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gunnercooke is the fastest growing corporate law firm in the UK, now making its mark globally. We comprise a rapidly growing number of experts spanning legal and other disciplines. Clients benefit from flexible options on fees to suit their needs, access to a wider network of senior experts throughout the relationship, and legal advice which is complemented by an understanding of the commercial aspects of running a business.
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Stephanie Trossbach
Expertise
Dr Stephanie Trossbach is an experienced lawyer and compliance expert. She specialises in the successful establishment, introduction and further development of compliance management systems in companies.
Through her 25 years of professional experience, including various inhouse compliance positions in Germany and the U.S., she has a strong “pro business” focus and knows exactly the challenges companies face in managing their compliance tasks in complex projects.
Stephanie is intensively involved in whistleblowing management and is commissioned by companies as a point of contact for whistleblowing reports (ombudsperson or counsel of trust) in accordance with legal requirements.
In the area of ESG, Stephanie supports clients in the implementation of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and related EU regulations.
Stephanie advises companies in various industries, with a focus on the healthcare sector.
In addition, she is further qualified as:
- Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP-I, SCCE)
- Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE, ACFE)
- Certified Compliance Auditor
- Certified Compliance Officer
- Certified Data Protection Officer
- Certified Health Economist
Stephanie Advises
Stephanie represents a broad spectrum of companies:
- Listed to medium-sized companies
- Companies in various industries, with a focus on the healthcare sector (pharmaceutical and medical device companies, hospitals)
- Companies in national and international structures
- Public institutions
Experience Highlights
- Consulting for a global medical technology group (listed on stock exchange): project on business partner compliance
- Advising an international company in the food industry: management of compliance projects for the development of a compliance management system, including an international governance structure, whistleblowing management, business partner compliance, etc.
- Advising an airline, incl. project lead in preparation for EU GDPR, a compliance risk analysis with further development of the compliance programme, implementation of the German Due Diligence in the Supply Chain Act (LkSG), external data protection officer
- Project-related advice to an international pharmaceutical company and a medical device company on the further development of the healthcare compliance programme (compliance risk analysis with interviews, assessment of risk factors and controls, gap analysis and action plan, risk-based alignment of business partner management, implementation of national and international anti-corruption laws, competition law provisions and requirements of self-regulatory associations in guidelines and processes, etc.)
- Advising a pharmaceutical company on the results of an external compliance audit (assessment of the legal and practical relevance of the findings, development of an implementation plan to resolve the findings and improve processes)
- Point of contact for whistleblowing reports (ombudsperson or counsel of trust) on behalf of various companies, e.g. international pharmaceutical company, public research institution, airline
Career History
Previous Law Firms
- 04/2017 – 09/2024: Catus Law + Compliance, Frankfurt: attorney-at-law, founder & owner
- 08/2016 – 03/2017: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt: Regional Compliance Officer EMEA
- 08/2014 – 07/2016: EMD Millipore, Greater Boston, MA, USA: Head of Compliance Life Science and Performance Materials
- 04/2011 – 07/2014: Merck KGaA), Darmstadt: Head of Global Compliance Program
- 04/2009 – 03/2011: Merck Sorono GmbH, Darmstadt: Compliance Officer and Data Protection Officer
- 08/2001 – 03/2009: Clifford Chance LLP, Frankfurt: attorney-at-law
- 05/2000 – 07/2001: DTS Patent- und Rechtsanwälte, Hamburg: attorney-at-law
Memberships
- German Ombudsman Association
- Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE)
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
- Deutsches Institut für Compliance e. V. (DICO)
- Frankfurt Bar Association
Education
