Doing Business in U.S.（II）
I. Product export
1. Product requirements
If a foreign business wants to export goods to the United States for sale, then the business first needs to ensure that the export product can legally enter the United States. To this end, all import licenses and approvals need to be obtained, import documents must also comply with the provisions of the United States law, and import procedures must be regulated by the United States customs and import laws. In addition, the United States has formulated import laws for specific products, which make strict provisions on product ingredients, labels and other aspects. Violation of these laws may expose producers, sellers and other parties to adverse consequences such as fines and product liability.
For example, a federal law passed in the summer of 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Promotion Act, prohibits the sale of children's toys, books, clothing, and jewelry with lead or phthalic acid levels above tracking levels. Illegal sellers could face jail time and fines of up to $100,000. The law applies to new products as well as those already in production and circulation.
2. Trademarks and other intellectual property rights
If a foreign business wants to sell a product in the United States with a specific trademark, name, or slogan, it is best to ask a U.S. attorney to search for whether the trademark, name, or slogan would infringe another's trademark before selling it. If no one is using it, it is best to consider applying for a U.S. trademark in order to obtain protection under U.S. law. The same is true for other intellectual property rights, such as patents, Copyrights, and utility models.
We will have more detailed instructions on applying for trademarks, patents, and utility models in the United States.
II. Establish a subsidiary in the United States
The establishment of a wholly owned company in the United States (rather than a joint venture company) can have an operating position in the market, can meet the needs of existing and future consumers, can engage in the production, processing and assembly of products in the United States, and can be protected by U.S. law on product liability, to minimize taxes and customs fees.
1. Legal form
Many foreign investors choose to form a Corporation ora Limited Liability Corporation, both of which have the feature and advantage that the contributors (" members ") are liable to the company up to the limit of their contributions. The specific comparison and analysis are detailed in Doing Business in the United States (Part I).
2. The risk of directly establishing a cent-based company
It is not wise to set up a branch office in the United States to handle business activities in the United States. Such a branch is only an extension of a foreign enterprise in the United States, regardless of whether it is registered in the United States, it is easy to cause many adverse consequences, such as making the enterprise more likely to be sued in the United States, and need to pay the United States federal, state and local three-level income tax and possibly other taxes. When a foreign company's business activities in a certain state meet the registration requirements of that state, the branch must be registered in that state or face fines or other adverse consequences. The registration process does not mean opening an office, but rather hiring employees in the state, using warehouses, and various other connections with the state.
3. Company name and trademark
A company name is different from a trademark. Products and services that use trademarks registered with the U.S. Federal Trademark Office are protected by law throughout the United States. But corporate registered names are only protected by weaker laws in states where companies are incorporated and registered. Therefore, foreign enterprises should apply for U.S. trademarks for their company names, trademarks, logos, or other designs closely related to products and services to protect the rights and interests of the company.
At the same time, if the company name is improperly chosen, it is also easy to infringe others' trademarks, especially if the company's products and services are the same or similar to the products and services of the infringed trademark. Therefore, for the long-term existence and development of the company in the United States, when selecting the company name, the United States lawyer should be requested to conduct relevant legal searches to determine the availability of the name and prevent greater losses caused by negligence to the rights of others.
4. Personnel requirements
In the United States, board members are only one member of the board of directors, and the board of directors makes decisions as a whole, and directors do not have any rights to decide the actions of the company or restrain the company.
Many states in the United States allow the existence of a one-person board, where the director can serve as an officer and the executive can also serve as a director. Many U.S. state laws require a corporation to have a president, treasurer, and secretary. Other positions can be created or not. The division of labor and responsibilities of senior executives are usually stipulated in the articles of association or resolutions of the board of directors.
III. Intellectual property
1. Invention patent
An invention patent is the right of the owner to use the invention patent exclusively and to exclude any other person from using it during the life of the patent. An invention is an innovative, creative product, process, machine, chemical substance or new type of plant. The term of protection of an invention patent is generally 20 years from the filing date of the application in the United States. The design patent is protected for 14 years and applies to innovative product designs. In the United States, when a patent owner or licensee manufactures or sells a patented product, he or she must mark the words "patented" and the patent number on the product, otherwise the patent owner or licensee will lose the right to claim compensation if the patent is infringed.
2. Trademarks
The owner of a federally registered trademark in the United States has exclusive rights to use one or more words, names, designs, or logos, or a combination thereof, in the product or service. The term of protection of a registered trademark is 10 years and can be extended. A registered trademark prevents others from using the same or similar logo. The federal and state trademark registration systems allow trademark owners to register the same trademark in the federal and one or more states at the same time.
