The client is at the core of what we do
Comprehensive legal services, in coordination with the other practices of Commercial, Maritime, Administrative, Tax and Employment Law, in any type of matter that may affect the international activity of a company, whatever the commercial or industrial sector or the geographical region. International business entails additional challenges and consequently the need to mitigate risks within the preventive design of operations, thus reducing the likelihood of legal disputes. It will also be strategic to rely on specialised advice in the form of legal opinions during the actual performance of the contract in order to be able to react to any difficulties that may arise and, if necessary, to rely on a legal team experienced in international litigation. Indeed, the risk of cross-border disputes and often even parallel proceedings in different jurisdictions makes it necessary to efficiently select the various procedural options, and this is only possible by means of expert legal advice to guide the client through a complex procedural horizon. The complexity derives not only from the fact that more than one legal system may be involved, but also that it may involve jurisdictions belonging to different legal systems such as Civil Law and Common Law.
Expertise
- International contracts
In the preventive or non-contentious legal dimension, this practice of Martínez-Echevarría together with the Commercial, Civil, Maritime and Transport practices, provide extensive experience in the design and drafting of international contracts. The drafting of international sales contracts is usually the core of the advice offered in this area, with particular attention to the Incoterm chosen and the drafting of general conditions of sale adapted to the needs of the exporter. The conditions of the purchase-sale must be suitably reconciled with the type of transport contract to be used, the means of payment chosen, the insurance of the goods and the real or bank guarantees to cover the successful outcome of the business. Among international business collaboration contracts, our experience focuses on agency, distribution, franchising, assignment and licensing of industrial property contracts, international financing contracts (international leasing and factoring) and international joint venture contracts.
- International jurisdiction and proceedings with a foreign element
If the litigation arises in Spain and is related to a dispute previously initiated in another jurisdiction, or vice versa, we will accompany our client, helping them to find their way through this cross-border multi-jurisdictional complexity so that they can make the most efficient decisions to reach a satisfactory result. In this sense, disputes on jurisdictional issues (pleas challenging international court jurisdiction, pleas of international lis pendens, etc.), as well as the organisation of proceedings with a foreign element (international regime of court notifications and the collection of evidence abroad) are an essential part of the activity of the practice with regards to international litigation. At Martínez-Echevarría we combine extensive legal knowledge and experience in litigation or arbitration with international elements in Spain throughout all our locations, together with the ability to adapt to the client’s needs in relation to the logical coordination between the proceedings initiated in Spain and the court or arbitration proceedings that the client may have pending in other jurisdictions.
- Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments
Extensive experience in the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, be they from EU Member States or third countries. Automatic recognition, or even the abolition of exequatur, introduced by the EU instruments applicable to civil and commercial litigation, family and parental responsibility, maintenance obligations, matrimonial property regimes, property consequences of registered partnerships, international successions or insolvency proceedings, have resulted in the development of a wide range of possibilities in this sector which we can share with our clients. In relation to judgments issued by courts of third countries, the Spanish Law on International Judicial Cooperation in Civil Matters of 2015 has led to the introduction of a new judicial procedure of exequatur which guarantees an adequate channel of homologation of foreign judgments in Spain, as well as containing other interesting possibilities, particularly with regard to the effectiveness of registering foreign decisions.
- International debt recovery
- International insolvency
The team of lawyers of our Commercial, Maritime and International practices excel for their proven experience in their respective areas of expertise in the field of international insolvency, dealing with the characteristic problems of cross-border insolvency proceedings when the main proceedings are located in Spain or when only secondary or territorial proceedings can be initiated in Spain, as well as addressing the coordination needs between main and secondary proceedings in different jurisdictions. The EU’s international judicial cooperation instruments allow for the automatic recognition and enforcement of judgments of other EU Member States in insolvency matters in Spain, with the Insolvency Law requiring exequatur for decisions of non-EU countries. Our experience in this sector also includes all necessary actions for the receiver appointed by foreign courts to be able to carry out his or her functions in Spain.
- International arbitration
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is naturally an essential part of legal advice in international business and contracting. We can assist during the negotiation phase of the contract and the arbitration agreement establishing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, as well as during the development itself of international commercial arbitration, conciliation or mediation procedures in accordance with the most well-known international arbitration rules and in the most relevant arbitration institutions existing in Spain. At Martínez-Echevarría we also offer our extensive experience in the Spanish legal reality as to the choice of arbitrators and experts for arbitration procedures opened in Spain. If the client wishes to challenge an arbitral award issued in Spain, we can file an action for annulment before the courts and, of course, if the client has already obtained an arbitral award in another jurisdiction, we will assist in the process for its recognition and enforcement in Spain.
https://www.martinezechevarria.com/en/area/litigation-and-international-business/