Consumer law accompanies the economic development of the market and its influence continues to grow with a view to increasing consumer protection. All business sectors are affected, whether with regard to product or services marketing, the agribusiness, car manufacturing, financial, distance sales sectors, etc.
Companies must acquire a perfect understanding of the rules of consumer law before marketing their products or services to consumers. A lack of understanding of these rules may have legal repercussions based on the specific regulations in question or, in general, regulations on unfair competition without prejudice to causing damage to corporate brand images.

Our practice areas

• Sales promotions (competitions/lotteries, sales with free gifts, self-funded free gifts, advertisements for price reductions, loyalty programmes, specific regulations applying to the banking, alcoholic beverages, tobacco sectors, etc.)
• Advertising regulations (misleading or deceptive advertising, comparative advertising, use of French, prior approval for advertising, etc.)
• Fraud regulations (product labelling, metrological controls, deception, etc.) and specific regulations (dangerous products, nutritional information, etc.) 
• Consumer information regulations (price advertising and information regarding products or services, drawing up notices for consumers, etc.) 
• Regulations relating to unfair clauses
• Regulations on distance sales 
• Various regulations: abuse of weakness, conditional sales, forced sales or shipments, discount sales, close-out sale, etc.

Our approach

•  An overall understanding of our clients for whom we develop tailored and innovative solutions: we go beyond providing expert advice and we deal with the issues raised from a strategic perspective after carrying out an overall assessment of the client's situation and priorities. 
• Capacity to manage complex matters by a large team of lawyers and provide prompt replies to take into account time constraints facing companies' marketing teams.
• Our teams' access to CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre's legal, employment and tax expertise to guarantee a multidisciplinary approach, for example with regard to professional incentive programmes such as challenges.
• Methodological rigour: anticipating problems before legal disputes, providing assistance in the various stages of legal proceedings brought by or against our clients.
• Our team, as the EU law department, also ensures that the various consumer protection rules comply with EU law primarily based on the principle of free movement of goods and services.

Our clients

 Large international groups, SMEs, professional organisations and associations place trust in us from varied sectors including the consumer goods, agribusiness, telecommunications or pharmaceutical sectors.