Upcoming Seminars for Businesses New to Exporting

LANSING, Mich. – Businesses that are new to exporting or looking into entering new foreign markets will benefit from attending one of two "Legal Essentials to Exporting" seminars. Attending "Legal Essentials" will help businesses in identifying legal issues that should be addressed prior to pursuing export opportunities.

Below is a list of live training events for 2019:

Subject	Date/Time	Locations
Intellectual Property & Business Partner Due Diligence	April 11 8:30 am to 12:00 pm	Foster Swift-Southfield Office  28411 Northwestern Highway Suite 500, Southfield, MI 48034
Export Control Compliance Overview Training	May 9  8:30 am to 4:00 pm	Foster Swift-Traverse City Office  600 E. Front Street, Suite 104 Traverse City, MI 49686

In the United States, exporting is a privilege and not a right. These programs are a practical means for business owners and employers to learn about the regulations, procedures and best practices relevant to exporting their products or services.

These seminars are delivered by Foster Swift's international trade attorneys and sponsored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) as part of the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). Launched in 2011, STEP is a grant program designed to develop or expand export-related activities in an attempt to empower eligible small businesses.

Topics covered in these training seminars include but are not limited to:

• The importance, process and timeframe for protecting intellectual property when exporting
• Importance of a comprehensive contract
• Available resources to combat infringement
• Tips on avoiding litigation and conflict related to US and international trademark infringement
• Resources available to help with due diligence regarding foreign business partners
• Why due diligence is important
• How international contracts are different than domestic contracts
• 10 key issues to reduce risk in international contracts with business partners
• Overview of US export control laws and regulations including Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
• What happens when there is a violation of US export control laws

These seminars are free to attend, however advanced registration is required.