Asia

Asia-based clients doing business in the United States and U.S. clients doing business in Asian countries have unique business and legal needs that often require the advice and guidance of experienced legal counsel who have in-depth knowledge of Asia’s cultural, government and legal systems.

Snell & Wilmer’s Asia practice was formed to better serve our clients doing business or with interests in Asia. Our exceptional legal capabilities, combined with our language skills and sensitivity to cultural diversity, allow us to serve the unique legal needs of our domestic and international clients. Several of our attorneys speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Malay, Tamil, Vietnamese, Hindi or Malayalam.

Our clients include emerging companies establishing supply, distribution and franchising channels in the region, emerging businesses, international manufacturers, large media companies with international operations, foreign creditors and foreign corporations. Our clients represent a broad cross-section of industries.

Regional Connections: Our attorneys are familiar with the special issues raised by the business and legal environment of most Asian countries. Our attorneys regularly travel to Japan, Korea and other countries in the region for extended periods of time to provide extensive legal advice on international legal matters, and serve as reliable resources on American business requirements for companies interested in expanding their United States businesses and distributions. This experience has also provided our attorneys with the opportunity to further establish and build extensive relationships in the region’s public and private sectors.

Involved and Invested: In addition, our attorneys are actively involved in various international organizations, including the City of Phoenix Pacific Rim Advisory Council, the Asian American Bar Association, the National Asian-Pacific American Bar Association, the Korean-American Bar Association, Inter-Pacific Bar Association, the Pacific Council on International Policy and the International Association of Korean Lawyers. Participation in these organizations has helped us stay abreast of Asia’s ever-changing legal and economic landscape, and our firm supports these types of activities at no cost to our clients.

International Scope: Our firm is a member of Lex Mundi, a leading association of 160 independent law firms from around the world. Through our active involvement with this recognized worldwide resource, our clients can have the confidence that they will receive quality representation from an elite selection of law firms with local market knowledge. This extensive network, together with Snell & Wilmer’s offices in the United States, enables us to stay at the forefront of our profession and to provide a full range of quality legal services to our clients in more than 76 countries worldwide.

Our Asia practice group has been involved in numerous significant transactions over the years. A brief but representative list of transactions is provided below.

• Served as counsel to a major Korean media and entertainment company with expansion into U.S. markets
• Assisted a Korean biotechnology company with establishing operations in the United States and comply with U.S. laws regulating health services and biotechnology
• Drafted master franchise agreements, development agreements and disclosure documents for a franchise’s development rights in Asia
• Obtained Nevada gaming licenses and other state and tribal regulatory approvals for international companies and individuals, particularly from Japan
• Represented and drafted a strategic defense plan for a Japanese automobile manufacturer in a product liability lawsuit
• Represented several companies in financing transactions with collateral in Singapore
• Drafted joint venture or strategic alliance agreements for companies in India, China and Japan
• Assisted with product sourcing and distribution agreements for companies in Japan and Korea
• Provided tax planning for U.S. and foreign corporate clients in international transactions
• Provided international estate planning and administration for U.S. citizens and U.S. resident foreign citizens
• Represented foreign creditors in U.S. bankruptcy proceedings
• Provided litigation support, including selection and management of foreign counsel, international discovery, foreign ADR, and litigation in civil code jurisdictions
• Advised Japanese companies operating in the U.S. on antitrust compliance
• Drafted visa applications and advised on all manners of immigration law compliance, including immigration audits on behalf of U.S. employers
• Represented U.S. companies in overseas construction contracts
• Represented U.S. energy companies in connection with issues relating to nuclear material disposal
• Prosecuted U.S. patent applications on behalf of foreign patent owners, and foreign patent applications on behalf of U.S. patent owners
• Represented a major Japanese daily newspaper in its North American operations
• Represented Japanese subsidiaries in connection with U.S. operations
• Represented Japanese corporations in restructuring and going public in the United States
• Drafted intellectual property licensing agreements with parties in Japan, Korea, Australia and China
• Advised on Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act compliance, including cross-border service of process, discovery and execution issues against foreign governmental entities
• Drafted international private placement life insurance policies