Scopelitis has a long history of assisting clients offering international transportation and logistics services, including those performing surface cross-border moves involving the U.S. and Canada.

Transactional services include obtaining appropriate licenses and registrations necessary for international operations, reviewing contracts for international transportation services, and  drafting  transactional terms and conditions (including terms for airwaybills, multi-modal bills of lading, and standard trading conditions), counseling clients with respect to regulatory compliance obligations, and conducting due diligence required in connection with acquisitions and other corporate transactions.

Cross-border services include assisting in authority and permitting issues, including vehicle registration and plating issues.  In addition, cross-border services require nuanced contact drafting because of different liability regimes applicable to goods moving in Canada and Mexico.

We are also regularly called upon to assist clients with commercial disputes and litigation arising from international and cross-border operations, including prosecuting and defending freight charge and cargo disputes, assisting with stoppage-in-transit disputes, handling demurrage- and detention-charge disputes, and identifying and coordinating foreign legal counsel when necessary.

In conjunction with our Air and Ocean Logistics Practice, Scopelitis has experience representing clients involving in international operations with respect to the following regulatory programs, governmental regulators, and trade associations:

• S. Customs, including the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program
• Customs Bonded Carrier, Bonded Warehouse, Container Freight Station, and Foreign Trade Zone Issues, including penalty mitigation
• Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) regulatory counseling and compliance
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
  • Indirect Air Carrier (IAC) and Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF) Certification, Audits, and Enforcement
  • SAFETY Act Designation and Certification
• International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Cargo Network Services (CNS)
• Foreign Indirect Air Carrier/Foreign Air Freight Forwarder Registrations

International transportation and logistics can be a complicated business involving multiple legal regimes and modes of transportation, numerous governmental regulators, and complex supply chains.  Scopelitis attorneys understand these complexities and are ready to assist both in helping to proactively minimize risk, and in helping respond to problems after they arise.