Business Services in more detail

Services are emphasized to advising clients on implications of cross-border transactions, as well as to legal design of international business and trade relationships, and the contracting thereof.

In other words, matters in relation to the appointment of a foreign agent or distributor, the licensing of production rights, the exporting of (consigned) goods, problems with a local manager of a foreign subsidiary; matters with an international scope that need to be taken care of.

But also matters like KYC documents*, legalizations, the opening of bank accounts and taking out insurance in a foreign country. Matters you may be confronted with when doing business abroad or with foreign companies. Matters in which Van Velzen C.S. assists.

* KYC stands for Know Your Customer. Nowadays, a lot of documentation is to be provided to foreign parties, like lawyers, accountants and banks, prior to them commencing services to a client. KYC normally is provided in either the English or the local language and regularly requires translation. Van Velzen C.S.' network includes translators and 3rd parties legalizing documents.

Contracts & negotiations

As Legal Architect, Van Velzen C.S. analyzes the client's current supply structure and associated risk transfers, commission and discount schemes, compliance with e.g. EU and US competition and anti-trust laws and regulations, import and export restrictions, etceteras. Taking all that into account, a new contract structure and format is designed.

As Legal Consultant, Van Velzen C.S. reviews and (re)writes contracts and assists clients in contract negotiations, based on a practical approach, keeping a sound, mutual business relationship in mind.

■   Design of contract structure and format
■   Review and (re)writing cross-border contracts
■   Point of communication for client, insurers, banks, accountants and other relevant parties
■   Advice on legal implications of supplies to foreign purchasers

Court cases & disputes

Van Velzen C.S. assists clients in court cases and disputes with 3rd parties abroad and acts as liaison between the client and foreign service providers (lawyers, accountants).

This may involve pre-trial actions, where parties are striving to reach a settlement prior to discovery (USA) taking place, or cases involving dismissal of a foreign group company's director, for which, for obvious reasons, another than the foreign group company's lawyer is to be engaged.

Registrations & formalities

Van Velzen C.S. arranges for compliance with formalities that facilitate receipt of foreign country originating payments. One may think of opening bank accounts in various currencies abroad, of aggregating various bank accounts with one global banker, but also of arranging for formalities that avoid so-called back-up withholding at source, e.g. withholding on payments from US customers (W-8 procedure).

Liaison

Van Velzen C.S. acts as liaison between the client and various government agencies and 3rd parties, like banks, lessors, insurers, accountants and lawyers; Van Velzen C.S. thereby acts as client's portal to legal matters and translates the various business, government and technical (i.e. legal/tax) languages into a commonly understood version thereof.

Miscellaneous

Van Velzen C.S. maintains and operates a wide network of service providers in multiple disciplines, offering ancillary services like translations, legalizations and temporary work and travel visas.

THE FOREGOING CONTAINS GENERAL INFORMATION, IS FOR INFORMATIVE PURPOSES ONLY, IS GENERAL IN NATURE, AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE EXHAUSTIVE OR AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR COMPETENT LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. APPLICABLE RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE OR MAY BE CONTINUOUSLY SUBJECT TO CHANGE. NO RIGHTS ARE TO BE DERIVED FROM THE CONTENTS OF THIS INFORMATION.