International Litigation and Arbitration

International disputes are increasing dramatically as businesses expand into foreign markets to compete in the global economy. Litigating across national borders is often legally complex and difficult to predict. It requires experience and legal training to coordinate and implement an effective litigation strategy.

Our International Litigation Team, whose members collectively speak more than 10 languages fluently, has developed the experience and training necessary to handle the unique dimensions of international litigation and effectively represent clients in cross-border disputes, including:

• coordinating, managing and supervising all aspects of multijurisdictional litigation and international arbitration
• securing injunctive and other interim relief in the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions
• dismissing cases filed in inconvenient or improper forums
• enforcing foreign judgments and arbitral awards in the U.S. and vice versa
• determining the most favorable applicable law and resolving conflicts between the laws of multiple interested jurisdictions
• obtaining evidence in foreign jurisdictions for use in U.S. forums and vice versa
• defending clients involved in multijurisdictional mass tort litigation
• filing and litigating anti-suit injunctions
• selecting effective and capable foreign local counsel
• engaging effective industry and foreign law experts

Global Experience, Size and Focus Limit the Uncertainty of International Litigation

International litigation is unrestricted in almost every sense – geographically, legally and linguistically – and is difficult to predict both substantively and procedurally. Through our experience, size and strategic geographic presence, our International Litigation Team helps clients fully assess and manage international and foreign disputes.

Our goal is to exert control over the international dispute process, assess the risks and provide solutions. We counsel and represent clients regarding potential international disputes before litigation is initiated. This includes tailoring specific arbitration and mediation clauses, selecting the best suitable forum and law, and protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights.

Transnational Investigations

The International Litigation Team works closely with our in-house investigative consultants to provide professional investigative and consulting solutions. Our investigators have decades of experience as former agents for U.S. government agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. They provide an extensive array of international contacts and investigative services throughout the world.

International Arbitration

Holland & Knight’s International Litigation Team has arbitrated numerous international disputes, both in the U.S. and abroad. We have experience arbitrating complex disputes before prominent international arbitration organizations, such as:

• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
• American Arbitration Association (AAA) International
• United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
• Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA)
• International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
• Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission (IACAC)
• Center for Mediation and Arbitration of the Santiago, Chile, Chamber of Commerce
• World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration Center (WIPO)
• China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC)

Strong, Worldwide Affiliations

To effectively serve you throughout the world, we have strategically expanded our presence worldwide, with offices and representative offices in Central and South America, Europe and Asia.

As a result, we are well positioned to develop and maintain extensive worldwide contacts. We are also active in several international legal networks and organizations that enable us to quickly find local, qualified legal assistance. Since 1949, nearly 500 foreign-trained lawyers have interned in our U.S. offices, learning about U.S. law and practices, as well as teaching our lawyers about their laws and practices. We maintain strong, professional relationships with these lawyers long after they return to their home countries.

International Litigation

Holland & Knight is experienced in international litigation matters involving:

• Act of State Doctrine
• administrative challenges abroad
• Alien Tort Claims Act
• anti-suit injunctions
• arbitration
• bank interventions by foreign regulators
• commercial fraud
• conflicts of law
• dismissals for lack of jurisdiction
• domestication and enforcement of foreign judgments
• Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
• foreign distributorship/representative disputes
• foreign employment and labor disputes
• foreign government litigation
• foreign property expropriation
• Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
• forum non conveniens doctrine
• interim relief in aid of arbitration proceedings
• international class actions
• international intellectual property
• international investigations
• international mass torts
• jury trials under foreign law
• letters rogatory
• money laundering
• prejudgment remedies abroad
• RICO claims
• service of foreign process
• ship arrest
• U.S. government seizures
• white collar crimes