Expert Witness Services – Curriculum Vitae

Address:
Gilman Licensing Associates, LLC
104 Fries Lane
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Tel: (212) 221-8331 or (856) 428-4930
Fax: (856) 795-6824
E-mail: 

Ch***@GL*******.com

Personal Data

• Born February 11, 1946 to Allan and Pearl Gilman in Philadelphia, PA.
• Declared a “mathematics genius” at the age of 3 by the University of Pennsylvania
• Graduated from Penn State University in 1968 with a B.S. in Business Administration.
• Married Linda Elaine Bulk in 1969 and had two sons: Jarod Samuel in 1972 and Michael Allan in 1975.
• Avid in-line skater and fitness buff.

Professional Experience

1983 – Present. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gilman Licensing Associates, LLC (formerly known as Apparel Connections International), Cherry Hill, NJ. Founded Apparel Connections International for the purpose of developing licensing programs for fashion designers and lifestyle brands. Changed name of company in 1995 to Gilman Licensing Associates, LLC to more accurately reflect the company’s broadened expertise in licensing. During the mid to late 90’s, changed focus to representing major manufacturers for the acquisition of powerful licenses.

1969 – 1983. Various positions at Al-Mae Company, Croydon, PA.

• 1969 – 1971. Management Trainee

Learned all phases of the apparel manufacturing business. Created and implemented costing systems and supervised the construction and layout of a new manufacturing facility.

• 1971 – 1977. Administrative Vice President

Spearheaded the conversion of the business from one that manufactured garments under contract and supplied them to branded manufacturers (who then resold them to retailers) to one that designed, marketed, manufactured and imported garments, and then sold them to prestigious retailers throughout the U.S. on its own. Also, personally identified and negotiated the acquisition of licenses (sometimes including existing businesses) from several prestigious “Seventh Avenue” designers, resulting in exponential growth from 1971 – 1977.

• 1977 – 1983. Chief Executive Officer

Built and solidified designer businesses, further developed foreign import production resources and licensed Al-Mae’s designer trademarks and designs to foreign companies, resulting in international expansion with little risk. Sold a division of the company as a going business and liquidated the balance of the assets of the company in 1983 due to changing domestic retailer practices and very risky supply conditions internationally.

