The Distribution Law Network (DLN) is launching a new four-part After-Work Webinar Series, bringing together distribution law specialists from across Europe to examine some of the most important legal and strategic questions facing businesses when structuring and managing their distribution networks.
Taking place every Thursday in October 2026, from 17:00 to 18:00 CET, the series builds on DLN’s Comparative Study on Distribution Models, published in January 2026.
Each webinar will bring together specialists from several jurisdictions to compare legal approaches and discuss their practical implications. The webinars will explore how differences between European jurisdictions can affect real decisions concerning the design, operation and protection of distribution networks.
Scheduled Webinars
Session I | Traditional Distribution Models: Which Model Fits Your Strategy?
Thursday, 8 October 2026 from 17:00 to 18:00 CET
Agency, distribution, franchising and other traditional structures offer businesses different combinations of control, risk, investment and flexibility. Choosing between them is therefore much more than a contractual decision: it can shape the economics and long-term development of a distribution network.
The first webinar will compare the principal traditional distribution models and examine the factors businesses should consider when selecting or restructuring their route to market.
The panel will explore how commercial risk and responsibilities are allocated between the parties; the degree of control available over sales, customers, territories and brand positioning; and the consequences of termination, including potential compensation or indemnity exposure. Particular attention will be paid to the differences between national legal frameworks and what those differences mean for businesses operating across several European markets.
Moderator: Tessa de Mönnink (The Netherlands)
Presenters:
- Nicolas Genty and Jessica Ramond (France)
- Crispin Dick (UK)
- Sandrine Kinart (Belgium)
The objective is to provide participants with a practical framework for assessing which distribution structure is appropriate for their commercial strategy and where national differences need to be factored into that decision.
Register now at Eventbrite.co.uk ->
Session II | Online Distribution & Marketplaces: The New Rules of the Game
Thursday, 15 October 2026 from 17:00 to 18:00 CET
E-commerce, marketplaces and direct-to-consumer strategies have transformed the relationship between suppliers, distributors and customers. For many businesses, the challenge is no longer choosing between physical and digital distribution but determining how different channels can coexist within the same network.
This session will examine the principal models for online and platform-based distribution and the legal questions arising from their increasing importance.
The panel will consider direct-to-consumer sales and their interaction with established distributor relationships, marketplace restrictions, territorial and customer limitations in a digital environment, and the challenges associated with maintaining brand and network consistency across different channels.
Moderator: Dr. Thomas Nägele (Germany)
Presenters:
- Jorge Manzarbeitia (Spain)
- Crispin Dick (UK)
- Michiel van Ast (The Netherlands)
The objective will be to examine how businesses can incorporate digital channels into their distribution strategies while managing the contractual, regulatory and commercial implications of doing so.
Register now at Eventbrite.co.uk ->
Session III | Competition Law: Where Are the Limits in Your Distribution Network?
Thursday, 22 October 2026 from 17:00 to 18:00 CET
How much control can a supplier exercise over its distribution network? Competition law establishes important boundaries around pricing, territories, customer groups, exclusivity and online sales, making it a fundamental consideration when designing or managing distribution arrangements.
The third webinar will examine these limits from a comparative European perspective.
The discussion will address the principal EU competition rules governing vertical agreements, including resale price maintenance, territorial and customer restrictions, exclusive and selective distribution, and restrictions affecting online sales and marketplaces. The panel will also consider how national enforcement and legal approaches can affect strategies implemented across multiple markets.
Moderator: Pedro Callol (Spain)
Presenters:
- Nicolas Genty (France)
- Ricardo Oliveira (Portugal)
- Renato Bucher (Switzerland)
- Gerhard Fussenegger (Austria)
The session aims to help businesses distinguish between legitimate management of a distribution network and restrictions that may create competition law exposure.
Register now at Eventbrite.co.uk ->
Session IV | IP Protection in Distribution: Protect What Is Yours
Thursday, 29 October 2026 from 17:00 to 18:00 CET
Brands, designs, know-how and other intellectual property are often among the most valuable assets being placed in the hands of a distribution network. Protecting those assets requires considering IP rights as an integral part of the commercial relationship.
The final webinar will explore how intellectual property protection interacts with distribution strategy, particularly where products and commercial partners operate across national borders.
The panel will consider the treatment of trademarks and other IP rights in distribution agreements, the use of brand assets by distributors and other commercial partners, trademark exhaustion and the resale of genuine goods, parallel trade, protection of confidential information and know-how, and what happens to IP rights when a distribution relationship ends.
Moderator: Andrea Zinober (Austria)
Presenters:
- Louisa Galbraith (Switzerland)
- Marco Venturello (Italy)
- Alexander Stolz (Germany)
The objective is to provide a practical understanding of how businesses can protect their intellectual property while maintaining effective distribution networks across Europe.
Register now at Eventbrite.co.uk ->
One series, multiple European perspectives
A central theme throughout the four webinars will be the distinction between developing a European distribution strategy and implementing that strategy through different national legal systems.
EU law provides an important common framework, particularly in areas such as competition law, but significant differences remain between jurisdictions in commercial agency, distribution agreements, termination rights, contractual protections and enforcement.
DLN brings together independent law firms with extensive experience advising on complex national and cross-border distribution matters. Its members regularly assist clients with agency, franchising, licensing and distribution structures, as well as EU competition law, intellectual property and emerging digital business models.
The DLN After-Work Webinar Series draws on that collective experience, bringing specialists from across the network together to provide a genuinely comparative perspective grounded in their respective jurisdictions.
The series will be particularly relevant for in-house counsel, legal teams at suppliers and retailers, commercial directors, compliance officers and advisors to distribution networks.
DLN After-Work Webinar Series | October 2026
8 October — Traditional Distribution Models: Which Model Fits Your Strategy?
15 October — Online Distribution & Marketplaces: The New Rules of the Game
22 October — Competition Law: Where Are the Limits in Your Distribution Network?
29 October — IP Protection in Distribution: Protect What Is Yours
