INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL CONSULTING
TransLegal offers comprehensive international commercial consulting services through the members of the TransLegal Network.
Administrative Procedures and Government Requirements
In addition, TransLegal specializes in streamlining transnational administrative procedures, such as obtaining foreign government permits or authorizations. The TransLegal Network allows you to learn and comply with government requirements.
Recent Consulting and Research projects include:
- Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, India, Mexico, Nicaragua, Qatar and Spain: Compiling national legislation implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity and determining requirements for obtaining state authorization to bio-prospect in the national territory and export genetic material, including meetings with corresponding Ministry officials and review of draft mutual transfer agreements to ensure compliance with local law.
- Azerbaijan: Consultant to Washington, DC-based law firm to negotiate and structure a contract for the construction of a 4-lane highway to traverse the Republic of Azerbaijan. Services included: reviewing financing applications and conditions from a team of banks headed by Societe Generale; reviewing loan guarantee conditions / provisions from the United States Export-Import Bank; negotiating specific conditions to the standard FIDIC international construction contract that were ultimately executed between the Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan and the prime contractor, a U.S. entity; negotiating contracts between the prime contractor and Azeri sub-contractors; developing comprehensive Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guidelines for the prime and all sub-contractors; structuring accounting practices to comply with U.S. and Azeri GAAP rules as well as Ex-Im Bank reporting requirements; meeting with the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United States; meeting with the representatives of the United States Departments of Commerce, State and Export-Import Bank; obtain letters of support for the project from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Locke and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia.
- Brazil: Determining all permits and licenses required by Brazil for the establishment of an animal feed production facility to be owned by a foreign entity. Services included: identification of appropriate local entity structure; identification of permits / authorizations at the federal, state and municipal levels, including the equivalent of FDA approvals; and identification of tax and banking requirements, specifically for repatriation of profits.
- Colombia: Consulting on bankruptcy procedures.
- India: Obtain an opinion from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of India confirming that a client’s product, manufactured using a genetically modified organism, did not require special import authorizations.
- India: Analyze the laws and regulations of India governing the use of the vegetarian symbol (VEG) on foods for human consumption and their ingredients, including discussions with representatives of the Food Safety and Standards Authority.
- India: Analyzing the regulations governing the use of denatured alcohol in the production of perfumes in India.
- Kyrgyzstan: Obtain copies of sanitary standards.
- Mexico: Analyzing the regulations governing the importation into Mexico of certain consumer goods, including testing and labeling requirements.
- Mexico: Analyze the laws and regulations governing the importation of pesticides into Mexico for greenhouse and field testing, including discussions with representatives of the Secretariats of Agriculture and the Environment and identification of accredited testing laboratories in Mexico.
- Mexico: Apply for and obtain authorization from National Fisheries Council to bio-prospect in Mexico. Establish limited liability company in Mexico to conduct bio-prospecting activities.
- Philippines: Research the laws and regulations governing the importation into the Philippines of drugs to be used in human clinical trial studies and identifying companies authorized by the Bureau of Food and Drugs to import drugs.
- Puerto Rico: Apply for and obtain permit to bio-prospect in the waters of Puerto Rico from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
- Qatar: Qualifying a United States entity to do business in Qatar, including all registration and local representative requirements.
- Spain: Apply for authorization from the Government of the Canary Islands to collect samples of microorganisms from the waters of the Canary Islands and confirm requirements to export such samples.
- Saudi Arabia: Examining the Saudi law regulating distributorship and agency agreements.
- Ukraine: Obtain copies of customs rulings.
- Uzbekistan: Obtain copies of sanitary standards.