- Universities of Hamburg and Kiel
- Chamber Court District Berlin
Other
- Speaker for seminar “The New Due Diligence in the Supply Chain Act” (TUEV Rheinland Academy)
- First Aid Kit for the Implementation of a Compliance Management System, Munich 2023
- Trends in regulatory expectations and their impact on compliance management in companies, Compliance Elliance Journal (CEJ), November 2022, p. 12-29
- Rising Compliance Expectations and Entrepreneurial Risk or The Bed of Procrustes” CCZ 2021, 121
- Speaker „Effective Compliance Risk Management in Environments of Increasing Regulatory Expectations”, 11. May 2021, for Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics (SCCE)
- Speaker at German Compliance Conference 2020, “Compliance Risk Analysis as Starting Point for a Resilient Compliance System”
- Risks Associated with International Assignments, Expat News 2018 (online)
- Speaker for certification seminars “Healthcare Compliance” (TUEV Rheinland Academy)
- Business Partner Compliance, CCZ 2017, p, 216
- Business Panel “Duties and Violations of Duties of Managers – The Role of Compliance”; anti-corruption summit, Berlin (2017)
- Compliance risks in U.S.-business, American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, Frankfurt (2016)
- Compliance in the Pharmaceutical Industry [2013]. In Hauschka, C.E. (ed). Compliance Manual for Standard Forms
- (Honorary) Judge in the Hessian Higher Regional Court on Standards of Attorney Conduct (Hessischer Anwaltsgerichtshof) (2007 – 2010)
Stephanie is a partner in gunnercooke GmbH, whose registered office is Kurfuerstendamm 15, 10719 Berlin, AG Charlottenburg, HRB 224488 B. All lawyers of gunnercooke GmbH are admitted either in Germany or Austria to practise as Rechtsanwalt or Rechtsanwaeltin and are members of and regulated by the relevant local Bar (Rechtsanwaltskammer).
Expertise
Back to top
Dr Stephanie Trossbach is an experienced lawyer and compliance expert. She specialises in the successful establishment, introduction and further development of compliance management systems in companies.
Through her 25 years of professional experience, including various inhouse compliance positions in Germany and the U.S., she has a strong “pro business” focus and knows exactly the challenges companies face in managing their compliance tasks in complex projects.
Stephanie is intensively involved in whistleblowing management and is commissioned by companies as a point of contact for whistleblowing reports (ombudsperson or counsel of trust) in accordance with legal requirements.
In the area of ESG, Stephanie supports clients in the implementation of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) and related EU regulations.
Stephanie advises companies in various industries, with a focus on the healthcare sector.
In addition, she is further qualified as:
- Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP-I, SCCE)
- Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE, ACFE)
- Certified Compliance Auditor
- Certified Compliance Officer
- Certified Data Protection Officer
- Certified Health Economist
Stephanie Advises
Back to top
Stephanie represents a broad spectrum of companies:
- Listed to medium-sized companies
- Companies in various industries, with a focus on the healthcare sector (pharmaceutical and medical device companies, hospitals)
- Companies in national and international structures
- Public institutions
Experience Highlights
Back to top
- Consulting for a global medical technology group (listed on stock exchange): project on business partner compliance
- Advising an international company in the food industry: management of compliance projects for the development of a compliance management system, including an international governance structure, whistleblowing management, business partner compliance, etc.
- Advising an airline, incl. project lead in preparation for EU GDPR, a compliance risk analysis with further development of the compliance programme, implementation of the German Due Diligence in the Supply Chain Act (LkSG), external data protection officer
- Project-related advice to an international pharmaceutical company and a medical device company on the further development of the healthcare compliance programme (compliance risk analysis with interviews, assessment of risk factors and controls, gap analysis and action plan, risk-based alignment of business partner management, implementation of national and international anti-corruption laws, competition law provisions and requirements of self-regulatory associations in guidelines and processes, etc.)
