Whether you are exporting goods or importing them, international trade presents certain unique legal problems. It is essential to draft a contract that either the U.S. party or the foreign party can enforce satisfactorily. This is particularly true when dealing with a non-US government or governmental entity, which may resist attempts at collection based on its sovereign status. In addition, currency restrictions may impede transactions, particularly in Africa. Mr. Sternberg is known as an innovator in international trade law. Among his accomplishments, he has:

• Negotiated a secure, enforceable insurance and reinsurance co-brokerage agreement in the U.K. and U.S. worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and successfully defended that agreement when it was attacked years later.
• Developed a currency protocol to enable an international company to move currency through restrictions in Namibia, South Africa, and Angola
• Deterred a national quasi-governmental company from using his client’s regulatory and corporate framework while eliminating its fees in secret meetings in Johannesburg.
• Traced funds of an African sovereign resisting collection of U.S. debt on the basis that the funds were central bank funds, proving instead that the funds were proceeds of a commercial enterprise during federal litigation in the Eastern District of New York.
• Developed unique strategies for enforcing foreign sovereign contracts in the U.S.
• Won jurisdictional disputes involving international contracts in the D.C. district and appellate courts, resulting in his client being paid 100% of the disputed claim, plus interest not covered by the contract.
• Negotiated development of a consulting project with the Angolan Minister of Finance to assist in the development of Angolan civic and legal culture.

Financing Available for Qualified Foreign Clients.

The cost of needed U.S. legal services often proves a deterrent to foreign companies wishing to import goods from the U.S. Usually, such services must be paid for upfront, before the deal is even signed, and long before a saleable product arrives on your shores.

Mr. Sternberg, however, is the first U.S. attorney authorized by the U.S. Export-Import Bank to extend financing to foreign importers under the Express Insurance program. With this short term financing, importers can often arrive at a satisfactory contract and even receive the goods, all without paying the large upfront retainer that is the usual practice among U.S. law firms.

For more information about International Trade Law, or about Mr. Sternberg’s participation in the Express Insurance program, please contact Mr. Sternberg directly.