Hogan Lovells International LLP's dispute resolution practice is regularly instructed by clients from the automotive, chemical, electronics, energy and consumer goods industries to assist with complex product liability cases, including product safety and product compliance; here, Sebastian Polly is the key contact. Ina Brock focuses on the life sciences sector and predominantly advises pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers on product liability and product compliance issues. Matthias Schweiger, who jointly heads the practice with Polly and Brock, has distinctive skills in advising manufacturers from the life sciences and consumer goods industry on product liability, product safety and compliance.
Product liability in Germany
Hogan Lovells International LLP
Praxisleiter:
Ina Brock; Sebastian Polly; Matthias Schweiger
Referenzen
‘The team is well prepared and knows the industry in which the client operates (pharmaceutical industry). Interaction with the client is always timely and the approach is pragmatic.’
‘The main contact is partner Matthias Schweiger, who combines competence with pragmatism and strategic foresight in order to manage the disputes entrusted to him in the best possible way and in the interests of the client.’
Kernmandanten
Moderna
Haemonetics S.A.
Lockheed Martin
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising and defending life sciences company Moderna in relation to ex-US product liability claims relating to its COVID-19 vaccine.
Noerr
Alongside complex product law disputes across various focus industries, including automotive, healthcare, and mechanical and plant engineering, Noerr's product liability team primarily provides regulatory and insurance law advice. This includes product safety aspects, product compliance, and environmental and waste law aspects. The team has further experience in product recalls and in- and out-of-court product supply chain disputes. Practice co-head Arun Kapoor is the key contact here, especially for companies in the consumer goods sector, the automotive industry, and mechanical and plant engineering. Thomas Klindt completes the management team and has expertise in product liability crisis scenarios, especially in the medical sector. Helmut Katschthaler combines his product liability focus with in-depth expertise in insurance law.
Praxisleiter:
Arun Kapoor; Thomas Klindt
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Helmut Katschthaler
Referenzen
‘Thomas Klindt is an outstanding lawyer with a good eye for practical and business needs. He is very easy to reach and is obviously interested in what he does.’
‘Thomas Klindt: Extensive experience in product liability and product safety issues beyond a purely legal assessment.’
Kernmandanten
Alibaba.com Singapore E-Commerce Private Ltd.
BRITA SE C+P Möbelsysteme GmbH & Co. KG
Deichmann SE
Eberspächer Climate Control Systems GmbH
Enpal B.V.
IIC-INTERSPORT International Corporation GmbH
iSi Automotive Berlin GmbH
Lomotex GmbH & Co. KG
Ravensburger Verlag GmbH
sonnen GmbH
Tonies GmbH
Torqeedo GmbH
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising Britta SE Consumer Products on an international product recall.
- Advising Eberspächer Climate Control Systems GmbH on a worldwide b2b recall of non-compliant components that are used in military applications, trains and ships, among other matters.
BACH LANGHEID DALLMAYR
BACH LANGHEID DALLMAYR advises national and international insurance companies as well as financial services providers and predominantly assists clients from the automotive, aviation, pharmaceutical and food industries with numerous product liability cases as well as product recalls and product safety issues. Practice head Martin Alexander, Marcel Hohagen (industrial and environmental liability), Carsten Hösker (industrial liability claims) and Jendrik Böhmer (product liability and insurance law assessment of new technologies) are key contacts for insurers seeking advice on complex product liability issues and recall cost insurance. Christiane Osterspey specialises in representing companies and travel service providers in product liability cases.
Praxisleiter:
Martin Alexander
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Marcel Hohagen; Carsten Hösker; Jendrik Böhmer; Christiane Osterspey; Martin Lomb
Referenzen
‘In my opinion, this is by far the best law firm in this field in Germany, with everything that a lawyer needs, from competent and rapid case management to a tactical approach to cases and consistent pursuit of the client’s goals. Clearly number 1 for me.’
‘Outstanding market knowledge.’
‘Carsten Hösker – reliable, clear and understandable.’
CMS
CMS acts for a number of clients from the automotive, pharmaceutical, mechanical and plant engineering sectors in complex product liability cases, product recalls and product compliance. The practice frequently advises DAX corporations and has extensive experience in coordinating cross-border litigation. The team is headed by Nicolas Wiegand and Thomas Lennarz and also leading in product safety advice.
Praxisleiter:
Thomas Lennarz; Nicolas Wiegand
Referenzen
‘Deep legal understanding of the subject matter and at the same time always practical advice. The law firm is always available and discussions on individual points or the overall context are possible at any time. Despite the firm’s size, you never have the feeling of being just one client among many. Uncomplicated cooperation that meets the highest technical requirements of 2024.’
‘The CMS team is very well positioned and works in a very structured and goal-oriented manner. The lawyers work very precisely in their field, but are also able to break down the respective situation for non-lawyers and take them along with them.’
Gleiss Lutz
Gleiss Lutz' product liability practice has particular expertise in complex contentious product liability cases, product recalls and product compliance. The team is regularly instructed by companies from the automotive, medical and food sectors as well as the textile trade to advise on product-related matters such as supply chain compliance, liability prevention and product safety. In addition to practice head Eric Wagner, whose focus ranges from commercial disputes and product liability to new technologies such as autonomous driving, AI and VR/Metaverse, key contacts include Marc Ruttloff (product liability and product compliance) and Enno Burk (life sciences and health), who made partner in January 2024.
