International Litigation

All the world’s a marketplace today, and companies who once succeeded with a domestic integration structure are increasingly reliant on overseas suppliers and customers. At the same time, foreign-owned companies are finding operations within the U.S. desirable for a host of reasons, and in these cases, expansion beyond your national borders carries the risk of wide-ranging legal problems in the courts of other nations.

Protecting our clients everywhere they do business is the core purpose of Alston & Bird’s International Litigation Team. We represent non-U.S. clients in domestic litigation matters and U.S. clients in litigation outside the U.S., as well as in international arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution. Our lawyers possess the language skills to operate in courtrooms and at negotiating tables around the globe, but more importantly, we have the skills, experience, and contacts to assist in any adversarial matter, anywhere in the world. We help clients avoid costly and potentially damaging litigation through risk-management assessments and regulatory compliance reviews and have a strong track record of heading off potential litigation through carefully crafted pre-litigation strategies.

When a courtroom is unavoidable, our litigators deftly navigate international discovery requirements and legal proceedings. We maintain strong relationships with some of the best law firms in the world and work closely with exceptionally qualified local counsel to achieve cost-efficient and optimal outcomes for our clients in any jurisdiction. Effective representation abroad is not a given for companies in an increasingly global economy. Alston & Bird bridges the divide, providing a measure of certainty in an uncertain world.

• Defended a foreign national bank from a suit alleging expropriation and RICO offenses and claiming $4.8 billion in damages; suit was dismissed by the district court and dismissal was affirmed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Represented a U.S. entity in commercial litigation against a major Asian telecommunications company, including obtaining a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction and winning judgment on the pleadings on breach of contract claims.
• Represented a Canadian estate in obtaining the return of an iconic masterpiece from an internationally renowned national gallery.
• Represented a major German truck manufacturer in litigation in Oregon, winning an $850 million jury verdict.
• Defended a foreign, quasi-governmental corporation in a commercial dispute involving the refining of high-purity gold.
• Defended a foreign national bank from a petition for turnover on Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act grounds.
• Defended a major Korean engineering and construction company in an action on a guaranty brought in New York State Supreme Court, where the plaintiff sought more than $100 million in damages.
• Bringing and defending against petitions to obtain evidence in the United States for use in foreign proceedings via 28 U.S.C. § 1782 (including bringing and defending against motions to quash the subpoenas issued as a result of the petitions) in circuit courts in the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits.
• Obtaining evidence abroad, including taking depositions and obtaining documents in many jurisdictions, including Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, China, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Australia.