In a
complex global marketplace with vanishing borders, Jones Walker develops
creative legal solutions for clients both at home and throughout the world.
Jones Walker has handled international transactions on five continents, with a
concentration in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Our attorneys provide clients
with seamless and efficient service by working closely with correspondent and
affiliate counsel in foreign countries. This network enables the firm to devise
complex, multi-faceted solutions in a cross-border environment, while assuring
consistent delivery of legal services worldwide.
Jones
Walker has particular experience in the area of counseling financial services
businesses, including insurers, banks, mutual funds, and producers. We have
advised multinational insurance company clients on company formation; foreign
regulatory issues with respect to variable life, annuity, and health insurance
products; foreign laws governing authorization, licensing, marketing practices,
agents, and brokers; bancassurance; and the drafting and interpretation of
insurance policies. We have also advised foreign governments in connection with
insurance and pension reform legislation.
We have
handled international construction projects, cross-border mergers and acquisitions,
and international joint ventures, and have successfully closed project
financings related to large international infrastructure projects, including
major development projects, joint ventures, investments and/or asset
acquisitions, service agreements, and engineering, procurement, and
construction contracts throughout the world.
Through
our relationship with an international metals and mining company and its
subsidiaries, we have gained extensive experience representing U.S.-based
companies operating in foreign countries. This unique partnering relationship
involves the handling of virtually all of the client's international business
matters, providing representation with respect to all major acquisitions, joint
venture arrangements, privatization transactions, product sales agreements,
drilling and earthworks projects, offshore and onshore engineering,
procurement, construction, and maintenance contracts, strategic alliance
agreements relative to the outsourcing of facility operations, transportation agreements,
and other operating agreements relative to international mining and smelting
operations.
In the
international tax area, we regularly structure overseas operations in
connection with cross-border mergers and acquisitions to minimize foreign tax
liabilities and overall worldwide tax rates, including the use of hybrid
financing techniques and foreign entities.
Jones
Walker has significant experience in handling international maritime and
commercial litigation and arbitration matters. We regularly represent clients
in UNCITRAL and ICC arbitrations, and have overseen litigation filed with
foreign tribunals. We represent both domestic and foreign clients before U.S.
tribunals in international matters.
In
connection with international corporate compliance matters, through its
corporate compliance practice, Jones Walker regularly advises clients with
respect to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Foreign Assets Control
Regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the USA
Patriot Act, the Homeland Security Act, U.S. anti-boycott legislation, and the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Jones Walker also advises international clients on the
General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), U.S. bilateral investment
treaties with foreign countries, the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA), and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
Our attorneys have lived and studied around the
world and bring a unique cultural perspective to the practice. Moreover, they
are conscious of the differences between civil and common law systems, and have
written and spoken extensively on the subject. Members of this
practice are fluent in Spanish, French, and German, and routinely handle
complex matters using their foreign language skills.