3. Domain Name
The owner of a registered domain name can use the domain name exclusively for his own website or other networks. The use of a registered domain name may infringe another's trademark and vice versa. There are often many domain names that are similar or even identical to each other (perhaps with different suffixes), so applying for a trademark and registering the same domain name at the same time is the best choice.
4. Copyright
Copyright protects the authors of original, reproducible works, including literary, comic, musical, artistic, architectural, and other published and unpublished works. The copyright owner shall have the right to reproduce, derive, distribute copies, perform or perform works in public. Copyright focuses on protecting freedom of form or expression in a work. The duration of copyright protection varies in the United States, depending on the time of creation or registration.
5. Trade secrets
Trade secrets are protected in America. Trade secrets have a wide range of meanings. As long as they are related to an industry, technology or business, any information that only one person or a specific person knows and has value and is regarded as secret by the holder is a trade secret. For example, undisclosed technical processes, methods, formulas, equipment, manufacturing processes, construction methods or customer lists, and undisclosed "instructions" can also be protected as trade secrets in the United States.
IV. 收购美国公司
在美国，收购有各种类型和交易结构，每种交易结构都有许多关键方面需要注意。以下只是一些简单而一般性的收购美国公司的注意事项。
1. 必备环节：尽职调查
任何一次公司收购都需要进行大量的前期工作。收购的目标公司的所有方面都需要“从头到脚”地仔细审查和评估，这个过程被称为“尽职调查”。在主要由目标公司或其所有人提供资料的前提下，聘请律师进行尽职调查（深入审查目标公司的合规、税务和其他方面情况），是美国公司收购的标准环节之一。其他专业性第三方也会参与到尽职调查的过程中，如会计师、环境评估公司以及建筑师等。未经尽职调查就出资收购会被视为“冲动消费”。如果律师的尽职调查报告反映出目标公司并不符合收购人要求，那么收购人就会决定取消收购或者就更低的收购条件进行谈判。
2. 股权收购、资产并购
许多对私营企业的收购会通过股权收购或者资产并购的方式进行。两类方式各有利弊，收购人应当慎重选择。
3. 主动起草
在美国律师的帮助下，收购人应当尽力准备起草收购协议以及之前的所有不具有约束性的文件，并且因此掌握并保持“起草主动权”。
4. 做好准备，耐心等待
收购公司是一个非常漫长的过程。即使双方很快达成了协议，也需要时间来完成尽职调查，获得融资，谈判，准备和修改必要的合同或者其他文件，签署上述文件以及完成所有法律和其他程序。为了达成最佳目标，收购人必须与律师紧密合作，作为团队一起进行工作。
5. 反垄断问题
当收购规模非常大时，需要在谈判之前进行反垄断调查。对于此类收购，需要向美国政府反垄断监管机构提交预先通知。
6. 税务问题
谈判之前，收购人的会计师和律师应当对目标公司的税务问题进行审查，以便使交易以便于收购人的方式进行。
V. 美国工作签证
1. H-1B（专业人士）
