International Law

In the past twenty years, Georgia has become a popular location for international companies to establish their U.S. operations. This is particularly true of Metropolitan Atlanta, and is not surprising for a number of reasons. Metropolitan Atlanta is a vibrant and growing city that is considered the capital of the "New South," a position that was confirmed when Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics.

For business, Metropolitan Atlanta has many other advantages. Throughout its history, Atlanta has been known as a city friendly to business. Many international and domestic businesses have found it easy to locate and establish business in Atlanta. The business-friendly nature of Atlanta starts with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The airport offers numerous direct daily flights to Europe, the Far East, and South America. For those selling in the U.S., the airport provides for easy travel connections to the rest of the United States. For those importing products into the U.S., Georgia has two Atlantic port cities, Savannah and Brunswick, and also offers close proximity to ports in Charleston, South Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida.

Metropolitan Atlanta supports many general and international chambers of commerce and other business organizations. These organizations, along with State of Georgia's Department of Economic Development, can provide substantial assistance to international businesses interested in locating in Metropolitan Atlanta, or, for that matter, the rest of Georgia. Metropolitan Atlanta is also home to a large number of universities, including the Georgia Institute of Technology ("Georgia Tech"), Emory University, and Georgia State University. Georgia's flagship university, the University of Georgia, is located in Athens, only 65 miles (or roughly 100 kilometers) away.

The firm provides the necessary legal services for companies wishing to take advantage of all that Metropolitan Atlanta and Georgia have to offer. These services include formation of the appropriate business entity. Following business formation, we assist clients in connection with the import and distribution of their products. This often involves establishing general terms and conditions of sale. For larger and more complicated transactions, we can assist in reviewing and negotiating non-disclosure agreements (confidentiality agreements), specific contracts of sale, and distribution agreements. We can also assist with executive employment contracts and other employment issues. For those leasing space or acquiring property, we review, negotiate and draft the appropriate leases, contracts, and related documents.

In the event an international company or its subsidiary becomes involved in litigation in the U.S., we have extensive litigation capabilities and we have experience representing international companies in litigation. We explain in detail how the process works to our clients, and are experienced in helping international witnesses prepare to testify in court and arbitration proceedings. We keep our clients fully informed and work closely with them to achieve the best possible result.

In our experience, many international companies, particularly those entering the U.S. market for the first time, make the mistake of assuming that they can do business in the U.S. precisely the same way they do business in their home country. We also find that many companies do not pay enough attention to legal issues in starting and doing business in the U.S. This is usually a bad mistake, and can lead to regulatory issues, and even to litigation.

We understand the cultural issues faced by international companies in doing business here. Our lawyers have considerable experience in representing international companies, particularly from Europe, and understand the fundamental issues international clients face when first dealing with the two-tiered "common law" system that exists in the U.S.

We have considerable experience in explaining the U.S. legal system to international businesses. Two of our shareholders speak German. They studied law in Germany after law school in the United States, and worked briefly with German law firms. Another shareholder has traveled extensively in Germany and Europe and has given public and private seminars on various aspects of U.S. law, including seminars on U.S. Product Liability Law and Risk Management in conjunction with the International Handelskammer (Chamber of Commerce) in Munich. We are active in the German American Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Center for International Studies, and other international groups.

The firm's size also assists us in dealing with international companies. Many international companies are first referred to large law firms in New York or other cities, where they may encounter extremely high rates with very little personal service. Our size allows us to provide personal service with more individualized attention to client needs by experienced attorneys.

Back to Top