The areas it covers
International business law is a broad label rather than a single body of rules. It covers how a company enters a market, whether through an agent, a distributor, a branch, a subsidiary, or a joint venture. It includes the contracts that govern sales and services across borders, the trade rules that apply at the border, and the tax treatment of income earned in more than one country. Employment in a foreign market is governed largely by local law, which can differ a great deal from U.S. practice. When disputes arise, questions about which court or arbitral tribunal can hear them, and whether its decision can be enforced, follow quickly.
Setting priorities
Not every issue needs attention on day one. Before the first sale abroad, confirm that your products and technology can be exported to that country and that the customer is not a restricted party. Before hiring abroad, find out whether you need a local entity or can use an employer-of-record service, and what local employment law requires. Before signing a long-term distributor or partner, review how termination works under local law. Tax planning and transfer pricing grow more pressing as revenue grows, and they are cheaper to address before the structure is fixed.
Our part in the plan
We work with companies on the U.S. side of their international business and coordinate with counsel in other countries on local law. In a first meeting we ask what you sell, where, and through whom, and we identify the legal steps your plan is likely to require. We then suggest an order for handling them based on risk and timing. Bring a summary of your current and planned international activity, along with any contracts already signed or under negotiation. As the business grows, the order of priorities usually changes, and we revisit the plan with you when it does.