- Advising a pharmaceutical company on the results of an external compliance audit (assessment of the legal and practical relevance of the findings, development of an implementation plan to resolve the findings and improve processes)
- Point of contact for whistleblowing reports (ombudsperson or counsel of trust) on behalf of various companies, e.g. international pharmaceutical company, public research institution, airline
Career History
Back to top
Previous Law Firms
- 04/2017 – 09/2024: Catus Law + Compliance, Frankfurt: attorney-at-law, founder & owner
- 08/2016 – 03/2017: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt: Regional Compliance Officer EMEA
- 08/2014 – 07/2016: EMD Millipore, Greater Boston, MA, USA: Head of Compliance Life Science and Performance Materials
- 04/2011 – 07/2014: Merck KGaA), Darmstadt: Head of Global Compliance Program
- 04/2009 – 03/2011: Merck Sorono GmbH, Darmstadt: Compliance Officer and Data Protection Officer
- 08/2001 – 03/2009: Clifford Chance LLP, Frankfurt: attorney-at-law
- 05/2000 – 07/2001: DTS Patent- und Rechtsanwälte, Hamburg: attorney-at-law
Memberships
- German Ombudsman Association
- Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE)
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
- Deutsches Institut für Compliance e. V. (DICO)
- Frankfurt Bar Association
Education
- Universities of Hamburg and Kiel
- Chamber Court District Berlin
Other
- Speaker for seminar “The New Due Diligence in the Supply Chain Act” (TUEV Rheinland Academy)
- First Aid Kit for the Implementation of a Compliance Management System, Munich 2023
- Trends in regulatory expectations and their impact on compliance management in companies, Compliance Elliance Journal (CEJ), November 2022, p. 12-29
- Rising Compliance Expectations and Entrepreneurial Risk or The Bed of Procrustes” CCZ 2021, 121
- Speaker „Effective Compliance Risk Management in Environments of Increasing Regulatory Expectations”, 11. May 2021, for Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics (SCCE)
- Speaker at German Compliance Conference 2020, “Compliance Risk Analysis as Starting Point for a Resilient Compliance System”
- Risks Associated with International Assignments, Expat News 2018 (online)
- Speaker for certification seminars “Healthcare Compliance” (TUEV Rheinland Academy)
- Business Partner Compliance, CCZ 2017, p, 216
- Business Panel “Duties and Violations of Duties of Managers – The Role of Compliance”; anti-corruption summit, Berlin (2017)
- Compliance risks in U.S.-business, American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, Frankfurt (2016)
- Compliance in the Pharmaceutical Industry [2013]. In Hauschka, C.E. (ed). Compliance Manual for Standard Forms
- (Honorary) Judge in the Hessian Higher Regional Court on Standards of Attorney Conduct (Hessischer Anwaltsgerichtshof) (2007 – 2010)
Stephanie is a partner in gunnercooke GmbH, whose registered office is Kurfuerstendamm 15, 10719 Berlin, AG Charlottenburg, HRB 224488 B. All lawyers of gunnercooke GmbH are admitted either in Germany or Austria to practise as Rechtsanwalt or Rechtsanwaeltin and are members of and regulated by the relevant local Bar (Rechtsanwaltskammer).
Testimonials
"Very high level of expertise, forward-looking advice, fast response times, extremely friendly dealings with clients."
"Ms. Trossbach finds viable solutions and examines issues from all sides."
"Ms. Trossbach impresses with her high level of professional competence."
"Very competent and clear communication."
"Her expertise, patience, and empathy make working with her truly exceptional."
"Compliance is crucial for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. When our Compliance Officer role became vacant, we sought an experienced interim solution and found Dr Trossbach. She provided expert guidance on both specific decisions and wider organisational issues. What stood out most was her ability to collaborate with our team, developing pragmatic solutions that fit seamlessly with our company culture. Dr Trossbach worked with many stakeholders, all of whom praised her expertise, accessibility, and deep understanding of our internal processes. We wholeheartedly recommend her."
"Dr. Trossbach possesses extensive experience in compliance and compliance management systems. Her advice was outstanding, presenting technical aspects in a clear and well-structured manner. We also benefited from her prompt and proactive support during the introduction and implementation phases."