Jordan Alpert – Superior Group of Companies 

Jordan Alpert, the chief legal officer and secretary at Superior Group of Companies (SGC), is important in steering the company’s three business segments—branded products, healthcare apparel and contact centers—toward continued success. With a rich history spanning over a century, Superior Group of Companies operates with the agility of a startup, a testament to its flexibility and commitment to innovation. 

Jordan Alpert | Chief Legal Officer and Secretary  |  Superior Group of Companies

Alpert is responsible for all legal aspects of SGC worldwide. He brings a unique blend of business acumen and legal expertise to this role, founded on the belief that a legal department succeeds only through collaboration. 

“Our name is Superior Group of Companies on purpose—I couldn’t be successful in my role without a superior group of people working as a team toward the same goal,” Alpert tells Vanguard during an interview in mid-January.  

One of the SGC legal team’s key focus areas is developing strategic agreements and partnerships that enhance SGC’s brand visibility and market recognition. This involves collaborations with companies and influencers, aligning the business with market trends and needs. An impactful illustration is our partnership with Carhartt, where we established a mutually beneficial agreement to serve as their trusted licensee partner, responsible for the design, development, and production of their branded healthcare scrubs. This collaboration exemplifies the dedication to innovation in healthcare apparel. These initiatives focus on market development, helping SGC reach new customer segments and expand revenue streams. 

Alpert’s negotiation approach creates win-win scenarios for all parties involved. Leveraging his deep understanding of business dynamics and curious mindset, he ensures that legal solutions are flexible and align with SGC’s strategic goals. 

Consistency is key 

Alpert’s team crafts agreements that lay the foundation for mutually beneficial relationships. The contracts are designed to be adaptable, allowing for the organic growth and evolution of the relationships over time. Alpert and his team’s focus on the business outcome, knowledge of the law, and emotional intelligence in negotiations ensures that these agreements contribute significantly to the company’s success. 

“SGC’s legal team is a close-knit group of lawyers with different backgrounds and perspectives who continually are encouraged to be creative and business-minded,” said Alpert. The team is designed to foster collaboration among lawyers and our internal business partners to find the best solution for the company in every situation.” 

In the branded products space, which is comprised primarily of its BAMKO (promotional products) and HPI (branded apparel) division, Alpert and his team help the business function as an outsourced marketing wing for clients, including Dunkin’, Taco Bell, and JetBlue. SGC’s approach goes beyond traditional product or uniform creation; it helps clients identify needs—whether for customer recruitment, employee retention or general marketing—and then delivers higher value than they can get from competitors by offering innovative products and support services at a fair value. 

Being a leader 

Alpert’s leadership philosophy revolves around continuous improvement and fostering a collaborative and diverse work environment. His approach involves encouraging his team to challenge ideas, seek solutions, and value diversity of thought. Alpert recognizes the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership and actively promotes a culture of open communication and constructive feedback. 

In addition to his legal responsibilities, Alpert oversees the human resources, insurance, and real estate/facilities functions and performs other important roles, such as facilitating the company’s ESG and annual goals-based bonus programs.  

Alpert also helps ensure that SGC is a legal operations tech leader among companies of its size. In collaboration with the other attorneys and support team, SGC has implemented many technologies that create efficiencies and quality gains, including those that leverage artificial intelligence. One of the team’s recurring annual goals is continually searching for new technologies to advance the department’s (and, in turn, the company’s) success. This tech-forward mindset helps SGC’s attorneys stay current with cutting-edge business approaches and perspectives.  

“It is all too easy for lawyers to fall back to a place of risk avoidance,” said Alpert. “I work daily to push our attorneys to think like businesspeople first and to get comfortable with the company taking certain types of chances. Providing the team with a safe space to fail forward, a space in which we learn from our successes and setbacks, makes SGC a fun place to be a lawyer and is better for the business.” 

As Alpert reflects on his career, he remains focused on challenging himself and his team to achieve continuous improvement. His commitment to Superior Group of Companies, its innovative ventures and the integration of legal and business strategies positions him as a key player in its ongoing success. With a blend of legal expertise, business acumen, and a collaborative leadership style, Alpert drives SGC’s journey toward continued growth and innovation. 

The robust portfolio of Superior Group of Companies, spanning branded products, healthcare apparel and contact centers, is a testament to its ability to create value.  Alpert’s strategic vision and leadership have helped SGC succeed in varied areas. 

Always the law 

Alpert’s career journey reflects a dynamic blend of legal expertise, business acumen and a passion for creating impactful solutions. Raised in New York City, he earned a B.S. degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.  

Alpert started his professional journey in litigation at Wilkie Farr & Gallagher—after nearly eight years, he recognized that the collaborative approach of in-house roles resonated more with him. This realization eventually led him to join Superior Group of Companies in March 2011. 

His love for the law is evident in his commitment to creating unique and tailored legal solutions. Beyond his legal prowess, Alpert’s leadership style fosters collaboration and diversity, creating an environment where individuals are encouraged to contribute their viewpoints.  

“I truly subscribe to the philosophy that no idea is a bad idea at the beginning of a matter. Let’s put everything out there and decide the best action. Creating an environment where your colleagues feel comfortable doing that should be the mission of every leader. Be a problem solver and strategic partner to the business and encourage others to be as well. My passion lies in providing a legal lens to a business problem, ” Alpert says. 

View this feature in the Vanguard Winter III 2024 Edition here.