Global Legal Services

Overview:

Between the extensive costs of research and development in chemical products and the potential widespread application of resulting data, the chemical and chemical product communities are necessarily global in nature. Since our clients come from these communities, we too are global. Our clients must function optimally in all jurisdictions in which they market and/or place products upon the market in order to remain competitive. We help them get there through our global reach.

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C^®) has worked for many years with lawyers and other professionals across countries. Through these contacts, we have built an extensive network of legal and related support from Europe to Asia to the Americas. Augmented by our non-legal professional staff with The Acta Group (Acta^®) in Europe and China, these foreign legal and related professionals possess legal, scientific, and public communication skills needed to represent effectively client matters before administrative agencies, legislative entities, and public advocacy groups. With our network of legal affiliates in the United States, Europe, and Asia, we can assemble response teams for matters requiring timely action, and forego an exhaustive search for qualified, professional expertise that is urgently needed to address fast-changing legal and regulatory areas that affect chemical product marketing.

Our Experience:

B&C professionals bring a wealth of experience in working with legal and other professionals in foreign jurisdictions. Over the years, we have carefully cultivated a network of highly-skilled professionals that can be called into action quickly and efficiently. Heading up global efforts are B&C professionals who not only have the global contacts, they also have the underlying knowledge and experience to guide and/or coordinate matters taking place across jurisdictions.

Lynn L. Bergeson has been working on industrial and agricultural chemical policy issues for over 20 years. She has worked extensively on Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform, emerging technologies, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, and synthetic biology, and the application of legal and governance systems to these emerging technologies. Her work has brought her to Capitol Hill, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and other governance and standard-setting bodies on chemical policy and management issues. Ms. Bergeson has worked extensively with law firms and lawyers in Europe, Asia, and South America. These trusted professionals are highly qualified in the same “niche” practice areas in which B&C and Acta professionals practice.

Lisa M, Campbell similarly has worked with European and South American lawyers and professionals on agricultural chemical and biocidal products for years. These established relationships are invaluable when needed quickly to protect a client’s interests in a particular product line that is at risk due to a legal, regulatory, or legislative crisis in a foreign jurisdiction.

What We Do:

B&C helps clients to best position themselves in the face of regulatory initiatives and proposals, as well as regulations requiring product approval. We have successfully managed a wide range of chemical and chemical product issues in foreign jurisdictions for a variety of clients. Our global legal services include:

• Client-Generated Objectives –
  • Draft and assist foreign counsel in submitting comments on pending regulatory proposals concerning client-specific products
  • Work with local foreign counsel to defend products in cancellation proceedings
  • Develop strategies to approach effectively government agencies, such as the EC, European Union (EU) Member States, and China, on client matters
• Government-Generated Policies –
  • Design responses to specific regulatory requirements or directives
  • Assist in drafting comments for agencies’ decision-making records

Representative Engagements:

• B&C worked with EU counsel to file the first -- and successful -- appeal in association with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation on behalf of a client.
• Working in conjunction with an industry association, we obtained desired clarity on procedural aspects of an EU process and also engaged appropriate EC and Member State personnel to assist with process, classification, and trade issues.
• B&C partnered with EU counsel to work cooperatively with the EC on behalf of an industry association. The effort ultimately resulted in a successful legal action against the EC enabling the continued commercialization of a product that otherwise would have been extinguished.
• Our professionals successfully coordinated advocacy discussions with a client and appropriate Chinese authorities to address a chemical regulatory issue.