Before I get close to a deal in an international country, I contact a local law firm. They:

• Are in command of the language, laws and customs
• Know people in government and the major businesses
• Grasp the logistics of getting things done and how long it will take
• Understand how to read the local tea leaves of negotiating
• And it doesn't cost you anything to knock on their door, say hello, and tell them what you plan to do.

One good resource is Baker & McKenzie .

A few years ago I went into their Paris office cold and asked to speak with a lawyer. I had a potential deal brewing and asked Wallace Baker, managing partner, if he could meet with both sides and advise me if a deal was possible. He was cordial, gave us a conference room on the following day, and served us coffee. It turned out the transaction did not move forward, but Mr. Baker didn't charge me anything. In fact, he left the door open in case I needed his help again.

In Spain the scenario was different. I negotiated a deal in Madrid and was given a draft agreement in Spanish, which I do not speak. I called Baker & McKenzie's Madrid office and made an appointment. James Baker, the managing partner and brother of the partner in Paris, met with me the same day, gave me an espresso, and read the contract. He reported, somewhat to my dismay, that it read exactly 180 degrees opposite to the terms that had been agreed on so I decided the people could not be trusted. He was very nice about it and said I could come back any time. I got a bill some month's later for a half hour of his time, a huge bargain in my book.

On a third occasion I was going on a sales prospecting trip to Thailand. I called the Baker & McKenzie partner in Bangkok and asked if he would just come to lunch with my prospective clients and get involved if the deal went through. Not only did he agree to attend, he had his secretary reconfirm my guests and make the arrangements. Some of the attendees came because of his phone call. The meeting was a great success and he turned out to be the star of my show. He introduced himself as my lawyer in Thailand. Again there was no bill, though I did buy him lunch.

Recently I started doing business in Italy and Spain. I e-mailed the managing partners of Baker & McKenzie in Rome and Barcelona (closer to my clients than their Madrid office) and explained my situation.

We are a small, private company We need cost-effective local advice We have nothing for them to do immediately We want to line up a local lawyer to be ready if we are offered a contract I wanted our sales reps in Rome and Barcelona to come in and meet them just to get acquainted I suggested that if we were too small for Baker & McKenzie they could make a local referral Aurelio Giovannelli, the managing partner in Rome, replied to my e-mail the same day. He said they can be cost-effective for a small company and would be happy to help. He cc'd a local law partner specializing in small business and lined up resources ready to help me at short notice. He was delighted to meet our local rep. Esteban Raventós, the Baker & McKenzie managing partner in Barcelona, ​​replied from out-of-town, offering to have a colleague meet with us immediately if the need was urgent.

Having a world-class law firm in your corner doesn't guarantee that you will win a huge international deal, but why try without some powerful support behind you?