| INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Having been born in Indonesia and with relatives on three continents--North America, Europe and Southeast Asia--Mr. van Gils has a natural cultural affinity for international transactions. From 1992 to 1999 he was a principal in the International Trade & Management Corporation, an international business consulting firm. Mr. van Gils has experience advising and representing clients in a variety of international commercial transactions and legal compliance matters including advising U.S. companies entering international markets, assisting overseas businesses with penetrating the U.S. market, and representation of foreign and domestic clients before local, state and federal agencies.
Services for overseas clients
The dynamic Washington-Baltimore area is the fourth largest market in the U.S. and an active nexus between government, high technology and international trading activities. With a presence in this area, firms have convenient access to the U.S. government, rail, port and airport facilities, free trade zones, international financial institutions, embassies and international organizations.
Mr. van Gils can assist businesses coming to this dynamic market in a number of ways by:
• providing assistance with opening offices and subsidiaries and designing business structures to be compatible with laws, regulations and the effective functioning of business strategies
• Advising on laws, regulations, and policies affecting the penetration of the U.S. market
• providing representation before financial institutions and local, state and federal government agencies
• Negotiating investment, sales, joint venture, and licensing agreements.
Services for U.S. firms conducting business internationally
International transactions provide particular challenges whether they involve the purchase or sale of products, the transfer of technology, or the investment in a chosen market. Cross border exchanges frequently involve comparative analysis of legal structures, dispute resolution, alternate financing and structuring the transaction to minimize taxation.
The international purchase and sale of products and technology requires careful drafting of contract terms, arranging trade financing, appointment of agents, providing for security and enforceability, providing for country risk, export controls, ensuring shipment of products and their proper customs treatment, clearance and acceptance.
Modern sophisticated technology transfer agreements require a careful analysis of issues of intellectual property protections, the establishment and collection of reasonable royalties and observance of competition policy in other countries, among others. The more advanced the technology the greater the need to observe all export controls on technical data. Mr. van Gils has experience with drafting the appropriate and effective agreements which reflect the parties' intent and are enforceable through appropriate dispute resolution clauses.
The added complexity of international transactions should not dissuade the enterprising firm from reaching the global market. Mr. van Gils has successfully conducted business on a global basis throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
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