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Consumer goods and retail

We give our clients a competitive edge.

We help manufacturers, distributors and retailers succeed in their existing markets and break into new ones.

We regularly advise multinational companies on M&A, competition inquiries, joint ventures, global investigations, litigation, franchising, real estate, logistics and distribution. Our lawyers are experienced in brand protection issues and can help with IP, pricing and marketing strategies.

We can guide you through the rules on digital commerce, data protection, distance selling, advertising and product safety, and assist with product recalls and large-scale consumer claims.

Client successes

The claim, brought in New York, is receiving a lot of attention in the press and fashion industry.

These include:

  • its £3.7bn merger with Booker Group to create the UK’s leading food business (read more in our case study);
  • the £4.2bn sale of its Korean business, Homeplus; and
  • the sale of its 95.5 per cent controlling stake in Kipa, its supermarket business in Turkey, to Migros.

Our blogs

First reaction: the proposed new Product Liability Directive is more claimant-friendly than expected

In summary: This morning, the European Commission published its long-awaited proposal for a new Product Liability Directive, to govern consumers’ rights to recover “no fault” compensation where they…

Author(s): Andrew Austin

  • class actions
  • consumer protection
  • product liability
  • retail and consumer goods
  • life sciences
  • litigation
  • tech media and telecoms

Products and services in scope of the proposed EU Data Act

As part of the EU Strategy for Data, the Data Act is intended to be a landmark piece of legislation, creating a horizontal framework for the access and…

Author(s): Gernot Fritz, Estella Dannhausen, Ludwig Hartenau

  • data
  • europe
  • data act
  • innovation
  • platforms
  • retail and consumer goods
  • internet of things
  • regulatory

EU’s updated distribution rules

On 10 May 2022, the European Commission published the updated Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) and Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (Guidelines) – the rules that apply to supply and…

Author(s): Tone Oeyen, Alex Potter, Konstantin Bondarenko, Joanna Goyder, Karen Slaney, Lucas Vanassche

  • antitrust and competition
  • regulatory
  • europe
  • retail and consumer goods
  • e-commerce
  • tech media and telecoms

New Code, more shows: UK Government proposes updates to the Highway Code

The UK Government recently published the outcome of its April 2021 consultation concerning ‘Rules on the safe use of automated vehicles’. The Consultation focused on the regulation necessary to…

Author(s): Xavier Chitnavis, James Roberts

  • automotive
  • infrastructure and transport
  • product liability
  • tech media and telecoms
  • retail and consumer goods
  • regulatory
  • manufacturing

Slow fashion: The EU’s vision for sustainable and circular textiles

Estimated by the European Commission to have the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate change (just after food, housing, and mobility), textiles are increasingly in the focus of the…

Author(s): Astrid Seehafer, Rachel Duffy, Jemima Holt

  • environment
  • europe
  • manufacturing
  • retail and consumer goods
  • regulatory
  • circular economy
  • sustainability
  • waste

Is your brand portfolio ready for the metaverse?

Some expect that entering the metaverse will become a necessity for brands, yet companies seeking to exploit this potential should be aware of the risks – and start thinking now about whether and how…

Author(s): Tanja Temmert

  • tech media and telecoms
  • regulatory
  • intellectual property
  • retail and consumer goods
  • e-commerce

Regulation of cross-border data flows: increasing frictions in digital trade?

We are witnessing a digital revolution in international trade. As goods evolve into digital services and physical services shift to online platforms, the traditional boundaries of international trade…

Author(s): Martin McElwee, Lorand Bartels, Aytaç Çelebi

  • e-commerce
  • data
  • digital payment
  • global
  • retail and consumer goods
  • regulatory
  • financial institutions

UK Government announces landmark changes to consumer protection rules and enforcement powers

In brief: The UK Government has – after many months of deliberation – announced sweeping reforms to UK consumer protection rules. These include new powers for the Competition and Markets Authority…

Author(s): Rachel Duffy, Andrew Austin, Simon Duncombe, Kate Collister

  • consumer protection
  • regulatory
  • retail and consumer goods
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