Expertise
Cécile Burgess is a Product Litigation Partner in AG's London Commercial Disputes team, where she heads up the Product Litigation, Safety and Recall practice. Cécile has over 11 years' experience of acting for global product manufacturers in relation to product liability claims and risk management. Cécile focuses on Life Sciences (pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical devices), and also has extensive experience of the Automotive and Retail & Consumer sectors. She acts on a wide variety of disputes, including both contractual and tortious claims, and has a strong record of handling high profile product liability group actions in both single defendant and multiple defendant claims.
In addition to her litigation and dispute resolution work, Cécile advises on regulatory, product safety and compliance issues. This includes management of local counsel in Europe and other international jurisdictions, liaising with authorities and regulators around the world, and advising clients in a "trusted advisor" capacity.
Cécile is a dual qualified Solicitor of England & Wales and French lawyer, with first-hand knowledge of the interaction of French and English civil litigation systems.
Cécile's recent experience includes:
- Trusted advisor to a leading FMCG brand on all its product safety/recall issues, providing urgent timely advice to assist the business on recall decisions. Most recently, assisted them with safety and recall decisions relating to choking hazards and failing equipment
- Advising a major brand owner in relation to a dispute with its supplier concerning losses in excess of $8m arising from the supply of defective product packaging leading to a major product recall
- Acting for a soft drinks business in relation to a dispute against a logistics supplier, resulting in significant supply chain disruption
- Acting for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), defending over 100 claims brought against GSK in the English High Court under a GLO in respect of the use of GSK's antidepressant Seroxat. Obtained victory for GSK in July 2020, along with an award for costs, in part on an indemnity basis.
- Acting for a manufacturer of electronic component parts, defending a multi-million pound product liability TCC claim brought against it by a number of claimants, in relation to the supply of allegedly defective components supplied and used in airbag control units sold to third party OEMs.
- Acting for over 55 past and present BMW/MINI authorised dealerships in the defence of diesel emissions group claims being brought on behalf of over 44,000 potential claimants.
- Acting for a global pharmaceutical company in the defence of a number of English, Scottish and Northern Irish claims in respect of the use of one of its emergency vaccines.
- Defending a group action in the English High Court brought by a group of English claimants against a global medical device manufacturer in respect of allegedly defective hip prostheses.
