NEW YORK — After a lifetime in the fashion industry, Robin Marino was caught off guard when she found out in December 2011 that Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. had cut a deal to sell home goods through J.C. Penney Co. Inc.

First, she was surprised none of her friends had leaked word of the deal to her — and she no doubt has lots of friends who could have, since she was an executive at Martha Stewart for six years and eventually ascended to co-chief executive officer overseeing the company’s merchandising operations.

But Marino was also surprised, because she didn’t think Martha Stewart’s similar agreement with Macy’s Inc. — a deal she conceived of and helped negotiate and execute — would allow it.

That’s certainly the position of Macy’s, which sued Stewart last year, ultimately bringing the three parties to New York Supreme Court, where Marino, now group president at Li & Fung, was testifying.
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