Manufacturing INDUSTRIES

Heavily influenced by world economy and global politics, representing the manufacturing industry requires exceptional insight into and a thorough understanding of worldwide corporate and trade regulations, policies, and procedures. From business advice to navigating the merger clearance process, from advice with regard to customs laws to litigating intellectual property issues, we are an established leader at the cutting edge of policy, law and economic analysis in the United States and abroad.

The firm has a proven track record in representing clients, including industrial manufacturers, chemical manufacturers, and oil and gas producers, in a broad range of highly technical, complex and high-stakes matters. Our special strength lies in our transatlantic experience, with lawyers located in the US and Europe, and significant experience in China. The firm has represented or advised clients from around the globe before administrative, judicial and legislative bodies in the United States and more than a dozen other countries, as well as in proceedings under the World Trade Organization (WTO), North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and World Customs Organization.

Experience

  • Represented a premier US NYSE listed diversified manufacturing firm in the $425 million purchase of a German based medical products and systems manufacturer.
  • In the Fourth and Sixth Circuits, successfully argued that a manufacturer of oral polio vaccine cannot be held liable based on allegations that the vaccine was not manufactured and tested in accordance with federal regulations unless the claimants have expert testimony that the alleged violations would have increased the risk of vaccine-associated paralysis (American Cyanamid Co. v. St. Louis University (4th Cir. 2003); Graham and Lundy v. American Cyanamid Co. (6th Cir. 2003)).
  • Winning FTC clearance for Bayer AG's $8 billion acquisition of Aventis CropScience, making Bayer the second largest crop science company in the world.

Publications & News

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February 5, 2008

WilmerHale Reflects on a Successful 2007

A Year of Significant Accomplishments

June 2, 2006

Chambers USA 2006 Ranks WilmerHale A Leader In 28 Practice Areas; 88 Lawyers At The Top Of Their Practice

June 3, 2005

Second Injunction Enforcing GPL Issued in Germany

By Jorge Contreras, Belinda Juran and Michael Kummermehr

April 12, 2005

Mario Monti's Legacy: A U.S. Perspective

An article by William Kolasky, reviewing the US perspective of Mr. Mario Monti's tenure as EC Competition Commissioner (from 1999 to 2004). This article was first published in Competition Policy International, Vol. 1, No. 1.

March 16, 2005

Doing Business in China Seminar Presentation: How Changes in Law Are Facilitating Foreign Investment and Supply Chain Management in China

by Lester Ross

March 16, 2005

Doing Business in China Seminar Presentation: Corruption and Internal Fraud

by Samuel Porteous of Kroll

March 15, 2005

Revising the Foreign-invested Holding Company Regulations

An article by Lester Ross and Grace Chen published in the March 2005 issue of China Law and Practice

March 6, 2005

Mario Monti's Legacy for Competition Policy in Article 82

An article by Claus-Dieter Ehlermann and John Ratliff, reviewing the themes of abuse of dominance in EC Competition law during Mr. Mario Monti's tenure as Competition Commissioner (from 1999 to 2004). This article was first published in Competition Policy International, Vol. 1, No. 1.

March 3, 2005

Major Events and Policy Issues in EC Competition Law, 2003-04 (Part 2)

An article by partner John Ratliff, first published in International Company and Commercial Law Review, Volume 16, Issue 3, by Sweet & Maxwell.

February 3, 2005

Major Events and Policy Issues in EC Competition Law, 2003-04 (Part 1)

An article by partner John Ratliff, first published in International Company and Commercial Law Review, Volume 16, Issue 2, by Sweet & Maxwell