20 years of product law.
And still fascinated by the variety of possibilities.
The law firm Gerstberger l Products & Law was founded in July 2019 out of the conviction that well-founded legal work in product law needs two things above all else: professional excellence and experience. You can benefit from both thanks to my 20 years of experience as a lawyer specializing in product law in various international recognized commercial law firms. I am looking forward to new challenges. Together with you, for your product success.
My focus: your product
Better, tastier, more effective - many motives drive the development of new products. But a good idea is not enough to establish a successful product on the market. Ultimately, it is consumers, competitors and public authorities who decide about the "good and bad". Consumers must be enthusiastic about the product with its benefits, competitors will question these benefits or challenge them with their own developments and authorities will finally check whether the benefits promised also meet the relevant regulatory requirements, i.e. whether the product as such is marketable at all. Law therefore plays a vital role in product development and marketing. Protect yourself against suddenly facing potential legal infringements that could prevent you from further marketing a product that has already been successfully launched on the market. For more security and less trouble.
My approach: multidisciplinary, strategic, Europe-wide
In addition to my legal expertise, my clients also benefit from my know-how in biochemistry (intermediate diploma). I combine both with my solution-oriented approach to provide optimal advice on all aspects of product development and marketing. This is of practical relevance, for instance, when it comes to finding the optimal product group for a product, to accompanying the regulatory approval of substances, products or claims or to developing and communicating appropriate measures in product liability and recall cases. I also frequently advise my clients on cross-border matters within the European Union in order to exploit the strategic peculiarities of still lacking harmonization or to find the "lowest common denominator" in Europe-wide product developments and advertising measures. In this domain, I can also draw on a well-established international network of colleagues with comparable industry specializations, with whom I have been working together for many years in a spirit of mutual trust.
Your advantage: cutting-edge knowledge through my commitment in education and practice
Product law is complex and involves regular re-examination of the relevant legislation. And it is often small details that are decisive here. Obtain support from a professional. What distinguishes professional consultancy in this area is my drive to constantly refresh my knowledge, to help shape current developments and to pass that information on to others. I am committed as an author of numerous professional articles, as a lecturer at SRH Riedlingen on food law and at the University of Augsburg/ZWW on product delimitation issues, as a member of the GRUR Expert Committee on Pharmaceutical and Food Law, the Working Group on Food Industry of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Munich/Upper Bavaria and the Council of the European Food Law Association (EFLA).
Your focus: nutrition/consumption, beauty/care, health, consumer goods
My industry experience covers the products that accompany our everyday lives. This includes food and feed as well as tobacco products, cosmetics, detergents and cleaning agents, consumer goods (e.g. fashion, toys, electrical goods), biocides and chemicals as well as pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Each industry has its own regulatory challenges that need to be mastered - with legal skill and creativity.