Feed

30/10/2024
2024 ITechLaw European Conference in Munich
CMS lawyers are pleased to be attending the ITechLaw European Conference 2024 held in Munich on 30 October - 1 November. Below you can find our top tips for those visiting Munich for the conference, helpfully provided by our Technology lawyers based in the Munich office:Munich (Germany) is the capital of Bavaria. It is a city strongly influenced by Bavarian traditions and rich in history and culture. Many people refer to Munich as the northernmost city in Italy. This is due to the mild summer climate, a touch of Mediterranean flair and the short geographical distance to Italy. Some Facts: Distances:From Munich to the Italian border = 180 Km (approx. 112 miles)From Munich to Hamburg = 770KM (approx. 480 miles)From Munich to Berlin (580 KM (approx. 360 miles)Pop­u­la­tion:1.589.706 inhabitants (2024). The third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Ham­burgThe city's metropolitan region is home to about 6.2 million people and the third biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Uni­on­Re­com­men­ded:Art and Culture: Munich boasts world-class museums, galleries, and theaters. Visit the Alte Pinakothek for art lovers, the Deutsches Museum for science enthusiasts, and catch a performance at the Bavarian State Opera. Rich History: Munich is steeped in history, from its medieval origins to its role as the capital of Bavaria. Explore iconic landmarks like Marienplatz, Nymphenburg Palace, and the historic city gates. Green Spaces: Escape the hustle and bustle of the city in Munich's expansive green spaces. Relax in the English Garden, one of the largest urban parks in the world, or explore the botanical wonders of the Botanical Garden. Transportation: Munich's efficient public transportation system makes it easy to navigate the city. Utilize the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, and buses (the easiest way to buy tickets is via MVV app), or explore by bike along the city's extensive network of cycling paths. Day Trips: Take advantage of Munich's central location to explore nearby attractions. Embark on day trips to the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle, the picturesque town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, or the charming villages of the Bavarian Alps. English-friendly Destination: While German is the official language, English is widely spoken and understood in Munich. Visitors can easily communicate with locals and navigate the city without language barriers. Safety and Cleanliness: Munich is known for its safety and cleanliness. Enjoy peace of mind as you explore the city's streets, parks, and attractions. Beer Culture: Munich is synonymous with beer, particularly during Oktoberfest. Experience Bavarian beer culture at traditional beer gardens like Hofbräuhaus and Au­gustin­er-Keller. Bavarian Cuisine: Indulge in hearty Bavarian dishes such as weißwurst (white sausage), pretzels, schnitzel, and sauerkraut. Don't miss out on trying traditional Bavarian delicacies at local restaurants and beer gardens e.g. Hofbräuhaus. Not re­com­men­ded:Trav­el­ling without cash: Don’t forget cash (there are still many local markets and smaller establishments that don't accept credit cards in Munich). Late hour shopping: Don't expect 24/7 shopping (unlike most major cities, Munich has strict shopping hours, and the shops close at 8pm on weekdays). Ordering the wrong beer: Don’t order a “Pilsener (Pils)”, always order a “Helles”. Ordering Bavarian wines: Why order a wine from Franken (a famous wine region in Bavaria) if you can order a French or Italian wine? Or at least a decent wine from the Rheingau; Pflalz or Mosel. Feeding the pigeons: Feeding pigeons is not allowed in and around Munich. Walking on bike lanes: Munich is full of bikers and there are many bike lanes. Please be aware that there might be a lot of traffic on the bike lanes and watch out for speedy bikers when you are a pedestrian. At CMS, we are proud to have some of the leading global legal specialists in the technology, media and communications sector. Fuelled by huge customer demand for cutting-edge products and increased supply of pioneering services, the sectors of technology, media and communications are each undergoing unprecedented change. Innovation is key, and so tech and telecoms suppliers, and creators and distributors of media, need to protect their investments and maximise their commercial opportunities. At CMS, our global team of over 1000 specialist Technology, Media and Communications (TMC) lawyers has been exposed to virtually every risk and challenge you face. With our long-standing focus on advising players, users, regulators and financiers in the sector, we are best placed to deliver innovative solutions through our award-winning disputes, transactions, IP, commercial, data privacy and security, employment and tax practices. To find out more about our capabilities across TMC, please visit International TMC webpage.
