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5 | 2014 | CORPORATE COUNSEL 100
DEUTSCHLAND
Sponsored by
TAREC ALIO
Legal counsel
DAIMLER
Tarec Alio is global litigation legal counsel for car
manufacturer Daimler, responsible for US lawsuit
defence, including international warranties,
product liability and class action lawsuits, as well
as the coordination of contentious proceedings
in the US, the Middle East and the EU – a huge
task in a company with a €118bn turnover and
275.000 employees. Currently his attention is
directed towards the possible implementation of
EU-wide class actions (Sammelklage). Alio is also
deeply involved in various legal associations, where
one of his achievements has been setting up the
BUJ’s (Federal Association of Corporate Counsel)
nationwide product liability expert group, which
he is heading.Those outside counsel who he
works with regularly are expected to
‘deliver clear
replies and focus on the essential issues’
. In his role,
he particularly values the opportunity for
‘cross-
cultural team work’
and further factors contributing
to his success are his dual qualification (New
York and Germany), as well has the many
years of experience under his belt working for
international law firms in the area of international
dispute resolution.
GUIDO BAUMGARTNER
Head of global brand protection
COTY GERMANY
Guido Baumgartner is described as
‘uncompromising’
when it comes to defending the model of
selective sales and distribution of products, a character trait that benefits him in his role as the
head of legal for the company’s global brand protection, part of which is also ensuring that the
adopted selective distribution model is honoured. In this role, Baumgartner looks back on countless
legal proceedings which
‘not only meant significant progress for his company, but also for the sector
as a whole’
, say peers. In Europe, he has been a driving force behind several European Court of
Justice rulings, and in the US ongoing proceedings led by the company are being watched closely.
Baumgartner has repeatedly contributed to triggering major market changes well beyond Germany’s
borders, including in China where a
‘landmark ruling’
regarding the implementation of effective
market control is imminent. In Germany, several Federal Court rulings can be traced back to
Baumgartner, be it in the areas of competition, antitrust or trade marks. Outside of his day-to-day
work, he dedicates his time to MARQUES, the European association representing the interests of
trade mark owners.
GABRIELE BECKMANN
General counsel
WEENER PLASTIC PACKAGING GROUP
Prior to Gabriele Beckmann joining Weener
Plastic Packaging, a legal department had been
non-existent and it was her task to build it
from scratch and develop it into the well-oiled
instrument it is now. Apart from her role as
general counsel, she also dedicates time to specific
M&A, corporate and patent matters. She’s proved
valuable during the company’s long ongoing phase
of expansion, its sale to a private equity investor in
2012 and the consequent worldwide acquisition
programme. To meet the challenge, Beckmann
reallocated tasks and restructured and grew
teams covering each relevant subject matter. A
particular highlight has been the aforementioned
private equity transaction where Beckmann
was responsible for the legal and insurance due
diligence, as well as for the financial due diligence.
The wake of this transaction has brought other challenges in the two following years, among them
due diligence proceedings in the Netherlands, India, Brasil and Turkey, including the enormous task
of ensuring the new entity’s integration into the existing structure. Beckmann masterfully navigated a
wide range of legal frameworks in several non-European countries and emphasises that in many cases
‘the precise judgement of the other party’s mentality leads to a successful deal closure’
. Beckmann has also led
two refinancing programmes, each amounting to a three digit million-euro figure, including the tax and
business administrative aspects which required for her to
‘familiarise myself with non-legal business areas’
.
Beckmann values in her role the ability to
‘develop novel solutions for new challenges in a range of areas and
countries’
while working with
‘people from a variety of backgrounds and mentalities from all over the world’.