Andreea Stan (NY, ’07)

My role is multifaceted and has expanded considerably in my five years at Ralph Lauren. Now, as head corporate and IP attorney, I advise senior management and the board of directors on issues including securities law compliance and earnings reporting, corporate governance and strategy, global IP matters, financings, significant transactions, executive compensation, and corporate social responsibility and sustainability. As Board Assistant Secretary, I work closely with our directors on strategy engagement and risk oversight, as well as the board refreshment process that has led to expanded board diversity with the recent addition of four new board members. I also advise on corporate philanthropy matters and serve as an officer of the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation.

 

Recent work highlights include legal oversight of our Investor Day at the NYSE in September, where we announced our new accelerated strategic growth plan, partnerships and investments in innovative technologies to help drive our sustainability initiatives, and a $25 million commitment by the Foundation – our largest to date – to cancer care initiatives to help address health disparities in underserved communities, recognized by President Biden in his Cancer Moonshot Program. Ralph Lauren’s ambition is to become the leading luxury lifestyle company in the world, and it is an honor and inspiration to be a legal partner to our business teams.

My role has been increasingly focused on sustainability, an area in which the fashion industry does not historically have a great reputation and in which stakeholder engagement continues to increase, including through consumer purchasing power, driving action across the fashion industry to mitigate its impact on the environment. We want to play a leadership role in this area, and I am closely involved in “Timeless By Design” – our evolved strategy for global citizenship and sustainability which is grounded in our enduring philosophy of timelessness and making products that last through generations. Our progress on this journey is reflected in the groundbreaking launch of our first product using a first-to-market patented technology for high-performance recycled cotton and our introduction of a revolutionary dyeing platform. That “Color On Demand” platform will transform how the fashion industry colors cotton by significantly saving water and dramatically reducing the amount of chemicals, dye, time and energy used. I partner with our sustainability, global impact and innovation teams to design our sustainability goals and strategy, track our KPI progress, develop our public commitments and disclosures, coordinate legal protections including patents and trademarks, ensure board oversight of sustainability matters, and engage with various stakeholders including employees, consumers, investors and industry groups.

 

I recently advised on the launch of a founding grant by the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation and the Soil Health Institute to fund and establish the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund – an industry-first initiative – supporting long-term, sustainable cotton production in the U.S. with the goal of eliminating one million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere by 2026 and supporting our own corporate goal of using 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2025. I’m very proud of this important work.

Fashion is always at the forefront of innovation, and fashion technology is growing at a faster pace than ever. Advances have included AI in design, radio frequency identification (RFID) for product tracking and authentication, endless aisle, personalization and virtual clienteling tools, and AR/VR for redesigned online and in-store experiences. A complement to this is our recent entry into the metaverse, the new frontier of the fashion world. Today consumers can buy Ralph Lauren digital apparel and make a virtual visit – or even have a virtual coffee – at our Madison Avenue store. Ralph Lauren is participating in metaverse platform Zepeto and online gaming sites Roblox and Fortnite, where shoppers can dress their avatars in Ralph Lauren digital apparel. These unique partnerships and economic opportunities continue our legacy of storytelling on new platforms and reach the next generation of consumers where they are.

 

The metaverse has given rise to new legal considerations, including a new spin on traditional IP laws and brand protection, data protection and privacy, authentication, smart contracts and tax issues. The fundamental legal principles I learned in law school and at Davis Polk provide an excellent foundation for navigating the evolution of the law governing these new platforms. It’s an exciting time!

I enjoyed my work in Davis Polk’s Capital Markets group, and especially the energy around pricing and closing deals. With each closing, I remained interested in keeping a business continuity with clients, seeing how the capital we raised was allocated, how strategic choices were made and implemented, and how corporate governance and the board directed corporate behavior. As I grew in my role, the more interested I became in being closer to business decision-making in-house, interfacing with the executive management team and the board, focusing on one client and adding ongoing and direct value to business strategy and growth, and serving as a critical part of implementing legal advice and not only dispensing it. I wanted to be directly involved in the corporate governance process and work closely with a board as members exercise their fiduciary duties and oversee corporate strategy and risk management.    

Davis Polk has been a great alma mater! I credit my current skill set, legal and business acumen, and resilience to my years at Davis Polk working on complex deals and client advice with outstanding partners like Michael Kaplan, Richard Truesdell, Deanna Kirkpatrick, Ning Chiu and Meg Tahyar. Davis Polk truly has the best attorneys I’ve worked with in my career, and I am fortunate to continue to work with Davis Polk on Ralph Lauren’s regular bond financing deals.