International
Troutman Sanders' International Practice Group provides a broad range of comprehensive legal services to corporate, financial, industrial and governmental clients. Clients include both U.S. and non-U.S. companies and individuals pursuing opportunities arising from cross-border trade and investment flows. Group attorneys are skilled and experienced in international trade, infrastructure development, finance, taxation, investment, environmental, regulatory, intellectual property, real estate matters, dispute resolution and more. From this broad pool of talent, the group offers a multi-disciplinary team of legal professionals designed to efficiently serve each clients' specific needs.
The International Practice Group is committed to adding value to every transaction for which it is engaged by drawing upon extensive legal and cultural experience garnered from working with individuals and businesses in over 70 countries around the world. The group's mission is to help clients achieve their international business goals, while working within different company and country cultures.
Geographic Breadth
Members of the group have developed an intimate knowledge of worldwide legal and cultural patterns, based on hundreds of man days filled with on-the-ground experience in countries and regions around the world. Their familiarity with local legal and cultural systems offers an important advantage because it allows the group to provide legal advice that fully considers the context surrounding a particular transaction. Group members have substantial experience advising clients on the legal aspects of international transactions in, or affected by, the cultures of the Americas and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia and the Pacific Rim.
The firm's international presence is supported by the location of offices in Hong Kong, London and Shanghai. The Hong Kong, Shanghai and London offices include attorneys who are native in their respective countries and regions, as well as others who have traveled and worked extensively throughout such regions. The London office, located in the center of the city's financial district, enables the firm to be at the heart of activity throughout Great Britain and Europe.
Substantive Depth
Group attorneys possess a wealth of skills and knowledge in both inbound and outbound international transactions. Drawing on the knowledge of attorneys with training in a multitude of disciplines, the group ensures that clients receive comprehensive legal services for their complex legal and business needs.
Outbound Cross-Border Investment
Group attorneys not only speak the languages of the world, but understand the many cultural issues that U.S.-based companies face when investing in non-U.S. markets. Services are available to help existing clients, or to assist new clients seeking experienced, international counsel to supplement the efforts of their existing domestic counsel. Outbound legal services include:
- Market entry.
- Structuring of international joint venture arrangements.
- Design, negotiation, and documentation of international transactions.
- Creation and protection of global intellectual property rights.
- Management and oversight of overseas and domestic legal interests.
- Immigration and visa matters.
Infrastructure Project Development
The group has solid experience in all aspects of developing, financing and managing infrastructure projects, including both the acquisition of existing projects and the development of new projects. This experience extends to all types of industries, including power, telecommunications, oil and gas, transportation, and water. Core competencies include:
- Preliminary research, including performing due diligence and the preliminary investigation of local laws and regulations, responding to and developing Requests For Proposals, and supporting project development efforts.
- Creation of bidding, ownership and control arrangements for multi-national deals, including complex joint venture and multi-shareholder arrangements.
- Global tax planning, tax treaty analysis and tax minimization.
- Privatization transactions, including capital structure and local government negotiations.
- Drafting, negotiating and finalizing project documentation, including fuel supply agreements, power purchase agreements, engineering, procurement and construction contracts, and operating and maintenance contracts.
Structured Finance
The group's structured finance experience includes advising clients on the negotiation and closing of complex equity and debt transactions, both in the U.S. and abroad. The group has helped clients design and implement non-recourse and structured financings, which have included interim and permanent bank and lease financings, as well as capital markets transactions. Structured finance services include:
- Designing, negotiating, drafting and closing loan arrangements and security packages, including letters of credit and unsecured, asset-based, single lender and syndicated deals.
- Designing and implementing a variety of private and public offerings of equity and debt securities in worldwide markets.
- Managing U.S. and non-U.S. securities laws compliance.
- Due diligence activities and assessment of project financeability.
- Lease financing of both infrastructure projects and aircraft facilities.
International Trade
The group has considerable experience advising clients on international trade issues that arise when U.S. companies do business abroad. These issues have become more complex as a result of emerging global markets and the subsequent increased difficulty of cross-border transactions. In order to minimize client risks, the group conducts due diligence on potential international trade issues on the front end of a deal, and offers support to clients when and if trade complications arise. International Trade services include:
- Advising clients in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and compliance with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
- Representing clients before the Federal Maritime Commission, the U.S. Maritime Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Advising clients on all matters of maritime law, including insurance, regulatory and environmental concerns.
- Advising clients on issues related to the European Union, the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs, the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
- Advising clients on U.S. Customs and import issues (including proper classification, valuation and marking of cargos), as well as issues related to the export of goods from the U.S., including licensing, export control embargo regulations and controlled carrier issues.
- Advising clients on intellectual property issues.
- Litigating, arbitrating and representing clients in the alternative resolution of disputes, including disputes involving the World Trade Organization, the International Trade Administration, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the International Court of Arbitration.
Inbound Cross-Border Investment
The group advises non-U.S. clients on the legal aspects of implementing business ventures in the U.S., as well as assisting non-U.S. based clients in both public and private cross-border securities offerings. An important part of this practice includes assisting clients with their efforts to invest in U.S. real estate. In addition, the group regularly assists manufacturers in establishing U.S. operations and product distribution networks to ensure compliance with U.S. franchising, distribution, and antitrust laws and regulations. The group is also experienced in bank representation, as well as in providing immigration and tax planning services for non-U.S. companies and individuals. Inbound legal services include:
- Acquisition, development and management of real property assets.
- Headquarters and manufacturing relocations, and merger and acquisition transactions.
- Immigration, residency and labor issues, including work permits, green cards and union matters.
- Design and implementation of product distribution systems, as well as antitrust compliance.
- Environmental planning, regulatory compliance and litigation.
- Compliance with the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Customs laws and regulations applicable to food imports.
- National Security reviews under CFIUS for mergers, acquisitions or takeovers resulting in foreign control of U.S. companies.
- Tax, audit and estate planning.
- Creation and protection of intellectual property rights.
Please call for more information on the scope of the International Practice Group services, particularly as they relate to your industry. Troutman Sanders is ready, willing and able to help you and your company obtain positive results.
| The Group has represented, or is currently representing clients in: |
| Afghanistan
Albania
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Canada
Cayman Islands
Chile
China
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Finland
France
Gaza
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kenya | | Kyrgyz Republic
Latvia
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Malaysia
Mali
Mexico
Moldova
Namibia
Netherlands
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Philippines
Poland
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Senegal
Singapore
Slovenia
Slovakia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Uganda
United Kingdom
U.S. Virgin Islands
Venezuela
Zambia |