The Cargo Law Network of International Logistics Counsel

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Countryman & McDaniel

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The Cargo Law Network of Overseas Legal Services

Table of Countries Is Below

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The Cargo Law Network of Legal Services:

Since 1978 The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel has actively served client needs throughout the United States & Abroad -- in the coordination of a network of correspondent legal counsel, surveyors and other consultants -- to all six continents, utilizing The Cargo Law Network. Accordingly, we are able to administrate International liability programs for both insurance underwriters and private logistics companies -- without the increased expense of contacing one of the multinational law firms operating today.

We currently provide these International services for a wide variety of client & underwriter interests with active cases in some 40 nations.

We are told by both private & institutional clients that the Cargo Law Network program is both economical to operate and also reduces indemnity payments. We believe that the reasons for these conclusions are obvisous.

Reaching the goal of serving whatever overseas legal challenge might suddenly arise around the globe for our clients was not easy, nor achieved overnight. The Cargo Law Network is a product of trust, built upon years of process. The assignment of overseas cases for the defense our clients protection is part of an ongoing process -- not just some instant reaction to the receipt of a case to be handled. Client interests must be served by assignment of the partiular legal case to a fully qualified logistics lawyer who is loyal to the concept of a long term relationship with Cargo Law Network representation.

We take great pride in this accomplishment -- the esablishment of a functioning legal system for logistics providers, developed over the past twenty years. This system is now available to serve our client interests through The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel.

The Cargo Law Network works "both ways." Cases are accepted from client interests in the United States for the administration of overseas cases. Likewise, cases are accepted from our clients overseas for the handling of claims within the 50 U.S. states and Canada.

The Cargo Law Network: The need arrives all too often. You receive some mysterious document from overseas which "looks like" a lawsuit. Many times we find that your company is only being harassed. There is no lawsuit, just an "interesting" document designed to panic you into paying money which is not owed. Other times, the lawsuit is quite real and your company must file papers in Bangkok or Mumbai or Shanghai within the next several days. What will you do? You can either grab the Mumbai phone book or retain a huge multinational law firm which will likely charge three times the claim amount to obtain the services of a disinterested junior legal associate. We are quite proud that The Cargo Law Network has functioned for many years as a viable alternative. The goal is for efficient disposition of the claim.

We are far too busy here to have any claim last any longer that it needs to be. Rapid closure is the common goal.

In such diverse areas as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Korea, Peru, The People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Kuwait, the Emirates, India, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico -- and all the others listed below -- The Cargo Law Network has directed a steady flow of hundreds of International logistics & customs related legal cases for many years since 1978.

The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel services are provided on behalf of private logistics companies and to support the International insurance programs which have been placed in our charge. Whether by private assignment or through an insurance underwriter, there is no reason why any so-called "In'tl Case" should exisit beyond our ability to dispose of the matter by letter -- if that result is at all possible.

The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel brings focus upon current industry needs to enhance cargo loss prevention techniques and rapid response cargo recovery programs. They are not all listed here, but our firm currently supervises litigation in 40 nations. This Cargo Law Network system has been years in the making and of great benefit to companies and underwriters facing liability risks overseas and throughout the 50 United States. 

We will continue to expand this area of our practice and find that it holds various advantages for our transport & insurance company clients.

Use of The Cargo Law Network Advantages Include:

1.] The ability of clients to instantly locate logistics attorneys in overseas locations is an asset that does not generally exist.

2.] Once, or if, an overseas lawyer is located by a client, use of "Local Counsel" is as problematic and risky as selecting a good plumber at random from the phone book. Who have your hired?

3.] If the client is viewed by the overseas attorney as a "one time" case opportunity, billing will not be efficient. Unfair exploitation may be the result. In The Cargo Law Network, our local counsel receive assignments for many clients -- all dependent upon The Cargo Law Network for future work. We have established uniformity in most venues.

4.] The client may be called upon to post a substantial case retainer which is not in proportion to the task at hand. This important issue is a common obsticale to overseas representation. >> But once credit is established by the client with our firm -- The Cargo Law Network "Local Counsel" do not require payment of an initial retainer. "Local Counsel" relies upon The Cargo Law Network -- and will take immediate action as required. Many quite impressive examples of such responses for The Cargo Law Network are available on request.

