Pamela Love, a well-known jewelry designer, is suing Alex and Ani, the jewelry brand she worked with as a creative director in 2023. Love claims the company owes her nearly $6 million in royalties and over $200,000 in unpaid consulting fees.
The lawsuit was filed in New York on Wednesday, highlighting a dispute that began after Love designed jewelry for Alex and Ani that was released last summer. She had an agreement that allowed her to earn up to $2 million a year in royalties for her work. However, Love says she hasn’t received any payments for the last ten months of her contract.
In her lawsuit, Love accuses Alex and Ani’s owners, including celebrity attorney Mark Geragos, of engaging in deceptive practices to avoid paying her and other creditors. She claims they have been moving assets around to make it harder for creditors to collect what they are owed. The lawsuit names Geragos’s company, the Bathing Club LLC, and LC A&A Holdings, controlled by financier Lyndon Lea, as defendants.
Love’s legal team argues that after she initiated arbitration to recover her fees, the owners executed a plan to make the company "judgment proof," meaning they would not have the funds available to pay off debts. A former attorney for Alex and Ani reportedly admitted during arbitration that the company was trying to figure out how to pay Love.
The arbitration process has already ruled in Love’s favor, confirming that she has not been paid for ten months. The arbitrator ordered Alex and Ani to secure $208,333 for Love’s consulting work and $12,000 for costs.
Despite claiming financial difficulties, the lawsuit alleges that Alex and Ani has continued to operate and even sell products designed by Love. In the fall, her manager was able to buy one of her rings from the company’s website, yet Love did not receive any royalties from that sale.
The situation has drawn attention not only because of the legal dispute but also due to Geragos’s high-profile background. He has represented notable clients in the past and has various business interests, including a stake in Alex and Ani.
As the case unfolds, it raises questions about the financial practices at Alex and Ani, especially following its bankruptcy in 2021. Love’s lawsuit suggests a troubling pattern in how the company has handled its obligations to designers and creditors, which could have broader implications for the brand’s future.