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Alexander M. Geisler [ Partner ]
Duane Morris
10 Chiswell Street, 2nd Floor
London, UK EC1Y 4UQ

Phone: 011.44.20.7786.2111
Fax: 011.44.20.7504.8173
Email: AMGeisler@duanemorris.com

Alexander M. Geisler practices in the areas of commercial litigation and dispute resolution, with an emphasis on complex engineering disputes and information technology litigation as well as brand protection and other intellectual property work. Mr. Geisler also handles multiparty international insurance and reinsurance disputes.

He regularly provides training programs to clients and has assisted corporate clients' law departments develop dispute resolution and legal service delivery models. His responsibilities on behalf of major corporate clients include the selection and quality monitoring of regional external law firms.

Mr. Geisler also has 20 years' experience in the automotive sector and is regularly retained by OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, together with test facilities and engineering companies. He is the resident legal columnist of Automotive Testing Technology International.

Mr. Geisler is a 1981 graduate of the City of London University.

Representative Matters

Trademark and Branding

• Counsel to General Motors in the joint design and launch of its European Brand Protection programme in 2001. Counsel to brand owners, including a number in the auto industry. This project included coordinating with the parties involved in investigation procedures culminating in face to face dealings with infringers from Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, North and South America, resulting in the collection of substantial settlement sums.

International Trade

• Counsel to a California-based oil refinery in 2001 regarding a re-selling contract involving a major dispute arising out of a contract for a substantial consignment of Iraqi crude oil.
• London Defence Counsel to American parented bank for International Trade disputes.

Insolvency Strategies

• Counsel to numerous automotive clients severely affected by hostage situations, the first of which concerned the insolvent supplier, Transtec. Successful strategies deployed from which the exposure of the firm's clients was minimised and their supply was maintained.
• Counsel to GM in hostage situations created by the insolvency of suppliers including European Commercial Pressings and UPF Thomson. In the former case the supply was maintained through negotiation without payment of any premium. In the latter case GM managed to avoid goodwill payments but maintain supply.
• Lead counsel in the European investigation into the collapse under suspicious circumstances of one of the biggest Belgian technology companies.

Product Liability

• Counsel to an Italian and English truck manufacturers selling vehicles across Europe where a number of presently unexplained fires have arisen in one model in the range. Working closely with internal engineers and external experts into possible causes and rival theories. Dealing with individual and potential class actions arising at the suit of operators of these vehicles, their insurers, and other affected third parties.
• Counsel to GM's Customer Assistance Centre in England in the establishment of a "Surgery" system to review and redesign various further processes including models for Case Management, Training and Allocation of Legal Expenses/Settlements of Product Quality Litigation.

Real Estate Disputes

• Counsel to a number of major corporations dealing with dilapidations claims, construction issues, and other real estate disputes.
• Counsel to Baylis (Gloucester) Limited in a successful reported decision concerning highway land.

Professional Activities

• The Law Society of England and Wales

Admissions

• England and Wales

Education

• City of London University, LL.B. (Hons), 1981

Experience

• Duane Morris
  - Partner, 2000-present
• Geisler & Laws, London, England
  - Partner, 1996-2000
• Rakisons, London, England
  - Partner, 1989-1996
• Reynolds Johnson & Green, London, England
  - Partner, 1987-1989
  - Assistant Solicitor, 1984-1987
• Brook Martin & Co., London, England
  - Articles of Clerkship, 1982-1984

Selected Speaking Engagements

• "The Trouble With Suppliers," presentation to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, London, England, December 4, 2003
• "The Brand Manager's Biggest Headaches - A Radically Different Perception," presentation at the European Anti Counterfeiting Group Conference, October 18, 2002
• "A Process to be Proud Of," Interactive Workshop to General Motors (GM) Managers on Product Liability Issues, September 5, 2002