08/05/2024
2024 World Technology Law Conference in Washington
CMS lawyers are pleased to be attending the ITechLaw World Technology Law Conference 2024 held in Washington on 8-10 May. Below you can find an overview of our attending partners, representing a large range of jurisdictions and practice areas. To arrange a meeting, please contact the individual lawyers directly. At CMS, we are proud to have some of the leading global legal specialists in the technology, media and communications sector. Fuelled by huge customer demand for cutting-edge products and increased supply of pioneering services, the sectors of technology, media and communications are each undergoing unprecedented change. Innovation is key, and so tech and telecoms suppliers, and creators and distributors of media, need to protect their investments and maximise their commercial opportunities. At CMS, our global team of over 1000 specialist Technology, Media and Communications (TMC) lawyers has been exposed to virtually every risk and challenge you face. With our long-standing focus on advising players, users, regulators and financiers in the sector, we are best placed to deliver innovative solutions through our award-winning disputes, transactions, IP, commercial, data privacy and security, employment and tax practices. To find out more about our capabilities across TMC, please visit International TMC webpage. For further information, please see our partners attending the congress in the gallery below and an overview of all our expertise areas.
08/05/2024
2024 Insurance sector webinar programme
Notwithstanding the extraordinary times we’ve all been operating in, the insurance sector continues to deal with fast-paced changes. Insurance companies should keep up with changing regulations and market trends that will impact on their day-to-day operations and long-term business. It has become crucial for (re)insurers, brokers, their risk managers and general counsels to get the right insight and advice across a wide range of claims and coverage, and regulatory and corporate issues. To deliver the expert responses that the insurance market needs, the CMS Insurance Group has developed a comprehensive programme for 2024.
23/04/2024
On the Pulse webinar series 2024
Welcome to the 2024 On the Pulse webinar series.  This webinar series brings you updates on the latest legal and commercial developments in the life sciences & healthcare sector from around the world. Over the coming period, we will be hosting two webinars on:Unified Patent Court (UPC) - 23 AprilEU Pharma Package - 18 JuneEach webinar will be one hour in length with a 15-minute Q&A session.
18/04/2024
In View: Life Sciences & Healthcare - What's new in AI Regulation and Data...
 We are delighted to invite you to the CMS In View: Life Sciences & Healthcare - What’s New in AI Regulation and Data Protection? event taking place on Thursday 18 April at our London Cannon Place offices. The seminar will focus on key AI and data protection topics relevant to life sciences and healthcare where you will hear from industry and regulatory experts from the ICO, Health Research Authority, UCL, the Wellcome Trust and CMS UK specialists. If you would like to attend this event, please register via the button below.
16/04/2024
Webinar: Tulips & Talent
Join us on Tuesday, 16 April 2024 from 15:00-16:00 CEST for an insightful webinar on international employment via GoTo Webinar. The webinar will focus on international work aspects for your Dutch employees...
16/04/2024
Cross-border Financial Services 2024 webinar series
We're delighted to announce the launch of our third season of international webinars focusing on financial regulation, starting on 13 March 2024. Whether you are an in-house lawyer, compliance officer, financial analyst, risk manager, or any other professional concerned with maintaining the integrity of your organisation's financial practices, this series offers succinct 20-30 minute overviews of key industry trends and regulatory concerns across mul­tiple jur­is­dic­tions. If you have any additional topics that you would like us to add or address at one of the webinars, please contact us. Upcoming Webinars: 16 April: Handling a regulatory in­vest­ig­a­tion  How a firm can understand the regulator’s concerns and manage the investigation process.8 May: Financial crime  Sanc­tions, money laundering, market abuse and fraud - what are the key issues in your jurisdiction and what are the regulators focusing on.5 June: Preparing for a regulatory visit  How the banking regulator assesses a firm’s systems and controls: what to prepare and what to look out for.3 July: Handling a challenging ap­plic­a­tion  Your application for a licence, product approval or change in control is meeting with regulatory resistance.  How can you surmount these challenges?31 July: Dawn Raids  Un­an­nounced regulator visits are on the increase.  We look at what triggers a dawn raid, your rights if one happens, and how best to manage the consequences.4 September: Navigating the global ESG land­scape Is the regulatory reporting jigsaw puzzle causing more harm than good? We will provide an overview of the main cross-border issues impacting global financial institutions as they seek to manage ever expanding ESG regulations and discuss whether these rules are helping or hindering the action we need for change. The language of the webinar will be English.
