As the world becomes more flat and business continues to globalize, lawyers with expertise in international business continue to be in high demand. In the automotive industry, for example, auto manufacturers continue to decrease the number of their suppliers in an effort to gain operating efficiencies. Auto manufacturers expect their remaining suppliers to support their manufacturing locations throughout the world. U.S. suppliers thus continue to expand overseas, and their foreign counterparts are doing the same, including expanding to the U.S. For a company of any size, establishing a business far away from home in a country with unfamiliar customs, rules and practices, doing business internationally can be fraught with risk in addition to upside opportunity.
Dickinson Wright Attorney Tim Andersson focuses his practice on inbound and outbound foreign direct investment, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, financing and sales and distribution. Tim's interest in international law started in college when he had an opportunity to return to his Swedish family roots and study as an exchange student at SVF in Jönköping, Sweden. He returned later for an extra year in law school to study international law at Lund University. Coincidentally, he studied in an international law program in Lund exactly one year before Dickinson Wright Attorney Axel Kindbom studied in the same program. Tim and Axel collaborate frequently on clients based in Sweden. A few years later he returned to Europe and worked as an in-house corporate lawyer for a German automotive paint company. While in Germany, he negotiated and executed transactions around the world, including cross-border acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and distribution agreements.
Tim is passionate about international business. He is experienced in both inbound and outbound transactions. During the course of his career, he has had an opportunity to interact with lawyers in almost every industrialized country and understands how to bridge the gap between U.S. business practices and business practices in other parts of the world. There are three primary legal systems in the world today, including civil law, common law and religious law. To further complicate matters, there are combinations and variations of each of these systems around the world. The common law system originated in Great Britain and includes the United States (except for Louisiana), Canada (except for Quebec), India, Australia and parts of Africa. The civil law system traces its roots to France and ultimately to the Roman Empire. This system is prevalent in Europe, Mexico, South America and parts of Africa. The religious law system is prevalent in the Middle East and parts of northern Africa. Tim is familiar with each system and knows how to negotiate cross-border agreements that set the stage for a successful international business relationship.
On the inbound side, Tim has substantial experience helping foreign companies establish a presence in the U.S. He has a particular knack for helping Swedish and German countries, where he is assisted by his language abilities in Swedish and German. At any given time, Tim is helping a handful of companies at various stages of entering the U.S. and setting up operations, sales and/or distribution here. Tim asserts that his experience living abroad puts him in a unique position to help foreign companies adapt to U.S. business and norms. For example, Tim helps Europeans understand how Americans rely upon lawyers and devote time and resources to prevent litigation. He travels frequently to Europe, meeting with clients and presenting seminars to companies seeking to establish operations in the U.S. Tim considers himself to be a practical lawyer, and his seminars are filled with techniques for understanding and approaching business in the U.S.
With respect to international business trends, Tim frequently structures and executes cross-border transactions involving the "BRICS" countries, which each have large, fast-growing economies. Tim also regularly structures and executes transactions with businesses in Canada and Mexico, often in connection with the automotive industry.
To learn more about Tim’s practice, click here. To learn more about Dickinson Wright’s International practice, click here.
