Louis Vuitton Files Criminal Lawsuit Against Hermès

Photo: Judy Wu

The tension between LVMH and Hermès is here to stay.  Just a few weeks before the French market regulator is expected to decide LVMH's fate for secretly amassing a large stake in Hermès, LVMH decides to file a criminal complaint against an Hermès manager for slander.  The manager's identity has not been disclosed but LVMH is claiming that the manager made implications that LVMH acted fraudulently.  The media has speculated that the lawsuit is against Hermès International's CEO, Patrick Thomas.  

During Hermès' annual meeting on Tuesday, Thomas alleged that the company had obtained its controversial 22.6% stake in the brand in a "fraudulent" manner. He accused the larger rival of either acting "fraudulently" or being "so disorganized  for not knowing how it came to obtain its initial 17.1% stake and concluded with "I'll let you decide."

LVMH vice president, Pierre Godé, confirmed the lawsuit in French newspaper Le Figaro regarding the suit being filed that day "following what was said by the manager".  WWD reports that Godé also stated, "Hermès' campaigns are aimed to destabilize us. Our patience has its limits. It's time that the public learns the truth."

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Fashionista: Looks Like LVMH Just Filed a Civil Suit Against Hermès’s CEO

WWD (subscription req'd): LVMH Files Another Lawsuit Against Hermès