Challenge

Alber & Geiger was tasked with supporting entry into the EU for clients whose families suffered intimidation and coercion in their respective home countries. This would require us to obtain student visas for the UK. Their applications to leading UK universities had failed before. In a short space of time we had to support their applications.

We had to deal with the specific entities and their own distinct decision making processes. This had to be done with political sensitivity, and we had to rely on the integrity of the system to ensure that political influences did not have a bearing on their entry into the UK.

Strategy

The strategy required an expedient understanding of the nooks and crannies inside the UK education system. It used careful neutral language to ensure that their applications were not misconstrued. It relied on the basis of our firm’s intrinsic aptitudes.

We worked to break down and analyse the discretionary selection criteria of each university. The documents thoroughly assimilated the ‘criteria language’ of the universities into their narrative. In this case we had to effectively co-ordinate through the network of statutory instruments and satisfy the executive concerns they were designed to address.

Results

The result was the safe arrival of the families into the UK and their admission into top tier universities. The transferable nature of our skills is constantly being tested by the ever changing institutional framework of Europe.

Challenge

Alber & Geiger assisted West Pharmaceutical, a US corporation and world market leader in medical devices, paving the way for PFAS ban exemptions for their products. The intention was to prevent disruptions in the supply of certain medical devices, where the medicinal products are inseparably connected with the devices, like it is the case with the diabetes pen or with vaccines prefilled in containers and syringes.

Strategy

Our team engaged in a multifaceted approach to safeguard the interests of the medicinal and medical devices. We provided strategic input during the consultation period with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), highlighting the unique needs and safety considerations of specific medical devices. This was followed by an extensive outreach to stakeholders within the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the EU member states. Our efforts focused on educating decision-makers about the indispensable role of PFAS in medicinal products and medical devices and the potential supply chain risks posed by a PFAS ban.

Results

Our advocacy efforts led to a pivotal development in the regulatory landscape on medical devices. Our targeted approach opened the door to potential derogations of several years for specific medical applications where there is substantial evidence that viable alternatives to PFAS do not exist. This ensures that essential medical devices remain available and effective, safeguarding patient care and industry stability.

Challenge

The European Commission initiated anti-dumping proceedings concerning imports of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) originating from China. The investigation on the dumped PVA was worth more than $33 million. Solutia, a U.S. Fortune 500 firm and a Monsanto spin off, was one of the parties concerned by this investigation. Solutia relied heavily on PVA to produce polyvinyl butyral (PVB), a material used in glass, construction and auto industries. With only 5-months’ notice, Solutia sought Alber & Geiger’s help to avoid import duties on PVA.

Strategy

Alber & Geiger produced a narrative that included an understanding of the Chinese economy and the PVA market in China. Our message was strongly embedded in the European Commission’s approach to trade and competition law, while taking into account the global political consensus on Chinese PVA dumping. More concretely, we put forward arguments that the dumping was a natural consequence of China’s macro-economic situation and production pressures.

Our team demonstrated that other market factors had contributed to the EU economic injury. We argued that the European Commission had not shown a causal link between the detriments suffered by the EU market and dumped imports from China. Moreover, our message cast doubt on the way the European Commission had defined the market of PVA in light of the broader range PVA uses.

Results

Alber & Geiger’s lobbying activity led to the European Commission revising its preliminary duties decision on PVA imports. As we had argued, the European Commission concluded that there was no evidence that would link dumping and injury. The tariffs were lifted. Solutia’s profitability and position on the global market remained intact.