Representation of Clients from Europe

Schiff Hardin regularly advises clients from European countries in all legal issues they face in the United States. Many of our attorneys are bilingual and trained in one or more European legal systems.

In addition to several large European enterprises, we advise many mid-sized and smaller companies, as well as investor groups and individuals, in all legal matters that are part of a business activity in the United States. Our intimate familiarity with civil law legal systems and European business cultures make us well suited to serve these clients' diverse needs in relation to their interests in this country. Our services for our European clients are supported by the comprehensive practical experience of nearly 400 Schiff Hardin lawyers in offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Lake Forest, New York, San Francisco and Washington.

General Services for our European Clients

The special backgrounds and credentials of our attorneys position us to be unusually sensitive to the requirements of the European client and knowledgeable about the legal system in which it operates at home. They also allow us to offer practical and efficient solutions to both legal and business problems that take into account not only the latest developments in U.S. law and practice, but also any special legal requirements of the client's country of origin.

In the unlikely event that a dispute arises here, the breadth of our services in international matters also allows us to represent the European client in a manner that is easily-comprehensible and will reduce the anxieties often associated with engaging in legal proceedings in a distant and unfamiliar forum.

Our principal services include:

Mergers and acquisitions
Venture capital and private equity investments
Formation of U.S. subsidiaries
Tax optimization of corporate structures
Joint ventures and shareholder agreements
Protection of intellectual property
License agreements with U.S. companies
Bank and capital market financing
Management buyouts
Distribution and franchising of products in the United States
Product liability
Trade regulation and antitrust
Labor and employment
Real estate
Government contracts
Securities and futures markets regulation
General business litigation and arbitration

Focused Services for American Affiliates of European Clients

We regularly advise the American affiliates of our European clients in the legal aspects of their business activities in the United States. In fact, in the case of many of these affiliates, we act as the de facto General Counsel, advising on all legal matters they face in their business operations in the United States. Here, as well, the familiarity of our practitioners with European legal systems permits us to find solutions that solve U.S. legal problems in a manner that will not run afoul of the legal environment in which the European parent operates.

In addition to the services we generally provide to our overseas clients, this aspect of our practice encompasses, among others, the following areas:

Sales contracts, including industry-specific terms and conditions
Corporate governance
Executive compensation and employee benefits
Land use and zoning
Environment
Construction
Product safety
Document retention and legal reporting requirements
Restructuring and reorganizations
Insurance

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