Product Recall
Ashfords Product Recall Team has in depth experience in advising and working with manufacturers, distributors and retailers on product recall issues.
The team has recently advised both manufacturers and retailers on recalls concerning children's toys, gas appliances and medical alarm systems. We work with our clients from the initial assessment of whether a recall is necessary through to the decision to recall, management of the recall process and aspects of bringing a recall to a conclusion including liaison with regulatory authorities and up and down stream organisations in the product supply chain.
Work handled includes:
- Risk assessment of specific products;
- Working with management teams in assessing whether a specific product should be subject to a recall;
- Putting in place advice strategies to ensure that our clients' decision makers are able to work within the existing regulatory framework to ensure compliance particularly in relation to individual liability for product safety decisions made by managers;
- Working up recall strategies with our clients in cases where a decision to recall is made including liaison with Home Authorities;
- Advising on EU aspects of recall;
- Working up both up and downstream suppliers to co ordinate the recall process;
- Advising manufacturers (whether component or product manufacturers) on possible liability to distributors/retailers; and
- Advising on bringing the recall process to an end.
Recent work undertaken includes:
- Advising an importer of mini motorbikes/quad bikes on a full product recall following assessment that the products were not EC compliant;
- Advising a well known distributor of medical alarm system equipment on notification by the manufacturer of unit failures as a consequence of a design flaw - working with our client to recall all units for appropriate remedial work;
- Advising a manufacturer and retailer of gas appliances following identification of a risk of failure of a component manufactured in Spain. Advising on a full product recall and in a subsequent successful claim against the component manufacturer to recover losses consequent on the component failure; and
- Working with the importer/retailer of a range of children's toys following assessment that the paint used by the manufacturer (based in China) was non EC compliant.
Legal 500 reports that Rory Mac Neice "Clearly understands the complexities and practicalities of the industry"
