Our Sweet Spots – Projects That Take Special Advantage of Our Capabilities

Sweet Spot 1: Select Single Country Projects

• single-country market entry projects that can be best handled by a
  • small cost-effective team with
    • multiple on-the-ground resources in a target country (not one-size-fits-all) and
      • a sixth sense for how to extract and integrate local law and practice

Particularly in countries where your usual sources of advice may be in less familiar territory. In Asia, we work with China (since the early 1990s) and Japan (from 1990 onwards), but we also have an excellent track record with countries such as India (since 1997, for both US and Indian companies) and Korea (where David Laverty practiced for 3 years in the late 1980s). For Europe, of course Western Europe, but our track record dates to the early 1990s with Central and Eastern Europe.

Client project examples

Represented a U.S. software company in the sale of its Indian subsidiary to a another US software company

Advised a U.S. audio/visual equipment provider in establishing a Southeast Asia headquarters, including structuring options and tax consequences through Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia

Represented a division of Motorola Corporation in worldwide corporate and commercial matters including joint venture issues in Latin America, corporate structuring in the Middle East and joint venture sale/leaseback advice in Asia

 

International Project Evaluation – What are the Key Legal Issues and Steps Required, and for What Timing and Budget Range?

For a reasonable cost, we can deliver realistic assessments of what a contract, acquisition, market entry investment or office establishment requires.

Such assessments are not meant as final legal advice but offer very valuable insights into the legal issues that should be considered. You can use this input in deciding whether to launch a new initiative or evaluate your options. Of course, you can then use us for the legal work, or you may find this to be a valuable tool for evaluating what you are hearing from local counsel or other law firms. Our budget estimates can assist you in negotiating a more cost-effective solution from others, or feel free to hold our own feet to the fire in meeting our estimates?

Client project examples

Advised a U.S. publicly-traded transportation infrastructure company in the structuring of an acquisition of its outsourced software operations in India

Advised Samsung Electronics on the phases, country roll-out and budget phases for multi-country limitation of liability and warranty strategies

 

Sweet Spot 2: Select Multi-Country Projects

• multi-country projects that can be best handled by a
  • small cost-effective team with
    • on-the-ground resources in a large number of countries and
      • a sixth sense for how to extract and integrate local law and practice with best-practice templates

Global Contracts

Creating best-practice templates and conforming terms and conditions, supply and purchase agreements, agency and distribution agreements and similar agreements to the laws of multiple countries

Backed by India-based support and contract management software tools

Client Project Examples

Advised Samsung Electronics on the creation of master templates for warranties and limitations of liability and advised on strategies to tailor these for multiple countries

Represented Corbis Corporation in creating licensing and distribution agreements for worldwide use, including through web-based terms, taking into account risk-limiting strategies for licensing and agency/distribution laws in Europe, Asia, Latin America and beyond

 

Cross-Border Agency and Distribution Agreements

North American businesses are accustomed to freedom of contract, a lack of local dealer-protection legislation and an absence of currency and other cross-border issues. Yet, international agency and distribution agreements must take into account potential local protective legislation which may make termination difficult and costly, competition law that may void standard agreement provisions and various other local law challenges

Client Project Examples

Represented Corbis Corporation in strategic and day-to-day input for consolidation and wind-down of representative and other relationships in more than 30 countries, including by applying local protective legislation and judicial practices, providing input on written and oral communications, resolving threatened litigation and arbitration and managing disputes in multiple countries

Advised Sunbeam Corporation on cross-border product distribution issues in Asia, including agency and distribution laws

 

Cross-Border Web Site “Scrubbing” and e-Commerce Compliance

What does the e-business need to know about legal and regulatory compliance issues when offering its information and products online? Whether a multinational company moving supply and consumer relationships online or a start-up which may be international from its inception, companies need to adjust their web site content and e-commerce strategies to comply with the laws of target countries

Client Project Examples

Advised a U.S. online expert/consumer network service on the online and e-commerce legal and regulatory issues that require adjustment of terms and conditions and regulatory compliance in Asia, Europe, Latin America and elsewhere

Represented Corbis Corporation in creating enforceable contract terms which integrate paper and online components

Advised a U.S. and Hong Kong-based publicly-traded Internet and e-commerce infrastructure company on online and e-commerce legal and compliance issues faced by it and its customers

What projects are a good fit for us - more generally>>