An international business will need to keep in mind the legal aspects of going global and the various laws governing international trade and investments, from policies introduced by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to the rules contained in the General Agreement for Trade and Tariffs (GATT) and Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and legal principles governing the rights and obligations arising in respect of the global e-commerce marketplace.
It is not only important for a business to understand the legal system of the country that it conducts its trade, or invests, in, but it is also crucial that the business understands the informal rules and traditions of a country which may have an impact on the legal system.
Management of international legal issues
The cost of an unwary business getting trapped may be far higher than the cost of implementing and managing legal risks. For businesses however, it is usually too expensive and not cost-effective to obtain legal advice from foreign law firms in respect of each international legal issue faced by the business. In-house counsels may be inappropriate, costly and may not have the skills required to resolve important matters.
In this regard, we offer businesses an alternative solution by externally managing and reviewing all legal issues for them in respect of their international trade and investments in accordance with the needs and requirements of the business through the provision of the following services:
International legal documents
Provision, drafting and review of all legal documents required by the business for conducting international trade and/or entering into cross-border transactions, including:
- international trade, sale, distribution and licensing agreements
- advertising and marketing agreements
- ecommerce transaction agreements
- product liability disclaimers
- sourcing and supply agreements
- confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements
- joint venture, partnership, merger or acquisition agreements
- shareholder agreements
- outsourcing agreements
- foreign and expatriate employment contracts
- foreign leases or tenancies
- agreements relating to intellectual property rights
- technology transfer and licensing agreements
- other commercial agreements
Management of international legal issues
Management of international legal issues, including:
- advice on international trade laws and regulations, including bilateral trade agreements
- monitoring of legal updates and developments potentially having an impact on individual businesses
- provision of feedback on strategic business plans
- management of disputes and litigation
Where necessary, we appoint foreign counsels on our client’s behalf through our cost-effective affiliate program and manage the external counsels for our client.
Our expertise
Our expertise cover the following areas:
- foreign investment incentives and concessions
- international and foreign trade laws
- international and foreign franchising laws
- international and foreign intellectual property laws
- local content issues and product origins
- treaty-based liabilities
- international business structures
- immigration and expatriate issues
- consumer rights
- international and foreign product liability issues
- foreign contractual rights and obligations
- choice of law and choice of forum considerations
- foreign enforcement of contracts and remedies
- settlement of international disputes
- debt collection and insolvency proceedings