5.] The absence of loyalty to a "one time client" limits the availability of rapid response & positive outcome from any overseas attorney. But as often happens -- immediate response is often required to protect client interests. The Cargo Law Network is able to protect client interests by arranging, say, for the filing of a response to a lawsuit at Bangkok or Shanghai or Caracas, or Ahmahabad -- often within hours, by means of our The Cargo Law Network request.

6.] Reliance on the established Cargo Law Network removes the risk of unpaid billings for local counsel. Not once in 24 years have we experienced unresolved billing problems when working with "Local Counsel."

7.] Use of the Cargo Law Network does not limit the client to the single option of retaining a very expensive multinational law firm, which may assign an inexperienced junior associate to the case and thereby accomplish little to benefit the case outcome.

8.] While more important for some cases than others, Countryman & McDaniel involvement as coordinating counsel is a cost efficient method of enhancing the case result. Our familiarity with the air & ocean logistics & customs brokerage industry (forwarders & licensed customs brokers being on our own staff) allows for an "attorney to attorney" dialogue which can help speed the case to a conclusion at reduced cost. We work in all the transport modes and trade environments.

9.] All "Cargo Law Network Local Counsel" are required to abide by a strict set of "Billing Guidelines" when joining the Cargo Law Network. Contrary to the practice in most nations, our "Local Counsel" are required to itemize billings and follow other curbs on "over billing", such as assigning only one lawyer to attend proceedings unless prior permission has been obtained. Our "Billing Guidelines" follow those required by many U.S & UK insurance companies.

10.] Bearing in mind that most logistics disputes feature many potential locations in which a lawsuit might be filed, use of The Cargo Law Network frequently allows us to promote final resolution in the nation whose laws most favor our client cause or where the cause will be handled most fairly. As only one example, we recently obtained dismissal for a case pending in the U.S. District Court for The Southern District of New York, in favor of continued proceedings in the Maritime Court of Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Our client would likely lose the case in New York, but will likely prevail under Chinese law, using the services of our very dedicated local counsel at Shanghai.

11.] Of greatest importance over the years has been our ability to avoid the cost & uncertainty of litigation overseas by using the insights of Cargo Law Network Local Counsel to obtain prompt analysis & "tips" which allow for dispute resolution by letter from our offices in the United States. Examples of this process are numerous. Many of our cases involve shipments which have no connection with the United States, except a U.S. client. In these "three corner" cases a Cargo Law Network Local Counsel instant e-mail chat has often allowed us to choose the correct case direction for case handling. To simply regard the case as a local matter in the country where the legal case was filed, without consuting Cargo Law Network Local Counsel at origin would have been a disaster to the client cause.

We would be pleased to discuss your Int'l experiences.

Please contact MIchael S. McDaniel, Esq. to discuss your International Cargo Law Network Local Counsel needs.

Partial List of The Countries Currently Served By The Cargo Law Network

ARGENTINA

AUSTRALIA

BELGIUM

BRAZIL

CANADA - all provinces

CARIBBEAN BASIN

CHILE

COLUMBIA

COSTA RICA

CZECH REPUBLIC

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

ECUADOR

FINLAND

FRANCE

GERMANY

GUATEMALA

GREECE

Honduras

HONG KONG

INDIA & provinces

ISRAEL & Palentine Interests

ITALY

JAPAN

KUWAIT

MEXICO

NETHERLANDS (Holland)

NEW ZEALAND

NORWAY

PANAMA

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC of CHINA - all provinces

PERU

PHILIPPINES

PUERTO RICO

ROMANIA

RUSSIA & former Soviet interests

SAUDI ARABIA

SINGAPORE

SOUTH KOREA

SPAIN

ST. MAARTEN

TAIWAN - REPUBLIC OF CHINA

THAILAND

TURKEY

UNITED KINGDOM

URUGUAY

UNITED STATES - Currently in 43 Jurisdictions

VIETNAM

VIRGIN ISLANDS

VENEZUELA

 
Required Legal Notice: The Law Offices of Countryman & McDaniel are quite proud of the years of work which have been spent in building The Cargo Law Network, but it must be understood that our firm does not purport to practice law overseas, nor are we able to represent ourselves as expert in the laws of all the nations in which we coordinate cases. "Local Counsel" firms are retained by our clients, under "Powers of Attorney" which are required by most courts of the world, but not in the United States. A great many of the "Local Counsel" in The Cargo Law Network have demonstrated their talent & dedication continuously over the years. Case frequency in other areas of the world limits our contact and thus our familiarity with performance in given situations.

 

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