We are committed, pragmatic, quick and always particularly diligent. These characteristics are essential when dealing with medical devices, pharmaceutical products and food, and these are the qualities the experts at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner are equipped with.

The development, production or distribution of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, dietary supplements, antibodies, bacteria or cells is a legally challenging environment. Numerous rules and regulations governing the development, manufacture, licensing, labeling, distribution and use of such products and the associated documentation have to be complied with on the German and European level and even beyond. In order to ship safely in these waters, a good navigator is required. We are happy to advise and assist you on these issues.

For many years, we have advised "pharmaceutical giants" as well as start-ups in the biotech sector, manufacturers of high quality medical devices, innovative pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and cosmetics, as well as laboratories, medical practitioners, hospitals and pharmacies. It is no coincidence that our Freiburg office is located in the "Heartland" of a region with booming medical, chemical and biotech industries, transnational from Basel to Karlsruhe und from Alsace via Tuttlingen to the Swabian Alb.

We advise our clients during start-up of their business and through growth finance, on regulatory issues, in negotiations with national and international supervisory and approval authorities, with respect to advertisement pursuant to the German Law on Advertising in the Health Care System (Heilmittelwerbegesetz), labeling, cooperation with hospitals and research institutions and their particularly strict compliance requirements.

In addition, one of our main focuses is on trademark protection, patents and know-how, as well as the enforcement of these rights in the healthcare and science sector. Our product liability and insurance experts can assist you with regard to product safety and the avoidance of liability risks and also, if necessary, in the event of a product recall.

Our inside knowledge and understanding of the healthcare market is the precondition for our legal advice with respect to the acquisition or sale of businesses in this sector and with respect to privatization, outsourcing or restructuring of hospitals, doctors’ offices and pharmacies.

Medical technology and pharmaceuticals are global markets. Therefore, we advise German companies abroad as well as foreign companies in their business activities in Germany. For this purpose, we maintain a close network of law firms with special expertise in medical and pharmaceutical law in all significant economic regions of the world. This enables us to professionally assist our clients all over the world from a single source.