Contract Drafting and Negotiation in Multiple Languages

Pablo Cilotta, International Senior Legal Counsel & Head of Contract Management (EMEA & Latin America), Indura Systems

Having managed legal and contractual matters in multiple jurisdictions, I have heard over the past years many professionals based in the US and in the UK raising this usual question: “I would like to transition Spanish-speaking customers to English language or at least to set up a dual language contract model … Is that possible?” Indeed, if we advise companies with operations across multiple geographies or with several business units in the world, we usually find ourselves faced with the need to draft, review and negotiate contracts in other languages. Under which circumstances? Just to give some examples: when closing sales with foreign companies; when appointing sales agents or distributors who require agreements drafted in other languages rather than English; when celebrating services or employment agreements with parties that perform services overseas; etc.