Praxisleiter:
Eric Wagner
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Marc Ruttloff; Enno Burk
Taylor Wessing
Taylor Wessing advises international companies - particularly from the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors, but also mechanical engineering and automotive industries-, on complex product recalls, product compliance, product safety and regulatory investigations. Practice head Philipp Behrendt focuses on commercial litigation as well as product liability disputes and product safety issues and is regularly supported by product liability specialist Henning Moelle.
Praxisleiter:
Philipp Behrendt
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Henning Moelle
Referenzen
‘Practical approach, legal quality.’
‘Taylor Wessing’s advice is always very to the point, both legally excellent and taking into account the commercial background of our company.’
‘Philipp Behrendt – very experienced, the right balance between balanced and aggressive in proceedings.’
Kernmandanten
AstraZeneca
Bayer
Grünenthal
Highlight-Mandate
- Representing AstraZeneca in all product liability proceedings relating to its Covid 19 vaccine.
- Advising Grünenthal on product liability litigation relating to Contergan (thalidomide) worldwide.
- Representation of Bayer regarding product liability of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH
Luther Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH regularly acts for international mechanical and plant engineering groups as well as technology and automobile manufacturers in complex product liability cases. This includes the in- and out-of-court defense against product liability claims, the implementation of product recalls and advice on product safety and product compliance. Practice head Steffen Gaber focuses on the automotive supply and textile industries, while manufacturers and suppliers from the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and consumer goods sectors also draw upon the team's expertise in product liability and product safety issues. Kuuya Josef Chibanguza is particularly experienced in assisting national and international clients with minimizing (product) liability risks in the digital context.
Praxisleiter:
Steffen Gaber
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Kuuya Josef Chibanguza
Referenzen
‘Practical and always on the ball.’
Kernmandanten
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
Karcher AG
SAME Deutz-Fahr
Harley-Davidson
Makita
Saint-Gobain
Westfalen Mobil GmbH
Brand Loyalty Sourcing B.V.
Smart Europe GmbH
Beijing Bytedance Technology Co., Ltd.
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising Karcher AG on all product safety and liability issues, particularly concerning mobility products.
- Advising Beijing Bytedance Technology Co., Ltd. on product (VR hardware) marking and labeling requirements regarding quality, trade marks, licenses and safety product certification.
reuschlaw
In addition to its industry focus on mechanical engineering and the automotive supply industry, which also mirrors practice co-head Daniel Wuhrmann's mainstay, reuschlaw is increasingly visible advising clients from the consumer goods sector as well as medical device manufacturers on all product safety and product liability issues as well as product compliance. Wuhrmann jointly heads the practice with Philipp Reusch, who assists national and international companies from the mechanical engineering, automotive supply and consumer goods industries with product liability, product safety, compliance and recall management, and Miriam Schuh, who specialises in medical device, pharmaceutical and cosmetics law.
Praxisleiter:
Philipp Reusch; Daniel Wuhrmann; Miriam Schuh
Bird & Bird LLP
Bird & Bird LLP assists clients from the automotive sector as well as the technology and communications, IT and electronics sectors. The team advises on complex product safety issues, including product safety obligations, product recalls and product liability disputes. Key contacts include practice head Philipp Egler, who specialises in contentious proceedings in the automotive and financial products sectors, and Matthias Spilker, who focuses on supply chain disputes, product liability cases and product compliance in the mobility and automotive sectors.
Praxisleiter:
Philipp Egler
Weitere Kernanwälte:
Matthias Spilker
Kernmandanten
Oberaigner Powertrain GmbH
Highlight-Mandate
- Out-of-court defense of a manufacturer of self-adhesive materials against product liability claims concerning allegedly defective tool batteries.
SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft
Under the leadership of Michael Molitoris, SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft is particularly experienced in individual proceedings pertaining to product liability and recourse claims following product recalls. The team also advises on product safety issues, including the preparation of expert opinions and product liability risk assessments of new products. The automotive industry represents a focus, while the team also advises numerous German and international companies in the food, pharmaceutical and energy sectors.
Praxisleiter:
Michael Molitoris
Referenzen
‘SZA has a highly qualified team that can handle even complex disputes comprehensively.’
‘Michael Molitoris is a very experienced and prudent litigator who has many years of experience, particularly in the area of product liability. He also has excellent judgement. We have valued his advice for many years, especially in critical situations.’
‘The law firm, especially the leading partner Michael Molitoris, is characterised by outstanding professional expertise in product liability and comes up with practical, implementable recommendations.’
‘Michael Molitoris brings the reliability, expertise, self-confidence and ability to explain that a client needs for their own, adequate in-house legal advice.’
‘Michael Molitoris is an extremely experienced, knowledgeable and reliable product liability attorney. We have no hesitation in recommending him to our clients. We have limited experience with the team alongside him, but they generally seem very efficient and responsive.’
‘Mr Molitoris’ team is excellent when it comes to product liability issues.’
‘Mr. Molitoris is a leading global product liability lawyer. He has excellent judgment and knows the field very well.’
Kernmandanten
AUDI AG
Knaus Tabbert AG
Volkswagen AG
CIE Gen Prod. Alimentaires PENY
PEP Carvin
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.
MAHLE Filtersysteme GmbH
Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Highlight-Mandate
- Advising Volkswagen AG on product liability, product safety and technical compliance.
- Advising Joyson Safety Systems Group on various product liability/product safety matters as well as product recalls, including those concerning airbags and generators.