Attorney at Law Walter Reichard

Attorney Walter Reichard

Attorney Walter Reichard

In-house counsel at an international insurance Company from 1989 to 2000 most recently in the area of

  • liability claims (product liability claims) of industrial companies
  • non-obligatory reinsurance

In private practice from 1986 to 1989 and since 2000.

E-Mail: reichard@reichard-heinz.de

 

Areas of practice concentration:

Contract law

  • draft, negotiate and review letters of intent (LOI).
  • draft, negotiate and review nondisclosure agreements (NDA).
  • draft, negotiate and review supply contracts.
  • draft, negotiate and review framework and master agreements.
  • draft, negotiate and review quality assurance agreements (QSV).

 

Liability law 

  • defend compensatory damage suits
  • coordinate internationally related damage claims.
  • organize legal defense directly abroad.
  • assist in early clarification of facts in damage claims cases.
  • Negotiate early out-of-court settlement of damage claims.

 

Warranty law

  • review of commercial notice of claim obligations
  • clarify issues concerning obvious and hidden defects
  • clarify alleged deviations from technical specifications
  • defend cost reimbursement claims asserted in warranty cases

 

Product liability

  • review claims under the Product Liability Act
  • defend negligence-based product liability claims
  • defend claims for alleged breach of product monitoring duties

 

Product recalls

  • assist in preparing the risk matrix to determine whether a product recall is required.
  • consult with the Trade Supervision Office (Gewerbeaufsichtsamt) concerning possible duties imposed in the course of a product recall.
  • defend claims asserted in connection with a product recall.

 

Fire protection and fire and explosion damage cases

  • assist in early clarification of facts.
  • defend recourse claims following fire damage cases.
  • defend claims filed for explosion damages.

 

Insurance law

Regular and continuous insurance defense services

  • clarify coverage issues
  • defend coverage claims
  • defend business liability insurance claims
  • defend product liability insurance claims
  • defend claims filed under the extended product liability model
  • defend claims involving possible double insurance
  • defend recourse claims

 

Professional memberships

  • Insurance Law Section of the Construction and Real Property Working Group (ARGE) within the German Bar Association (DAV)
  • member of the Association of German-Taiwanese Attorneys

 

Presentations

  •  2014 In-house training in a cable factory on the subjects of:
  1. – basics of contracting
  2. – warranties
  3. – product liability
  4. – underwriting guidelines
  5. – commercial agency law

 

  • 2011 CLE program in Frankfurt
  1. “Dealing with product liability damage claims ”

 

  • 2008 address to the Association of German Engineers (VDI = Verein Deutscher Ingenieure e.V.)
  1. Symposium: Safely working with combustible dusts
  2. „liability issues and consequences for businesses and manufacturers „

 

  • 2007 address to the ACE Insurance Claims Seminar in Philadelphia, USA:
  1. “German Legal System with a Focus on Product Liability”

 

  1. “Product liability: dealing with damage claims”

 

Presentations on the subject of fire protection

  • 2014 address as part of VdS (Trust through Safety) training in „Fire Protection Management“

 

  • 2013 Address to the VdS symposium on Building Evacuation and Clearing
  1. „Legal requirements and liability issues in connection with evacuating and clearing buildings“

 

  • 2013 Speaker at the VdS symposium:
  1. Investigating the causes of fires and explosions
  2. „The requirements for and defects in expert testimony from the legal perspective“
  • 2011 Speaker at the VdS symposium:
  1. Control and maintenance of fire protection systems
  2. „Defective condition of fire protection systems as the cause of fires.“

 

  • 2011 Speaker at the VdS symposium: Fire extinguisher systems
  1. „Consequences for disregarding defects in extinguisher systems“

 

  • 2007 Speaker at the VdS symposium: Evacuating and clearing buildings
  1. „Liability issues and legal practice“

 

  • 2005 Speaker at the VdS symposium: Evacuating and clearing buildings
  1. „Liability issues and criminal law responsibility“

 

  • 2005 Speaker at the VdS symposium:
  1. Recurring tests and fire inspections
 
  2. „Qualifications of experts to conduct testing“ under the Technical Testing Ordinance (TPrüfVO)”

 

  • 2004 Speaker at the VdS symposium: Evacuating and clearing buildings
  1. „Legal aspects“

 

  • 2004 Speaker at the 16th continuing education event for fire protection officers
  1. „The legal liability of fire protection officers“

 

  • 2004 Speaker at the VdS symposium: Damage cases and facts
    „Operational responsibilities with regard to fire protection“

 

  • 2003 Speaker at the VdS symposium:
  1. Control and maintenance of fire protection systems
  2. Duties of the fire protection officer with regard to fire protection systems“

 

  • 2003 Speaker at the VdS symposium: Business fire protection
  1. „Welder certificates with an ‚expiration date'“

 

  • 2003 Speaker at the VdS symposium: Fire protection and the law
  1. „Legal sources for business fire protection“

 

  • 2002 Speaker at the VdS symposium: Fire protection and the law
  1. „Using third-party firms in the business“

 

Author

  •  Co-author of „Supplements to welder certificates“ VdS 2008
  • „Sample organization of work involving fire hazards over longer time frames“