Attorney-at-Law Ulrich Barth

Empowering the automotive industry through legal expertise

Automotive law covers a broad range of legal issues that are of central relevance to manufacturers, suppliers, engineering and development service providers, and other stakeholders in the automotive sector. It reflects the specific challenges and dynamics of this industry—from complex supply chains and technical specifications to strictly regulated quality and safety requirements. Legal support in this field requires a precise understanding of contractual structures, industrial standards, and the regulatory framework that shapes cooperation between Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers. In addition, internal corporate requirements, audit expectations, and the interplay between series production and project-based development regularly create significant legal steering needs in day-to-day practice.

A particular focus lies on structuring and enforcing relationships between OEMs and suppliers. Especially in long-term supply and development projects, conflict situations arise frequently—for example in connection with specification changes, call-offs, price and cost adjustments, delivery delays, quality deviations, warranty issues, recalls, or liability questions along the supply chain. The objective is a clear, robust contractual framework—including effective provisions on scope of performance, change management, allocation of liability, escalation mechanisms, and dispute resolution—that preserves operational capability and makes risks manageable. Equally relevant are provisions on confidentiality, data and interface access, tooling and ownership issues, acceptance procedures, service and spare-parts obligations, and recourse and indemnity mechanisms in the event of field actions.

Successfully navigating the automotive sector also requires a deep understanding of industry-specific legal and compliance requirements. This includes, in particular, product liability and product safety, regulatory obligations, protection of intellectual property (e.g., know-how, patents, software, technical documentation), confidentiality and licensing models, as well as international trade and customs matters. Compliance with current industry standards—such as supplier and quality management requirements, safety standards, and environmental and sustainability obligations—is often critical to contractual eligibility and supply capability. In cross-border constellations, additional issues arise, including choice of law, jurisdiction, Incoterms, export control, and the securing of payment and delivery obligations—factors that become especially relevant in crisis situations.

Overall, the aim is practical, strategic, and economically sound solutions: legal structures that stabilize projects, reduce risks, and support negotiations—even in critical situations such as SOP/series ramp-ups, supply shortages, or supply-chain disruptions. With legal expertise and industry knowledge, conflicts can be managed early and escalations can be avoided or resolved in a targeted manner. This often includes the enforcement or defense of claims, preservation of evidence, preparation of technical and commercial lines of argument, and the development of robust settlement and escalation strategies.

In automotive law matters, legal complexity is combined with practical implementability and solutions are developed that match the technical and commercial requirements of the industry. For an initial assessment and clarification of the required support, contact can be made in order to discuss the next steps in a structured manner.

Legal clarity in conflicts surrounding travel and tourism

Travel law is a specialized field that addresses the legal aspects of the travel and tourism sector. In practice, it concerns both travelers and providers and service partners—such as tour operators, travel agents, hotels, airlines, rail and coach operators, cruise lines, and car rental and transfer companies. A key feature is that several contracts and parties often interact, and responsibilities are not always clearly allocated. Especially with complex booking chains, code-share arrangements, package and combined services, or subsequent changes (rebookings, cancellations, re-routing), a structured legal assessment is essential.

When travel-related disputes arise, the focus is typically on clarifying contractual obligations, allocation of liability, and consumer-protection rules. Common issues include withdrawal and termination rights, rebooking, price reduction, damages, reimbursement of wasted expenses, and compensation claims. Depending on the type of trip and contractual set-up, it must be assessed whether the matter involves a package holiday, linked travel arrangements, or individual contracts—since this determines the correct counterpart, legal basis, applicable deadlines, and evidentiary requirements. Cross-border elements may add further complexity, for example where a foreign contracting party is involved, terms are in another language, or jurisdictional questions arise.

A major area of work concerns transportation and air travel: cancellations, significant delays, denied boarding (e.g., overbooking), missed connections, and lost or damaged baggage are typical scenarios. In these cases, details often matter: When was the passenger informed? Which alternatives were offered? What additional costs were incurred? Were care services provided (accommodation, meals)? Which evidence is available (boarding passes, booking confirmations, baggage receipts, invoices)? A legally sound approach usually starts with orderly documentation and a clear assertion of claims, so that entitlements do not fail due to formalities, deadlines, or incomplete proof.

Disputes also frequently arise in relation to accommodation—for example, serious defects, deviations from promised features, unavailability, noise or hygiene issues, missing services, or safety concerns. Here, the correct course of action is often decisive: notice of defects, a reasonable deadline to remedy, evidence preservation (photos, witnesses, correspondence), and the legal classification of materiality. Questions of alternative accommodation, cost coverage, and the distinction between minor inconvenience and legally relevant non-performance are equally important. Cruises and round trips add further particularities, as several service components are interlinked and disruption of one component may affect the entire trip.

A professional approach in travel law also takes account of industry-specific conditions: standardized terms and conditions, varying responsibilities, sometimes short response or limitation periods, and the economic question of whether an out-of-court settlement is sensible or firm enforcement is required. The aim is a clear strategy—from initial legal assessment through communication and negotiations to court proceedings where appropriate. Practical feasibility is always key: what outcome is realistically achievable, how robust is the evidence, and which solution is economically reasonable in light of effort and risk?

In travel law matters, complex circumstances are structured and assessed from a legal perspective and legitimate interests are safeguarded consistently. For an initial assessment and clarification of the required support, contact can be made in order to discuss the next steps in a structured manner.

