Valerie Louise Datzer

Valerie focuses on international, European and national law in the areas of trade, supply chain, compliance and sustainability. She advises clients on internal compliance systems, economic sanctions and embargo regulations, export control law and investment screening law. She supports internal and external investigations, audits and self-disclosures of export control and sanctions violations. In addition, she has significant experience in advising clients on the rapidly evolving EU and German legal situation at the intersection of supply chain, ESG and sustainability, in particular the new directives and regulations under the EU Green Deal and the German Supply Chain Duty of Care Act. This also includes the establishment and improvement of corporate governance structures and internal compliance programs in relation to foreign trade law as well as environmental, social and governance issues. In addition, Valerie is an expert in international and European products law, covering product compliance, product safety and product liability, and has extensive crisis management and litigation experience.

• Advising a global automotive company on group-wide grievance cases on potential violations of the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG) and representation for inquiries by the competent German authority.
• Advising several companies on a variety of export control issues, in particular the need for/application for export licenses, the Dual-Use Regulation and German regulatory practices.
• Supporting the global criminal product liability defense of a leading automotive manufacturer linked to vehicle fire incidents, particularly supporting the internal investigation, carrying out risk assessments and providing in-house trainings*
• Supporting the internal investigation of a leading DAX 40 company linked to compliance and fraud allegations including immediate crisis management on-site, conducting interviews and communication with public authorities*
• In-house secondment at the product compliance department of a global automotive manufacturer for five months, particularly focusing on ESG requirements*
• Supporting numerous clients across various industries with the implementation of new legislative developments linked to new corporate due diligence and compliance obligations, such as the new EU Batteries Regulation, the CSDDD and the Forced Labour Regulation, including in-house trainings*
• Advising numerous global companies on complex global product compliance aspects incl. the development, certification/homologation (CE laws, type-approval laws) and market entry of innovative high-tech products, end-of-life aspects as well as representation before various national and international product compliance authorities such as BAuA, BNetzA, KBA, BMDV and the European Commission*
• Carrying out an internal audit regarding the product compliance and product safety processes at a global automotive supplier and manufacturer of electronics and consumer goods*
• Acting as product liability defense counsel in a multi-million cross-border litigation involving Germany and the Netherlands for a leading Turkish manufacturer in the steel industry linked to a major ship accident with several injured parties including settlement negotiations*
• Advising a leading US automotive supplier on product cybersecurity requirements including drafting a global company incident response plan*
• Advising multiple companies across various industries with the implementation of new legislative developments linked to due diligence and compliance obligations under the EU Batteries Regulation including in-house trainings*

*matters prior to joining Baker McKenzie

• Berlin Bar Association – Member
• German-French Lawyers Association (DFJ)
• German Lawyers Association

• Mentor for children and unemployed youth within the "Debate-it program" in cooperation with Joblinge aG and different local schools*

*prior to joining Baker McKenzie