Significant Licensing-Related Accomplishments

• Negotiated over 250 licensing agreements on behalf of both licensee and licensor/brand owner clients since the company’s inception in 1984.
• Accomplishments on Behalf of Licensors/Brand Owners:
  • Made the introduction of a relatively unknown designer in 1984 named Tommy Hilfiger to Murjani International, a $250 million apparel company at the time. This license resulted in Hilfiger’s launch to fame.
  • Put Mary McFadden and a third-party manufacturer together with J.C. Penney during the “initial wave” of the designer/mass merchant deals in the mid-eighties for an exclusive, moderately-priced designer collection.
  • Built successful licensing programs for L.A. Gear, Inc., Aspen Licensing Corp., The Chippendales, The National Troopers Coalition, Cigarette Racing Team, and Just Say No International.
  • Successfully sold all rights to the Camp Beverly Hills, Eagle’s Eye and Rose Marie Reid trademarks on behalf of their owners.
• Accomplishments on Behalf of Licensees:
  • Childrenswear Deals
    • Helped one of the top department store-oriented childrenswear companies to secure the license rights to the $1 billion + Timberland brand for childrens apparel and accessories. This company was looking for a department store brand that would not cannibalize its existing business. In short time, GLA discovered that Timberland was willing (and legally able) to replace its then current licensee with GLA’s client. A few months later, GLA helped this client to acquire this lower to mid eight-figure business without any extraordinary upfront fee.
    • Helped a leading mid-tier childrenswear company to secure the license rights to the $1 billion + Eddie Bauer brand for a wide range of children’s apparel and some children’s accessories. Although Eddie Bauer was hesitant at first to license their brand for a category so close to their core adult apparel, GLA was able to effectuate a deal that not only satisfied Eddie Bauer’s concerns but also far exceeded expectations in its first year of business.
    • Helped a leading childrenswear company to secure the license rights to the $1 billion + Skechers brand. This company was looking to quickly replace a license for another billion-dollar brand that had just expired and was concerned about losing precious floor space at its top accounts. GLA immediately discovered that the Skechers childrenswear license, already a low to mid 8-figure business with a competitor, was available and helped this client to secure the license with no time to spare. Around the same time, GLA also helped this client to secure the license rights to the Southpole brand (then a $500 million brand) for childrenswear. At the time, Southpole was the most coveted streetwear brand in the mid-tier, with several other major childrenswear companies competing for the license.
    • When one of the largest mass market infant/newborn/layette childrenswear companies wanted a brand that could help them to; 1) expand their “mid-tier” presence, 2) address older children, and 3) expand into activewear, GLA helped them to secure the license rights to the Jockey brand, a business which satisfied all 3 criteria. GLA later brought them the New Balance childrenswear license as well.
  • Eyewear Deals
    • Helped one of the top 5 eyewear companies in the world to secure the worldwide license rights to the $1 billion + Skechers brand for eyewear (both ophthalmic and sun). The Skechers brand more than satisfied this client’s request for a brand that not only had size, cachet and worldwide recognition, but also one that crossed over different categories (from fashion to active to entertainment) and genders (from men to women to children). This deal brought in sales well into the 8-figure range – with distribution in several continents – in its first full year of shipping.
    • Helped another major global eyewear company to secure the worldwide license rights to the multi-billion-dollar Reebok brand for eyewear (both ophthalmic and sun) to fulfill its need for a well-known athletic brand. Some of these worldwide rights were held by another company at the time.
    • Over the course of a few years, GLA has helped strengthen the domestic brand portfolio of a worldwide eyewear company which up until recently was known mostly for its upscale European fashion brands. The first deal GLA brought in was for the eyewear license rights to the Nicole Miller brand, which was an existing 7-figure business at the time. The next deal was for the eyewear license rights to the very hot Sperry Top-Sider brand.  GLA was next able to secure the Ann Taylor brand for both third party license rights and exclusive direct-channel selling rights (for the Ann Taylor stores and e-commerce). GLA not only helped this company to beat out some of the largest worldwide eyewear companies out there for this license but also created a new business model for exclusively servicing major retail chains and their e-commerce divisions. Most recently, GLA satisfied the client’s needs for an upscale Italian men’s brand by bringing in the world-renowned Canali license. GLA also recently helped them acquire the license rights to the Glamour Magazine and Champion brands as well.
  • Footwear Deals
    • Over the course of nearly 2 decades (since the early to mid 90’s), GLA has helped the largest privately-held footwear importer in the North America to acquire many powerful licenses that have generated long-term, profitable revenue streams and garnered much attention in the industry. Chief among them is a direct retail license that GLA helped facilitate for the Champion brand at Payless ShoeSource, a deal which resulted in this client becoming Payless’s footwear supplier for the Champion brand. This deal required the insight to know that Champion was the best choice for Payless and the deftness to help effectuate a difficult 3-party deal involving a licensee, a licensor and a retailer. Also, when this client wanted lifestyle brands to expand beyond its then-current roster of character licenses, GLA helped it to secure the license rights to the $1 billion + Wrangler brand, followed by the OshKosh B’Gosh brand. In more recent years, to fulfill their request for an athletic brand for athleisure and children’s footwear, GLA helped them to secure the license rights to a package of 3 brands – And 1, Avia and Ryka.
  • Hosiery Deals
    • Helped a world-class legwear company to secure the license rights to the multi-billion dollar Reebok brand for all categories of hosiery for men, women, and children. This was a low 8-figure business in the hands of another licensee at the time.
    • Helped the largest accessories company in Canada to secure the distribution rights for both the $1 billion + Under Armour brand and the $1 billion + New Balance brand for hosiery in Canada. Already the Canadian distributor for Bally Total Fitness and Everlast handheld exercise equipment (the same deal GLA put together in the US), the powerful Under Armour and New Balance brands allowed this client to expand into a new product category within existing channels.
  • Accessories Deals
    • When a leading fashion accessories company asked GLA for help in its quest to build on its high-end portfolio of brands, GLA was able to promptly secure the license rights to the Karl Lagerfeld brand for handbags and luggage and the Elie Tahari brand for handbags.
    • Helped a top accessories company in the sports market to secure headwear production rights from Hurley, a Nike-owned brand.
  • Fitness Equipment Deals
    • In the early 2000’s, GLA helped one of the largest fitness accessory companies in the world to secure the license rights to two well-known brands for its lines of handheld exercise equipment: 1) the Bally Total Fitness brand for female consumers and 2) the Everlast brand for male consumers. These two businesses have steadily grown over the years and helped the company to maintain its leading status in the industry. More recently, GLA helped this same client to acquire the license rights to the multi-billion dollar Reebok brand for fitness monitors (heart rate monitors, pedometers, and stopwatches) and other fitness accessories, as well as the UFC brand for training accessories.
  • Small Appliances and Consumer Electronics Deals
    • In 2000, GLA met with an appliance and consumer electronics company who was primarily trading under a hardly known house brand. Fast forward a decade later, and the 5 licenses that GLA helped this company to secure enabled this company to penetrate many major retailers, maintain shelf space at existing major accounts, grow at least 4 times its size, and achieve a whole new level of prominence in their industry. The first licenses GLA helped this company to secure on the small appliance side were the Sunbeam and Oster brands for microwave ovens. Then came the Igloo license for water coolers, wine coolers, compact refrigerators and freezer chests. Finally, the RCA brand, also for microwave ovens. On the consumer electronics side, GLA helped this company to secure the Sylvania brand for audio, video, television, and telecommunications products.
    • Helped one of the top licensed consumer electronics companies to acquire the license rights throughout several global territories to the $1 billion + Skechers brand (and its children’s sub-brands, including Twinkle Toes) for a wide range of sport-oriented consumer electronics accessories, computer accessories, and fitness accessories.
  • Retail Exclusive Deals
    • Helped a top global eyewear company (and also one of the top sunglass suppliers to the mid-tier and mass market) to secure the sunglass license rights for three separate celebrity retail exclusive deals: Sofia Vergara at Kmart, Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez at Kmart, and Hilary Duff at Wal-mart. In each case, GLA’s client was able to benefit from the low minimums negotiated by GLA and a built-in, predisposed customer base.
    • Helped a leading active apparel company to secure the license rights to fitness celebrity Denise Austin for a retail exclusive deal for fitness apparel at Sears.
    • Helped a leading manufacturer of legwear and other accessories to secure the license rights to the Betseyville brand for a retail exclusive deal for hosiery at J.C. Penney.

