Retail and Consumer Goods

Mergers and acquisitions

Gleiss Lutz is a leading law firm for corporate law, regularly advising on both German and international M&A transactions in the consumer goods sector. Our services cover all types of transaction, German and international.

Our full-service approach means that we can integrate renowned experts seamlessly into a mandate from any area of the law relevant to an M&A transaction.

Trademarks and brands

As a leading law firm in the area of trademarks we advise our clients on the enforcement of trademark rights in and out of court. Our spectrum of services ranges from strategic advice on branding and rebranding, through advice on (international) disputes, to the combatting of product piracy.

We also conduct professional searches in the trademark area und manage brands globally via our established network of international experts.

Patents

For decades Gleiss Lutz has been successfully advising its clients in Germany and overseas on questions of the infringement, legal validity, and exploitation of patents and utility models, as well as on the protection of inventions and know-how.

With our regular participation in groundbreaking high-level cases, our specialists have the necessary experience to support clients in particularly demanding proceedings that are of strategic importance to their company.

Unfair competition

We provide advice on the development of advertising and marketing strategies, working closely with the respective company departments. This includes assessing the lawfulness under competition law of marketing measures as well as their defence against competitors and trade associations.

We also develop strategies for the protection of business and company secrets and, in case of their being exposed, initiate all the necessary criminal and civil law measures.

Sales and marketing

We cover all major issues relating to sales and distribution. We advise on current major issues and provide support for cross-border large-scale projects. These include, for example, advising on (international) selective sales and distribution and conditions systems, the introduction of new sales and distribution channels, online sales and e-commerce, compliance issues, sales cooperations, the negotiation of framework sales and distribution contracts, and disputes with commercial agents and sales and distribution partners in an international context.

E-Commerce

As e-commerce grows, so too do the challenges it brings: We advise retail and wholesale on all aspects of e-commerce and internet law.

We work closely with our clients to develop terms of use for online services and to adapt terms of use drafted for use elsewhere to meet German legal requirements. We also advise on financial services and online payments.
 

Data protection

Compliance with the requirements of data protection law is a must for all companies: this is particularly true in the area of e-commerce when it comes to dealing with customer data. Infringements can result in high fines, warning notices from competitors, and considerable reputation damage.

We help our clients structure their company organisation, products, and websites so that they comply with data protection regulations. We also advise them on issues relating to data exchange and support them in the development of data protection terms and conditions that are tailored to their needs.

Competition / Antitrust

We regularly advise companies in the consumer goods industry, for example on issues relating to distribution antitrust law, including on questions of price strategies, purchasing and distribution obligations, and data exchange in the context of e-commerce.

Our clients benefit from our unparalleled experience as well as from our long-standing relationships with the relevant authorities and from our knowledge of the industry. We develop tailored compliance programs to ensure that our clients do not fall foul of the antitrust authorities.

Food

When it comes to food law, which is a specific area of competition law, Gleiss Lutz is one of the leading law firms in the market. We advise on all aspects of product labelling. Food allergen labelling, quantitative ingredient labelling, and the use of novel food ingredients are the main points of focus of our work in food law.

In cases involving the presence of undesirable substances in foods, Gleiss Lutz advises on developing the legally required measures to deal with the issue, such as product recalls and product liability, in a commercially viable way.

Product assurance and liability

With our decades of experience, Gleiss Lutz is among the leading legal advisors in the area of product liability and product safety. We are equally at home working in the areas of civil law, public law, and criminal law.

As one of the few full-service law firms in Germany, we are able to combine the expertise of first-class lawyers in various fields and to advise on all aspects of product liability at the highest level. For international product recalls we can call upon our tried-and-tested international network.