Elizabeth Q. Pearce

In business as in marriage, nobody likes to deal with the prenup. But somebody’s got to do it, and in fashion, that somebody is often attorney Elizabeth Q. Pearce, who established her luxury-focused practice in 2003. She counseled Phoebe Philo in her negotiations with Chloé; Derek Lam with Tod’s; and most recently, Kris Van Assche as he took the reins of Dior Homme. With her cool urban attitude—and a wardrobe filled with Balenciaga and Yohji Yamamoto—Pearce seems well suited to a client roster whose current and past ranks include, among others, Nicolas Ghesquière, Tomas Maier, Carolina Herrera, Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan and Damon Dash. “You have to understand the industry and the intangibles side of it, the relationships, the motivations,” she says, noting one important item in her office: the black chaise longue she dubs her “therapist’s couch.”

Jennifer Livingston