As Phoenix becomes the hub of a rapidly developing international trade region, attorneys in the firm's International Law Group provide legal services to an increasing number of U.S. clients doing business abroad and to foreign entities doing business in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
We integrate our international connections with our many years of experience in the areas of corporate, labor and employment, securities, banking, tax, real estate, antitrust, trademark protection, bankruptcy and litigation. We have counseled clients regarding foreign investment, joint ventures, franchising, licensing (merchandising and technical), agency and distribution agreements, arbitration, and representation before local, state and federal agencies. Our attorneys also assist individuals with business formation and international estate planning. In fact, Jennings Strouss ranked #1 in Phoenix, AZ in the field of International Trade and Finance Law by The Best Lawyers in America®, 2010.
The firm also can assist foreign clients in obtaining discovery in the US District Courts pursuant to Section 1782 U.S.C. for use in foreign courts and arbitration proceedings and can handle the enforcement of foreign judgments in Arizona.
U.S./Mexico and Other Latin American Countries
Jennings Strouss’s experience in both inbound and outbound transnational matters with Mexico and other Latin American countries has made our international team among the best in the region. Our international attorneys provide services to both U.S. clients doing business in Mexico and Latin America and Mexican and other Latin American clients doing business in the U.S.
Continuing changes in Mexican and other Latin American law make it important for companies doing business there to have access to experienced U.S. commercial lawyers who understand the nuances of the law and have contacts in the Mexican and other Latin American legal communities. Several members of the practice group are bilingual and have negotiated and drafted agreements in Spanish. One member of the group has a law degree from the Universidad Mexicana in Mexico City and practiced in Mexico for more than 11 years, while yet another spent a year working in the offices of a prominent Mexico City law firm, establishing contacts and assisting U.S. companies with their business activities in Mexico. Another has more than 45 years experience in handling trademark and merchandising and related business matters in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Through our Washington D.C. office we assist clients with public policy and strategy in regard to international operations and have important contacts with foreign governmental representatives.
Our lawyers are also involved in organizations that have a direct impact on relations with Mexico and other Latin American countries including the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, American Bar Association–Latin America Law Initiative, Arizona-Mexico Commission, North American Center for Transborder Studies, US-Mexico Bar Association, Arizona-Sonora Judicial Cooperation Committee, Border Health Foundation, and the NAFTA Commission on Use of ADR in Private Commercial Disputes in NAFTA Area. This experience places the firm in a unique position among other Southwest law firms to assist U.S. clients with needs under Mexican and Latin American law.
Representative Engagements
- Negotiate and document real property transactions, including sales and acquisitions of developed properties, such as hotels and raw land, for subsequent use
- Represent developers in negotiation, documentation and implementation of ownership vehicles, structures, and guarantees relating to financing and development obligations
- Negotiate with governmental and private parties for international and Mexican joint ventures relating to tourism, resorts, telecommunications, manufacturing and technology
- Negotiate and document construction and other related agreements
- Represent clients through all stages of government contracting
- Handle commercial landlord-tenant issues involving properties owned by client or related entities
- Arbitrate for U.S., Mexican and Canadian companies in cross-border litigation and arbitration
- Handle numerous trademark filings, conflicts and licensing agreements for clients with operations throughout Mexico and other Latin American countries
- Handled temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to freeze certain funds that had been moved up from Mexico, held in bank and other investment accounts in Arizona that belonged to client
Other International Business Counseling
In addition to our significant experience in Mexico and other Latin American countries, we provides a range of services on international transactional, commercial, financial, investment, intellectual property and dispute resolution matters in other countries around the world. We work with clients in formulating and implementing strategies and conducting related international transactions. These include financings, sales of assets, due diligence, dealing with employees, landlords as well as others. We also have particular expertise in developing solutions in the area of intellectual property. Our international law attorneys have handled matters for companies located throughout Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
Jennings Strouss attorneys have developed close contacts with foreign counsel in every major country who complement our capabilities in order to better assist clients with their legal needs. One of the international law practice attorneys serves on the Council on Foreign Relations while another is the former acting Honorary Consul for France and advises the French Ambassador to the U.S. on commercial matters. Several members serve in leadership roles in organizations such as the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, the Phoenix Sister Cities
Commission, the American Bar Association–Central European and Eurasian Legal Initiative, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, and the North American Center for Transborder Studies.
Members of the group are fluent in French, Polish, Serbo-Croatian and Spanish.
Representative Engagements
- Represent clients with our international legal experience in civil litigation, mostly in the service of process and related litigation.
- Serve as counsel in Washington D.C. on client issues at the intersection of law, policy and public interest.
- Serve as General Counsel to the International District Energy Association in establishing a chapter in Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Utilize our substantial experience in international patent and trademark filings, prosecution, litigation and licensing
- Served as U.S. corporate and securities counsel to a company organized under Scottish law, controlled by investors from the UK, which invested $5 million in the securities of a U.S. commercial real estate company
- Assisted a French tourism company in setting up business in Northern Arizona
- Represented a U.S. company in connection with a contract we drafted under which our client hired a UK company to serve as marketing agent for sales of our client's equipment in the UK and Europe
- Represented two major U.S. ice cream and cookie companies in obtaining franchises throughout Asia
