Challenge

Flock, a medium sized entity, with a fledgling web-browser, reached for support in the Microsoft case. Microsoft was using its market presence to tie its web browser, Internet Explorer to its dominant client PC operating system. This led to accusations by the European Commission that it had infringed competition rules. Microsoft reacted by proposing a limit on the access of browsers with a market share higher than 0.5% by means of a ‘ballot screen’. Flock was at risk of being blocked out of the market.

Strategy

The strategy relied on turning technical and soft law instruments into political messages resonating with the European Commission’s language. It outlined that Microsoft’s solution would have amounted to an oligopoly. In doing so, it demonstrate that, by its very essence the ballot screen proposal was contrary to the European Commission’s  goal for open and competitive communications markets. We created a nexus of effective communications and activities that proved to be decisive.

Results

Alber & Geiger was able to keep its client’s innovative business services available to consumers. Microsoft consequently, had to revise its ‘ballot screen’. Its new proposed ballot screen would allow consumers to choose from a number of 12 suggested web browsers. These included Flock and other alternatives.

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

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.