16/04/2024
CMS promotes 54 to global partnership
International law firm CMS is pleased to announce the promotion of 54 new partners. The new partners are based in 24 cities in 17 countries around the world, reflecting the firm's international strength and depth. Women account for 41% of all global promotions. Pierre-Sé­bas­tien Thill, CMS Chairman, comments: “Con­grat­u­la­tions to our new partners. In addition to their legal expertise and cutting-edge sector knowledge, they demonstrate deep curiosity about future business challenges and opportunities as well as help foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity and sustainability within our organisation. All these are traits needed to help our clients, and CMS, prepare for the world of to­mor­row.”CM­S's annual partner promotions take into account promotions that take effect between 2 May 2023 and 1 May 2024. The full list of new Partners can be found below:
15/04/2024
Green/sus­tain­ab­il­ity claims and advertising and consumer greenwashing
In the era of increased environmental awareness, the spotlight on green claims has never been more intense. As consumers are concerned about global heating and ecological sustainability, they are scrutinizing products like never before, seeking eco-friendly options that align with their values. In response, businesses have responded to this concern and consumers’ purchase interest, with brand-owners increasingly highlighting the benign or even beneficial effects their products and services have on the environment fostering a surge in green marketing initiatives. Yet, amidst this push for sustainability, the risk of being accused of greenwashing is omnipresent. As environmental characteristics of products and services are highly technical and the understanding of the various concepts involved is continuously changing, en­vir­on­ment­al/sus­tain­ab­il­ity claims raise a significant risk of confusing and misleading consumers. Many companies have fallen foul of advertising standards in this area recently. Given the high sensitivity of environmental claims and the reputational damage that can result from allegations of greenwashing, it is particularly important to make sure environmental claims are compliant. By ensuring truthful, accurate and unambiguous information is always given to the consumers, companies can avoid the risks and build a reputation for authenticity in their sustainability advertising and communications. CMS guides companies through the maze of regulations and case law and advise on the steps a company can take to ensure their advertising is not only compliant but also authentic and impactful. The priority questions we address are: Which green claims are likely to raise litigation or regulatory enforcement risks?What can businesses do to mitigate these risks?What are the likely claims/en­force­ment that could arise?Who is likely to make a claim?What are the risks in the event of a violation or a complaint? What future regulatory measures are expected and what companies have to do now to be prepared? We offer various solutions to help you be compliant and avoid accusations of greenwashing: Sustainability claim checks including regulatory risk matrix as well as litigation: evaluating the planned claims and mapping their risk as well as developing compliant marketing strategies and claims custom-tailored to your business's unique pro­file;Sus­tain­ab­il­ity-re­lated litigation: providing comprehensive support in legal disputes in the area of advertising with environmental claims;Training sessions: to empower your legal, compliance and sustainability as well as advertising teams with in-depth knowledge of sustainability risks and mitigation strategies; andBoard packs: to equip your directors/board members with actionable insights into greenwashing risks, ensuring they steer the company toward sustainable strategies with confidence and integrity.  For an initial conversation on how we can support you on greenwashing risk, please reach out to the lawyers listed on this page or to your usual CMS contact.
15/04/2024
CMS Class Actions video series
Data-driven insights into class action risk across Europe
12/04/2024
CMS ESG litigation webinar series
Global trends in climate litigation
12/04/2024
Reflections from Mobile World Congress 2024
Key takeaways from MWC 2024 and insights into The Mobile Century ‘Digital Generation’ publication. The GTWN and CMS are very proud to provide the transcript and recording of the recent GTWN/CMS webinar reflecting on the findings and insights of the Mobile World Congress as well as those written about in our flagship Mobile Century publication premiered at the Mobile World Congress, “Digital Generation’.