View from Top - Europe: Facing up to global litigation risks

Embracing the benefits of a global supplier network and access to customers around the world carries opportunities and risks alike. While the risks around the global supply chain are frequently discussed, the dangers in regards to product liabilities abroad can easily be underestimated or forgotten. In a globalized world final product manufacturers, their suppliers, retailers and component manufacturers face substantial and growing risks from an increasing litigation culture, especially in the US.

This trend is exacerbated by increased media and consumer pressure for ‘safe' products, meaning regulators are, if in doubt, likely to demand a recall. We hear stories of products, or components of