INCOTERMS: What They Are & How Mistakes Cost Millions As international business lawyers, we get all kinds of questions—some quick, some complex, some oddly specific, and others so common they come up almost weekly. One recurring question we hear from clients across industries goes something like this: Quick Question: What Are INCOTERMS, and How Important
IP Strategies for the China Plus One Era I recently had a discussion with several of my law firm's international lawyers about how so many of our clients are expanding their manufacturing operations or product sourcing beyond China. These clients now have an "international" strategy in which China is just one component, or in some
Introduction I am an international transactions lawyer. I frequently handle the initial stages of transactions and often find myself negotiating with parties who do not have legal representation. In these scenarios, I am trying to put together the easiest and most streamlined contract that the counterparty will be comfortable with. This work requires a deep
Joint ventures with China factories are seldom a good idea.The better way to handle these relationships is usually with a China-centric distribution agreement that sets forth sales goals and allows you to walk away if your Chinese factory does not meet those goals. It usually makes sense to have a trademark licensing agreement with your distributor as well.
Mexico's Business Future Under President Sheinbaum Mexico has ushered in a new era with the inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum as the country's first female president. I am optimistic about Mexico's prospects for continued economic growth and increased foreign investment under President Sheinbaum. My clients keep asking what they should expect from her presidency. In this
The Bank Account Switch Scam The bank switch scam involves your regular product supplier asking you to make a payment to a new bank account or a new supplier asking you to make your first payment. After you make the payment, your supplier insists you still owe the full amount because it never received your
How to Succeed at Overseas Foreign Manufacturing More than a decade ago, I wrote an article for a supply chain magazine, on what I and my law firm's international manufacturing lawyers saw as the ten keys to successful overseas manufacturing. Though the magazine no longer exists, I recently rediscovered the article when a potential client
Paying Chinese Companies for Product that Never Arrives Two to three times a week, my law firm will get a query from a company that paid for Chinese product and received absolutely nothing. The below is a good example of what we just keep getting. This is an e-mail (modified to hide any possible identifiers)
The Frustrating Reality of International Manufacturing Disputes (and How to Avoid Them) Hardly a week goes by at my law firm where one of our international litigation lawyers does not get a call or an e-mail from a company exploring its options for pursuing its overseas manufacturer (usually based in China, but not always) for a
China Manufacturing Problems are Increasing Imagine investing millions of dollars into a product launch, only to receive defective or unusable goods from your Chinese manufacturer – a scenario that could cripple your business. Unfortunately, this nightmare is increasingly becoming a reality for many companies that rely on China manufacturing, without proper safeguards. The increasingly tense
