International Services
Metro Legal Services is pleased to announce a new partnership extending our reach internationally.
Have you ever needed to:
- Serve a summons and complaint in Japan?
- Track down an evasive defendant in England?
- Verify a company's legal domicile in Hong Kong?
- Quash service in Argentina?
Metro Legal Services in cooperation with our partner now offers a comprehensive spectrum of international litigation services, including:
- Expert consulting on foreign civil procedure
- International service of process
- International investigations
- Enforcement of US judgments abroad
Services are available in more than 90 countries: from Mexico to Brazil, from the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates, from India to China, and many places inbetween. You can expect the same expertise and professional results that Metro Legal provides across the United States.
Service of Process is made pursuant to:
- 1965 Hague Service Convention
- 1975 Inter-American Convention of Letters Rogatory and 1979 Additional Protocol
- 1963 Vienna Consular Convention
- Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
You will be advised on the translation and legalization requirements associated with service of process under foreign civil procedure codes and any bilateral or multilateral treaties which may be in effect. Certified translations provided by our partner are accepted worldwide and they are experienced in obtaining legalizing seals, including the Hague Apostille, which may be required for foreign legal filings.
We have access to a worldwide network of licensed investigators to:
- Locate evasive defendants
- Ascertain the registered offices of foreign corporate defendants
- Obtain copies of articles of incorporation and other public corporate documents from foreign registrars of companies
- Confirm foreign addresses prior to service
A worldwide network of foreign attorneys and solicitors experienced in assisting with the execution of international judicial assistance requests is available for your needs. These in-country attorneys are available to interact with their local court systems regarding the execution of service requests and can ensure the propriety of service in difficult cases.
Our partner also offers expert consulting on the service of US subpoenas upon US nationals located abroad pursuant to USC §1783.
There is no fee for the initial consultation.
International service of process is complex and requires advance planning; we can assist you with this important step without a fee. If you have a need for our services please call John Levesque at 612-349-9521 or email jlevesque@metrolegal.com to begin discussing your project. In most countries, there are a number of potential avenues that can be pursued for making service. Every option will be explained, the benefits and trade-offs of each will be discussed, and you will have all the information you need to make an informed decision about how to proceed with your action.
Metro Legal's international service offering differs from our local and nationwide services in a few notable ways. Due to the costs involved that have to be paid in advance for translation and to foreign governments and private entities this is a prepaid service. After the initial consultation, you will receive an agreement letter outlining the fee structure that pertains to the method of service you have chosen and the country where service is to be made. Payment for the basic fee is required prior to commencing translation or working on the Hague Request. There are a number of additional services that can be added on a case by case basis, for example, corporate address confirmation with the foreign registrar of companies. You will be given the opportunity to set a cap for each of the additional items so that you will have ultimate control over the cost of the finished product.