U.S. litigators will be familiar with the powers of U.S. courts to gather discovery, including through letters rogatory and Section 1782 applications.
Less well known are powerful non-U.S. discovery tools that can provide the ever-growing need for information from multiple jurisdictions.
One such example, the Norwich Pharmacal order, can offer litigants access to third-party information in key English common law jurisdictions around the world.
It is commonly assumed that it is difficult and impractical to enforcement judgments in the United Arab Emirates.
However, this is increasingly untrue – even when no bilateral enforcement treaty exists, creditors can obtain recognition of their common law judgments.
A recent Kobre & Kim case shows how that can happen.
Global bond issuers looking to restructure their debt have often turned to English courts, relying on debtor-friendly rules such as the ability to cram down creditors.
Two recent English court decision, however, are improving prospects for global bondholders.
Creditors who are willing to take swift and forceful action against even the biggest players can see the greatest chances of success.
A recent decision involving document disclosure in offshore courts presents an opportunity for PRC-based companies to obtain business intelligence.
This decision — which was made in the English Court of Appeal and will likely influence offshore jurisdictions and Hong Kong — has shed light on how nonparties can get copies of court documents, evidence, written arguments and judgments.
To leverage the opportunity effectively, local expertise of offshore court processes and this new decision, in addition to on-the-ground support in PRC, will be needed.