Trademarks Licensed

The following is a partial list of trademarks with which Chuck has participated in licensing or distribution deals, either through representation of the licensor or the licensee.

Trademark Evaluation/Expert Witness Services

• Scott Stewart v. Adidas A.G. and Adidas America, Inc., et al., 95 Civ. 4824 (U.S. District Court, Southern District New York) Retained during 1996 and 1997 as an expert consultant and potential expert trial witness on behalf of plaintiff, Scott Stewart, in a trademark infringement case.
• Retained as a consultant during 1996 and 1997 on behalf of Doral Hotels & Resorts, LLC to evaluate the Doral trademarks for the potential sale of the Doral trademark rights to KSL Recreation Corporation.
• Design Solange v. Lane Bryant, 94 Civ. 1299 (JFK) Provided expert witness services involving damage assessment in 1998 and 1999 in a trademark infringement case.
• Magnum Fashions, Inc., et al v. Steven Madden, Ltd., American Arbitration Association. Retained during 1999 and 2000 as an expert witness on behalf of plaintiff, Magnum Fashions, Inc., et al. in a legal fraud case concerning a license agreement.
• Gucci America Inc., V. Unique International Co., et al, 00 Civ. 7432 (U.S. District Court, Southern District New York) Served as an expert witness on behalf of defendant, Unique International Co., et al., in 2001 in a counterfeiting case.
• Retained as a consultant in June 2005 on behalf of BGW Marketing Company LLC to evaluate the Bellini trademarks for their potential sale by BGW Marketing Company LLC.
• Plaintiff vs. Wal-mart. Provided expert witness services for The Miller Firm, LLC from January 2007 – March 2007 in a counterfeiting case.
• Retained as a consultant in March 2008 on behalf of Tracie Martyn International, LLC to evaluate the Tracie Martyn trademarks for their potential sale by Tracie Martyn International, LLC
• IWORLD GLOBAL LLC, V. MACBETH COLLECTION BY MARGARET JOSEPHS LLC, American Arbitration Association. Retained during 2015 as an expert witness on behalf of Respondent, MacBeth Collection by Margaret Josephs LLC, to opine on the determination of damages in a license agreement termination case.

Professional References Available Upon Request