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Testimonials
International
Duane Morris' International Practice Group represents clients in all manner of cross border issues for international clients seeking to do business in the United States, and for U.S. clients conducting business in foreign markets. Our international practice integrates the services of Duane Morris attorneys from every office and across all practice areas, creating a global infrastructure that promotes enhanced sensitivity to cultural differences while focusing on the legal needs of our clients.
Our international client base, like our practice, is extraordinarily diverse. Duane Morris represents clients from all over the world with business and investment interests around the globe. To serve these clients, Duane Morris lawyers maintain close relationships with professionals located in jurisdictions ranging from Asia to Europe; from Latin America to Australia; from Africa to North America. In addition, our attorneys are fluent in many languages, including French, German, Italian, Korean, Mandarin and Spanish.
Duane Morris represented Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TSMC), in an intellectual property matter concerning a licensing company founded by a well-known inventor. The licensing company claimed that TSMC had infringed upon its process patents. Not only did the company threaten suit, it also began contacting TSMC's customers directly to demand royalties. (This licensing company had a history of making patent infringement claims and had previously won a multimillion dollar decision against another company.) To protect itself and its valued customers, TSMC needed an aggressive defense against such tactics, and called upon Duane Morris.
Duane Morris, working hand-in-glove with TSMC, pursued an innovative legal strategy. Rather than wait for the licensing company to file a patent infringement lawsuit against TSMC, Duane Morris filed suit first, seeking a declaratory judgment of non-infringement, invalidity and unenforceability of the licensing company's patents, and also seeking damages for interfering with TSM's contractual relationships. No other company threatened by the licensing company had taken this bold approach. Shortly after our filing, the licensing company initiated negotiations resulting in a settlement our client found very favorable.
"In the increasingly litigious high technology industry, IP litigation has become as ubiquitous as R&D. Duane Morris is more than our lead counsel, Duane Morris is our trusted advisor." - Dr. Richard L. Thurston, Vice President & General Counsel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
Duane Morris helped Travelers Insurance, one of the largest U.S. property and casualty insurers, avoid potential legal difficulties in Latin America. Travelers Insurance was considering the establishment of an insurance program to insure goods sold to Brazilian importers, and sought our advice. Through our international legal contacts, Duane Morris collaborated with an established Brazilian law firm to identify the risks of and alternatives to such a program. We found that Brazilian law placed strict prohibitions on the kind of insurance program Travelers was planning and, based in part on that knowledge, Travelers decided to abandon the project.
"Duane Morris' international expertise helped us avoid potentially serious problems related to a proposed venture in Brazil." - Tony Corsale, Vice President, Travelers Insurance Company
We were lead counsel for one of the world's largest auto manufacturers in the design and launch of its highly successful European Brand Protection program. Working with our client, Duane Morris attorneys investigated various brand and trademark infringements throughout Europe, North America and South America. Not only did we halt numerous infringements, but we recovered sizeable settlements on behalf of our client.
We helped Alfred Karcher GmbH & Co. KG, the world's leading manufacturer of cleaning equipment and technology, strengthen its presence in the United States through its acquisition of C-Tech Industries, the American market leader in pressure washers. With Karcher based in Winnenden, Germany and C-Tech headquartered in Camas, Washington with facilities in several states, the transaction spanned many borders and time zones. Duane Morris assisted Karcher with every step of the complex acquisition, from working through the many legal issues, including employment, environmental, taxation, intellectual property and corporate law required to structure the transaction to negotiating the definitive acquisition agreement. The acquisition was structured so that C-Tech will retain its brands and continue to operate as an independent company, while Karcher makes an important step forward in the globalization of its business and helps secure its long-term growth.
"The success of any acquisition depends on many issues, but one of the most important is who you have as your legal advisor. Duane Morris understands our business, our culture and our needs. Their outstanding work on this strategically important deal for Karcher is yet another example of why Duane Morris is our trusted U.S. legal advisor." - Hartmut Jenner, CEO, Alfred Karcher GmbH & Co. KG
