David Graff

Managing Director

David is a managing director at Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips in New York and leads the trademark licensing team. David advises leading brand owners on how to effectively maximize the value of their brands and intellectual property through strategic partnerships structured as both licensing deals and joint ventures. He most recently sourced prospects and negotiated licensing deals on behalf of the New York Post, BleuLife Media and Inc. Magazine. He also helped negotiate the sale of Gazebo Penguin, Inc. to Champlain Finance Corporation.

Prior to joining Oaklins DeSilvia+Phillips, David was president and founder of SunGate Partners, Inc., a leading branding and licensing consultancy, representing HGTV personalities, Michelin Star chefs, leading museums, fashion designers, magazine publishers, artists and fashion brands. Before SunGate, he was senior vice president at Hearst Magazines International and general manager of Hearst Magazines Brand Development. In his 11 years at Hearst, he founded and developed the largest magazine brand extension and licensing group in the world, resulting in retail sales topping US$850 million annually, and the sector’s largest home video business. His accomplishments include initiating Wal-Mart’s first-ever licensing programs, applied to Sports Afield, Popular Mechanics and House Beautiful; licensing Esquire (ESQ) to Movado; opening Cosmopolitan fashion boutiques in Europe and Japan; creating and launching the Cosmopolitan Virtual Makeover; producing and distributing the Popular Mechanics for Kids television show; licensing Country Living to QVC; and the partnering of Good Housekeeping and Marie Claire with The Home Shopping Network. He also negotiated publishing licenses for international editions of Esquire in Italy, the Netherlands and Japan. David earned his MBA (The Wharton School) and his BA at the University of Pennsylvania. He is chairman of the University of Pennsylvania Gazette and a board member of UPenn’s alumni society.