Empowering healthcare stakeholders through legal expertise

Medical law is a specialized field that covers the legal framework of healthcare and involves numerous interfaces between civil law, professional regulation, social security law, data protection, and organizational and compliance duties. It is particularly demanding because legal assessments are often closely connected to medical processes, documentation standards, communication practices, and organizational structures. It is also a sensitive area in which stringent requirements apply regarding confidentiality, informed consent, quality, and patient safety. A reliable legal assessment therefore requires precise fact-finding and careful review of medical and administrative records.

In the relationship between physicians, hospitals, medical care centers, nursing facilities, insurers, and patients, a wide range of challenges can arise. Key topics include medical liability and treatment errors, information and consent, patient rights, documentation obligations, medical confidentiality, data protection in the handling of health data, and issues of insurance coverage and reimbursement. The strength of any legal evaluation often depends on whether the course of treatment and the consent process are properly documented, whether the applicable standard of care was met, and how causation and damage can be demonstrated. Where treatment chains are complex (referrals, inpatient/outpatient settings, multiple specialties), a clear allocation of responsibilities is essential.

Another focus lies on the legally compliant design and control of processes in healthcare. For providers and institutions, organizational duties, quality requirements, and internal workflows can be liability-relevant: consent forms, documentation systems, delegation and organizational structures, emergency procedures, aftercare, complaint management, and secure processing of patient data. Cooperation with third parties—such as laboratories, external service providers, cooperation partners, or IT vendors—also requires clear contractual arrangements, in particular on responsibilities, liability, remuneration, data protection, and information flows.

In addition, issues in dealings with insurers and payers are common. Disputes arise, for example, over reimbursement of medical services, benefit denials, billing and audit constellations, or recourse and clawback claims. In such situations, a structured approach is often required that prepares both the medical rationale and the legal basis in a coherent way. Patient-side claims may likewise require detailed examination—especially regarding suitable evidence and early steps to secure documentation and records.

Overall, the objective is practical, strategic, and effective legal solutions tailored to the specific characteristics of healthcare. This includes the assessment and enforcement of justified claims as well as the structured defense against unjustified demands and support in disputes where sober, documentation-based argumentation is decisive. Particular weight is placed on deadlines, evidence preservation, orderly preparation of records, and a clear communication strategy toward all parties involved. The aim is to manage legal risk, clarify positions on a sound basis, and develop solutions that remain workable in practice.

In medical law matters, legal complexity is combined with practical implementability and solutions are developed that reflect both the realities of healthcare and the applicable legal requirements. For an initial assessment and clarification of the required support, contact can be made in order to discuss the next steps in a structured manner.

Strengthening the energy sector with legal solutions

Energy law is a specialized field that sets out the legal framework of the energy sector and is particularly complex due to intensive regulation, technical infrastructure, and dynamic market conditions. It affects energy suppliers, grid operators, traders and platforms, project companies, metering and billing service providers, as well as industrial and commercial consumers. Legal questions frequently arise at the interface of contractual practice, market rules, regulation, and technical processes—for example in procurement, supply, grid access, metering, balancing, settlement, and compliance. Transformation dynamics (decarbonization, renewables, grid expansion, flexibility models) further shape requirements for contracts and duties.

A key focus lies in the legally robust structuring and implementation of contracts and business relationships. This includes electricity and gas supply and procurement agreements, framework contracts, cooperation and project agreements, as well as provisions on pricing and price adjustment, terms, termination, collateral, performance disruptions, and liability. In practice, price-adjustment and risk-allocation clauses, mechanisms for passing through procurement costs, and clear definitions of performance obligations and settlement bases are often decisive. Disputes commonly arise in volatile procurement markets, in billing discrepancies, in disagreements over contractual interpretation, or where performance is disrupted along the supply chain.

In relationships between suppliers, grid operators, market partners, and consumers, issues relating to security of supply, handling of collateral, and risk management also regularly arise. Practically important topics include data and communication processes (e.g., market communication), metering and balancing issues, responsibilities in multi-tier supply chains, and the legal assessment of disruptions, interruptions, or adjustment demands. Especially in contentious situations, clear structuring of facts, securing relevant documents, and a consistent communication line are important to preserve rights and maintain options for action.

Compliance with regulatory requirements is likewise central. Depending on the business model, energy-industry rules, market and grid codes, and environmental and climate-related requirements may be relevant. This is often complemented by compliance and transparency duties, data protection and IT-security requirements, and sustainability and proof-of-origin systems that must be embedded in contracts and processes. In cross-border settings, trade, customs, or sanctions-related frameworks may also become relevant and require legally secure business design.

Overall, the aim is practical, strategic, and economically sound solutions: legal structures that stabilize business models, reduce risk, and support negotiations—even in crisis situations such as sharply fluctuating prices, liquidity and collateral issues, or disputes along supply and settlement chains. This includes structured review and enforcement of claims as well as the defense against unjustified demands and the legally compliant design of internal processes so that regulatory and contractual requirements can be implemented reliably. The objective is to make complexity manageable and to secure decisions on a legally robust basis.

In energy law matters, legal complexity is combined with practical implementability and solutions are developed that fit the technical, regulatory, and commercial requirements of the energy sector. For an initial assessment and clarification of the required support, contact can be made in order to discuss the next steps in a structured manner.