Consumer Goods & Retail

Consulting focus

• Commercial Law and Trade Law

  Complex supply chains, increasing globalization and the strategic alignment of procurement, production and sales structures require customized legal advice that takes into account the law of a wide range of jurisdictions in international contracts. Our team of lawyers, who are internationally trained and fully experienced in commercial and general business law as well as related fields of law, will support you in your day-to-day business as well as in special projects with well-founded analyses and individual legal solutions that will further develop your business, minimize your risks and secure you legal and economic advantages.

• Data protection and compliance

  Digitization is leading to exponential growth in data volumes and the number of data sets processed. Not least due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the regulatory challenges regarding the processing of personal data, such as documentation and proof obligations (accountability) as well as transparency and supervisory obligations, are becoming increasingly complex. Companies can counter these tasks with efficient data protection management.

  We support you in designing and implementing a customized data protection management system. We help you to identify and document processing activities as well as to review them with regard to their lawfulness, to draft necessary data protection documents such as consent forms or data subject information and, if necessary, to conduct a data protection impact assessment. In addition, we advise you on specific data protection issues according to the BDSG (new), the DSGVO, E-Privacy Regulation and other special data protection regulations such as health and social data protection. Together with the data protection experts at KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, we offer you holistic solutions that combine legal expertise with technical and process know-how.

• IP Law

  Intellectual property (IP) refers to intellectual property such as inventions, brands or software and is therefore one of the most important intangible assets of companies, as it secures their competitive position. The importance of IP as a business asset has increased significantly in recent years and places high demands on IP management.

  We provide comprehensive advice on the acquisition, protection and use of IP assets, taking into account your company’s strategic orientation and economic goals. This includes the identification of IP assets, the development of technology and IP asset strategies, and advice on IP transactions, including the contribution of IP and its further development in the context of joint ventures. We develop strategies for the use, protection and exploitation of technology and IP assets – including the (re-)structuring of licensing systems.

  IP-related litigation is another focus of our advisory services. We advise you on the enforcement of your IP rights and the protection of your know-how against unauthorized exploitation and represent you in all IP disputes before the registration authorities and courts.

• IT Law

  IT projects carried out by external third parties can turn into extremely complex and lengthy affairs. The failure of an IT project, such as the conversion of IT processes to new software, can have a serious impact on the organization and even lead to the failure of necessary operational systems and thus to substantial damage for the company. It is therefore all the more important that IT projects are commissioned on the basis of legally secure contracts.

  We have many years of experience in drafting and advising on software and hardware procurement contracts as well as comprehensive IT system contracts. We accompany IT awards and tenders as well as complex IT projects including project monitoring and legal enforcement of warranty claims. We also have extensive expertise in the areas of e-business, online platforms, and legal issues arising in connection with new business models in the context of Industry 4.0 or the Internet of Things.

• Legal Process & Technology

  Whether on a national or international level, the requirements of legislators are constantly increasing. At the same time, technological progress, the opening up of new markets and the megatrend of digitalization mean that the legal steps to be taken within a company are becoming increasingly complex and extensive – which at first glance is not a particularly surprising development. All the more remarkable, however, is the often significant discrepancy between the workload and the available human resources. Consequence: Cost reductions and staff cuts demand more and more efficiency from the legal department – while maintaining the same high level of work quality. A Gordian knot. At KPMG Law, we help you break it up.

  How to do it? For improved effectiveness, the existing tasks must first undergo a revision. So-called LegalTech solutions – digital-based approaches – can help automate certain activities. The result: The algorithm takes care of simple processes – you gain time and capacity to deal with complex legal issues.

  KPMG Law combines legal and technological expertise in a multidisciplinary consulting approach. In this way, we can accompany you on your way to an efficient legal department, as it is technology-supported.

• Supply chain and transparency

  The Supply Chain Due Diligence Act brings new regulatory requirements in the area of ESG and sustainability with regard to supply chain management from January 2023. Companies must conduct a comprehensive risk analysis for their own business and supply chain and establish a risk management system that combines due diligence, complaint management, a policy statement on human rights and specific reporting. We advise you on legal supply chain management to ensure your company is in compliance with the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, as well as on future European law requirements for supply chain due diligence. We also support you in the implementation of your ESG strategy at this interface of operational legal issues and compliance. For companies in the consumer goods sector, these issues are of great importance not only in terms of compliance, but also as a competitive advantage and to avoid reputational damage.