For more than 30 years, Bella Karakis has helped companies of all sizes in over 120 countries navigate their intellectual property, brand, and business development challenges. As an attorney, founder, and CEO of numerous entrepreneurial ventures, she brings deep insight into how businesses operate, the risks they face, and the grit it takes to become and remain successful.
Through her work in both law firm and in-house settings, Bella has created a sophisticated global network of clients, foreign counsel, investigators, finance, and real estate sources. Her experience extends throughout Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, and Asia. From startups to established brands, her clients hail from diverse industries, including food and beverage, hospitality, shared economy/co-working, consumer products and packaged goods, fashion, entertainment, branding and design, and alternative energy.
Bella knows that collaboration, innovation, creativity, and strategic partnerships are the keys to success in any business, and she guides her clients accordingly. Companies rely on her for all their intellectual property needs, from worldwide trademark portfolio protection and IP infringement issues, multi-country conflicts, and litigation to licensing, unfair competition, global filing programs, and negotiating assignments and other commercial agreements. Bella also advises clients on related IP transactional/deal flow matters, due diligence for acquisitions and divestitures, and brand development and expansion.
Before joining Olshan, Bella practiced with several New York City law firms and was the vice president of intellectual property at World Wrestling Entertainment. She is the CEO and co-founder of e. terra Kitchen and, before that, three other food and hospitality ventures. She mentors numerous startups and entrepreneurs.
Bella also is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10KSB Business Accelerator Cohort 38 and a licensed real estate broker in the state of New York. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, she speaks Russian fluently.
News
Publications
Practice Areas
Education
J.D., Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, 1994
- Research Editor, Touro Law Review, 1993-1994
- Associate Editor, Touro Law Review, 1992-1993
- Touro Academic Excellence Award in International Law
B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1987
Admissions
- New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Languages
- Russian
