&A, employment, and real estate teams on an in-house/General Counsel–like basis to deliver an end-to-end commercial solution for clients.  

• Kurt Geiger and Starbucks: working with management teams to prepare businesses for a sale, getting the business sale ready (key contracts in place, disputes closed down or narrowed, registering IP, identifying potential issues), preparation of data rooms, due diligence materials, director warranties, and responses to enquiries.  
• Post-sale transition services agreements for Starbucks, Topshop, and Topman. 
• Advising Starbucks in relation to the sale of its 25% share of a bakery/restaurant business. 

Mary works on an in-house/General Counsel–like basis, alongside CFOs and leadership, with specialist counsel and insolvency practitioners to advise on director duties, insolvency issues, wrongful trading and support businesses through restructuring projects. 

• Advising retail groups on insolvency and CVA arrangements for subsidiary companies. 
• Advising fashion brands and retailers following the insolvency of key suppliers,  negotiating with administrators to continue supply of product.  
• Working with businesses to support site closures, headcount reduction, and staff relocation.  

Mary helps clients launch and scale their brands, negotiating agreements to safeguard, enforce, and leverage their intellectual property. 

• Advising Starbucks on the grant of franchise and master franchise agreements in UK, Italy, France, Germany, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa.   
• UK brand launches for food & beverage and beauty brands including Krispy Kreme and Jo Malone.  
• Advising Harrods, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, and Burton on international wholesale, distribution and online market agreements, trademark protection, enforcement, and co-existence agreements.   

Mary advises clients across the retail, fashion, food & beverage, and consumer goods sectors on franchising, distribution and licensing agreements, buying and selling goods and services, commercial agreements including consultancy, marketing, sponsorship, concessions, technology, and outsourcing.  

• Advised a US scaling snack food brand on supplier agreements and distribution strategies in the UK. 
• Advised Data Image Group on the supply of services to Airbus. 
• Advised Starbucks on the grant and renegotiation of franchise and master franchise agreements in the UK, Italy, France, Germany, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa.   
• Advised Topshop on multi-year celebrity endorsement agreements, live fashion events, brand and new product launches. 

Mary advises clients across the retail, fashion, food & beverage, and consumer goods sectors on contractual and shareholder disputes. 

• Advised Starbucks on resolving disputes and insolvency issues with franchisees, licensees and suppliers; mediation and threatened litigation; negotiating and documenting reset of relationships; and financial support packages. 
• Advised Starbucks in relation to a competitor’s misleading advertising campaign, appointed counsel, and achieved a swift takedown and settlement. 
• Shareholder disputes – advising on shareholder disputes under JV agreements, and putting appropriate governance in place to protect shareholders.  

Mary advises clients across the retail, fashion, food & beverage, and consumer goods sectors on real estate operational arrangements. 

• Advised Starbucks Coffee Company on the lease, planning, construction, and opening of Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, a complex construction project to build a manufacturing plant and high-end flagship roastery and customer experience in a listed building in Central Milan.  
• Advised Topshop/Topman on opening directly operated stores in the US, working with US counsel to complete flagship leases and complex construction projects.  
• Advised Harrods on store fit-outs and new store development programs. 

Mary provides strategic and practical legal leadership for multi-site, international businesses, covering governance, commercial contracts, restructuring, senior hires, and investigations. 

• Advised owners of a UK multi-site/omnichannel retailer on board governance, insolvency and restructuring issues, senior hires and exits, corporate reorganisation, advertising and labelling, and commercial contracts. 
• Advised a US snack food brand on supplier agreements and distribution strategies. 
• Panel firm reviews and review of legal support model. 
• Interim and fractional support to in-house teams. 

Mary is an experienced General Counsel and has worked in-house advising brands such as Starbucks, Topshop, and Harrods on legal and strategic issues including international expansion, licensing and distribution, employment, commercial agreements, flagship builds, intellectual property, ecommerce, and corporate reorganisations.

• Expansion of the Topshop and Topman brands into the US through the opening of directly owned flagship stores and e-commerce channels (leases, construction projects, distribution agreements, intellectual property, local employment contracts and terns, putting local advisors in place). 
• International expansion of Arcadia brands and Starbucks through licensing, franchising, concessions, online marketplaces, and ecommerce. 
• Advised Starbucks on entry into the Italian market with the construction of its flagship “Reserve Roastery”, a complex construction project to build a 25,000 sq ft manufacturing plant and high-end flagship store and customer experience in a listed flagship building in the centre of Milan (creation of legal entities, appointment of local advisors, negotiations with the institutional landlord for the building lease, planning, permitting, distribution, supply chain and warehousing, tax, financing, employment, events, and marketing). 
• Broadcast and press clearance for advertising campaigns. 
• Grant of development rights for the Starbucks brand in France, Italy, Germany, Benelux, Slovakia, Middle East, and South Africa. 
• Ongoing relationship management of licensees across UK, Europe, Middle East, and South Africa, resolving disputes, managing licensee insolvency, protecting licensor interests, reputation management, and addressing working practices. 
• Provided in-house leadership and support on M&A projects including the sale of a 150-store German business and grant of development rights; the sale of 25% of Topshop/Topman businesses to a US-based private equity firm; and preparing the Kurt Geiger business for a sale to a private equity-backed management buyout. 
• Advised on bankruptcy and financial restructuring of master franchisees (holding territorial licences) and joint venture companies, and advised on termination strategies. 
• Managed supplier insolvency and advised on termination strategies. 
• Advised the board and shareholders of one of Starbucks’ joint ventures, tasked with scaling a new start-up brand globally. Investor management, funding rounds and ultimately a sale of Starbucks’ shareholding to one of the JV partners. 
• Worked with external counsel to manage trademark prosecutions internationally to secure trademarks for the Topshop, Topman, and Burton brands as part of their international expansion. 
• Provided leadership within Starbucks on its response to a competitor’s misleading advertising campaign, appointing counsel and achieving a swift takedown and settlement. 
• Provided leadership within Starbucks on global public recalls, balancing health & safety requirements, contractual commitments, and financial loss. 

Mary is an experienced General Counsel and has worked in-house advising food & beverage brands on legal and strategic issues including international expansion, regulatory compliance, licensing and distribution, employment, commercial agreements, flagship builds, intellectual property, ecommerce, and corporate reorganisations. 

• Advised the board and shareholders of one of Starbucks’ joint ventures, tasked with scaling a new start-up brand globally. Investor management, funding rounds and ultimately a sale of Starbucks’ shareholding to one of the JV partners. 
• Provided leadership within Starbucks on its response to a competitor’s misleading advertising campaign, achieving a swift takedown and settlement. 
• Provided leadership within Starbucks on global public recalls, balancing health & safety requirements, contractual commitments, and financial loss. 
• Advised Starbucks on entry into the Italian market with the construction of its flagship “Reserve Roastery”, a complex construction project to build a 25,000 sq ft manufacturing plant and high-end flagship store and customer experience in a listed flagship building in the centre of Milan (creation of legal entities, appointment of local advisors, negotiations with the institutional landlord for the building lease, planning, permitting, distribution, supply chain and warehousing, tax, financing, employment, events, and marketing). 
• Grant of development rights for the Starbucks brand in France, Italy, Germany, Benelux, Slovakia, Middle East, and South Africa. 

Named on The Lawyer’s Hot 100 lists 2018 and 2019