EU
Arctic Ocean
EU
Trends and Developments Contributed by: Hans-Patrick Schroeder, Kristina Weiler, Laura Knoke, Anita Bell and Rixa Kuhmann Freshfields
Freshfields is a global law firm with more than 2,800 lawyers across 33 offices in 17 jurisdictions in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. The firm’s product liability and product safety practice operates as a cross-border EU-UK hub, drawing on lawyers from the disputes, regulatory and public affairs prac - tices. The team advises national and international companies across the automotive, consumer goods, life sciences, tech and digital sectors on product risk matters, including regulatory compliance, product re -
calls, mass litigation defence and collective redress. The team works across the EU Product Liability Di - rective, the General Product Safety Regulation and the AI Act and collaborates with Freshfields’ legal tech and AI team on litigation management tools. Re - cent work includes defending clients in German class actions covering hundreds of thousands of consumer claims and advising global technology platforms on EU regulatory compliance.
Authors
Hans-Patrick Schroeder is a partner in Freshfields’ disputes practice in Hamburg, specialising in arbitration, corporate litigation and compliance follow-on litigation. Qualified in both Germany and England and Wales, he
Directive and its implementation across European jurisdictions.
Laura Knoke is a partner in Fresh - fields’ regulatory practice in Hamburg, specialising in the cross-border regulation of digital platforms, online services and innovative products. She advises national and international
advises clients across industries on cross-border disputes in Germany, Switzerland, the Nordic countries and Poland, with particular experience in insolvency-related matters. His recent work focuses on the defence of civil claims arising from breaches of product compliance, including those related to ESG and human rights. He regularly acts as arbitra - tor and mediator and publishes on the EU Product Liability Directive and pharmaceutical liability.
companies on regulatory risks, product liability, consumer litigation strategy and unfair competition disputes and represents clients before administra - tive and civil courts. Her sector experience spans tech, life sciences and mobility. She is a member of Freshfields’ legal tech and AI team and advises on the EU Digital Strategy, in particular on the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act and the AI Act, as well as on product laws such as the General Product Safety Regulation and the EU Product Liability Directive.
Kristina Weiler is a partner in Fresh - fields’ disputes practice in Hamburg, specialising in commercial litigation, arbitration and product liability. She defends clients against mass litigation and collective actions, including
Anita Bell is a principal associate in Freshfields’ disputes practice in Düsseldorf, specialising in product liability, product safety and mass claims. She advises clients on liability risks arising from complex civil
cross-border disputes with a US nexus and advises on matters arising from internal investigations. Her product liability work includes supply-chain disputes and the defence of clients in mass proceedings, including German class actions. She is a member of Freshfields’ insolvency disputes skills group and publishes and speaks on the EU Product Liability
proceedings and represents them before the courts, including in proceedings involving multiple claimants
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