Europe Practice

Our Practice - What We Do
Snell & Wilmer's Europe Practice consists of more than a dozen attorneys practicing in each of the firm's six regional offices. The group was formed to better serve our clients doing business or with interest in Europe, and to provide high-quality legal representation to European clients conducting business in the United States.

The select group of attorneys provides first-hand legal advice on matters related to international business legal issues, including transactional and litigation legal services.

Our Attorneys - Who We Are
Attorneys with the Europe Practice regularly advise clients, ranging from construction and engineering companies with projects in multiple regions to multinational corporations addressing product distribution and asset acquisitions issues. Over the years, our attorneys have established relationships in the business and legal community, by working closely with local counsel in each European jurisdiction. In particular, the attorneys in the Europe practice area participate in the International Bar Association (www.iba.com) and in Lex Mundi (www.lexmundi.com), a leading association of independent law firms. Through Lex Mundi and other international contacts, Snell & Wilmer clients have access to extensive resources throughout the World.

Our Clients - Who We Represent
Primary clients of the firm's Europe practice are some of the region's leading businesses including manufacturing companies engineering firms, technology groups, insurance companies, oil companies, banking and investment institutions, private estates, governmental entities, and real estate developers. The firm handles legal services for these diverse international clients that range from large publicly held corporations to small businesses and individual investors.

The legal services provided include establishing supply, distribution and franchising channels for emerging businesses in the region, international intellectual property licensing agreements, patent and trademark infringement for international manufacturers, mergers and acquisitions as well as public and private offerings for large companies with international operations, foreign creditors in bankruptcy proceedings, international joint venture alliance agreements, tax planning for foreign corporations, antitrust and antitrust compliance issues, general and complex business litigation matters, corporate restructuring, as well as estate planning and trust administration. Clients are both local and international businesses that represent a broad cross-section of industries.

Our Experience - What We've Done
The Europe Practice has been involved in numerous significant transactions over the years including:

• Representation of a European engineering company on a multi-million dollar breach of contract / delay claim relating to the Saltend power plant.
• Representation of a European construction company in litigation over an alleged breach of contract related to Damhead power plant.
• Serve as lead counsel in bankruptcy litigation for an electrical subcontractor in a $12 million dispute claiming breach of contract and delay claim by a European project developer in U.S. bankruptcy.
• Representation of a European fiber-optics company on product distribution / asset recovery / labor issues.
• Lead counsel of international lenders in financing transactions involving credits in various European countries.
• Representation of multiple European manufacturing companies on matters relating to maximizing returns / maximizing recoveries / purchasing assets from Chapter 11 debtors.
• Representation of U.S. and/or European companies acquiring / selling assets in multiple jurisdictions.
• Private placement of Regulation D and Regulation S offerings with European investors.
• Filed petition under Section 304 of the Bankruptcy Code for the initiation of a case ancillary to foreign insolvency proceeding. The case involved a pending liquidation in the United Kingdom where there were assets of the debtor in the United States.
• Representation of U.S. and / or European companies in negotiating Joint Venture Agreements and Product Distribution Agreements.
• Representation of international manufacturer of industrial and electronic equipment in connection with international supply and distributions agreements, joint venture in Mexico and acquisition in Italy.
• Obtain foreign patent protection throughout European countries, including enforcement activities for infringement and infringement clearance. Also, actively obtain trademark rights in over 40 countries for franchises and global manufacturing companies.
• Lead counsel to private individuals on their private placement life, international tax, branch profit tax and subpart F income tax matters.
• Draft franchise disclosure documents and franchise agreements, and negotiated master franchise agreements for businesses throughout the Europe.