Expertise overview and services

Product Safety, Liability and Recall

Every product safety, liability or recall issue is different.

There is a complex regulatory landscape that can vary from product to product and depend on the organisation’s role in the distribution chain (e.g. manufacturer, supplier, distributor or retailer). The difficulty of navigating that regulatory landscape is further compounded by differing obligations and mandatory timeframes from one jurisdiction to the next and by strict penalties for failing to comply.

That’s why we have the right people in the right places to advise on:

• global product recall and corrective action management
• product liability claims, including class actions
• product safety and regulatory compliance
• coverage and policy wordings
• supply chain management
• reputation and brand protection, and
• recovery claims, including cross-border recoveries.

Product recall and corrective action

We’ve handled thousands of product recall issues and provided coordinated global legal advice to contain, manage and mitigate the reputational and financial risks associated with defective or contaminated products. Our advice always considers sector-specific compliance obligations in each jurisdiction, and commercial and reputational issues.

Product liability claims

Product liability exposures are a major factor in the litigation risk profile of many global companies. If not defended properly from the outset, complex product liability matters and class actions can move quickly from being distracting to crippling. They are rarely limited to one jurisdiction and a single claim often has international implications.

Risk management

Against the backdrop of an international stream of commerce being driven by insatiable demand and rapid product evolution, there’s a need to proactively prevent or respond to product safety, liability and recall risks. We regularly advise on managing risk in this space, from R&D to authorisation, marketing and regulatory compliance.