如果申请人希望去美国从事预先安排的专业技术工作，则应申请H-1B签证。此类签证要求申请人在准备就职的专业领域拥有学士以上学位（或同等学历）。USCIS将审查决定申请人被雇用将从事的工作是否构成专业技能工作，申请人是否符合该专业技能要求。申请人的雇主应向美国劳工部提交劳工情况申请表，包括雇佣双方之间签订的合同条款。
2. H-2A（季节性农业工作者）
在缺乏美国本地工人时，美国雇主可通过H-2A签证招募外国公民赴美从事短期农业工作。如需在美国短期从事临时性/季节性农业工作，则可申请H-2A非移民签证。准备雇佣申请人的美国雇主（或以一联合雇主命名的美国农业生产者协会）必须为申请人提交I-129表- 非移民劳工申请表。
3. H-2B（技术性和非技术性工作者）
如需赴美从事临时性/季节性工作，但美国缺乏相应本地工作者时，应申请H-2B签证。准备雇佣申请人的美国雇主必须获得美国劳工部的核证，以确认没有合适的美籍公民能够胜任申请人就职的岗位。
4. H-3（受训人员）
如需赴美接受为期可长至两年的任何领域的培训（除研究生教育或培训以外），应申请H-3签证。这种培训可以受薪并且允许申请人参加实践工作，但不得从事生产性工作，而且前提是申请人在本国无法获得同类培训。
5. L-1（公司内部调职者）
如果您是一国际公司的雇员，被临时派往美国的上级机构、子公司或附属单位工作，则需申请L-1签证。此处所述国际公司可以是一美国或外国企业。要获得L-1签证，申请人必须属于管理层/高管层或拥有专业知识，并且被公司派往美国担任此类职位，但赴美前后的职位头衔不必完全相同。此外，在申请赴美工作的前三年中，申请人须在该国际公司的美国境外机构连续工作满一年。只有在申请人准备就职的美国公司或附属机构获得USCIS的申请批件（无论是以公司通用申请形式 (blanket) 或以个人申请形式）后，才能申请L-1签证。
VI. 美国诉讼与仲裁
美国商人通常习惯于通过诉讼来解决纠纷，他们经常将起诉或者威胁起诉作为取得金钱赔偿、新合同成立、对方放弃主张的协议或相似结果的手段。相当多数的商事诉讼并没有由法院或者仲裁委员会做出裁决，而是由双方在诉讼开始后和解结案。
例如，某外国公司向美国销售货物或者许可美方使用技术，而美方未支付货款或使用费，外国公司将美方诉至美国某法院。此时，美方的律师通常会提起强烈的反诉，要求巨大的索赔额。而该金额太过夸张，不合常理。这只是律师恐吓外国公司使其放弃诉讼或者达成对美方有利的和解协议的策略。
因此，由于不懂美国的环境、思维方式，低估了诉讼的危险，也不尽早安排律师来降低被诉的风险，外国公司或者个人通常是美国诉讼的“目标”。
1. 繁琐耗时的美国诉讼
商事诉讼花费昂贵而耗时长久，许多情况下并非解决问题的最佳方式。除非争议双方达成过协议，约定外国公司或个人有权在诉讼中请求对方支付律师费，否则美国法律通常不会支持外国公司索要律师费。
双方律师都会用尽各种程序来延迟法院判决，最为典型的如“审前取证”程序。在美国，律师会在审判之前，在没有法院干预的情况下互相取证。审前取证程序会产生昂贵的律师费用，也可能被用作拖延策略。
2. 一般建议
在与美国公司接触时，外国公司应当做到以下几点：
尽可能远离美国法院；
在合同中规定仲裁条款；
与美方签订的合同必须由有经验的美国律师审核或者起草。
3. 仲裁条款
虽然仲裁有优点和缺点，但通常是解决美国商业纠纷的最佳方法。在美国，最常用的仲裁机构是总部设在纽约的美国仲裁协会（“AAA”），AAA能够处理美国境内任何地方乃至世界各处发生的商业纠纷。AAA的国际仲裁规则和商事仲裁规则在国际商业纠纷中经常使用。
外国企业应当合理起草仲裁条款，仲裁通常会比诉讼更快、更节省成本地解决争议。在美国进行仲裁时，取证程序可以省略。但是与美国法院审判相比，仲裁通常会裁决相对较少的赔偿金额，尤其是仲裁庭裁决时。
美国公司不会同意将争议提交外国仲裁机构，也不会同意适用外国法律进行仲裁，因为在外国仲裁机构起诉和证明需要耗费更多成本，而且程序很困难，容易出现各种问题。如果外国仲裁机构所在国与美国共同受到国际仲裁公约的约束，其裁决通常可以在美国得到执行，然而根据实践经验，执行外国仲裁裁决的程序非常复杂，花费非常多。
选择在美国进行仲裁，仲裁机构通常不需要一定在美方所在城市，而且，从有利于外国企业的角度来看，应当尽量避免选择美方所在城市的仲裁机构，而是应当选择对于外国企业比较便利的地点进行仲裁。当事人经常会选择纽约市作为仲裁地点并适用纽约州法律。
设计仲裁条款应当注意的问题：
1. 如果外国企业提起仲裁，应当选择在远离美方所在地的某一城市进行仲裁并适用AAA国际仲裁规则；如果美方提起仲裁，外国企业应当尽量约定在所在国家适用AAA国际仲裁规则进行仲裁。通过这种安排，外国企业可以在美国攻击美方，也可以在所在国家防守，这对外国企业非常有利。
2. 只有外国企业有权根据仲裁条款选择仲裁或者在美国法院起诉美方，这样的条款也赋予外国企业很大的灵活性。
3. 美方在合同谈判过程中通常会拒绝选择任何远离美方的法院或者仲裁机构，也会坚持适用美方所在州法律。但是外国企业如果在谈判中坚决表示需要上述仲裁条款，通常也是可以实现的。
4. 选择一位仲裁员而非由三位仲裁员组成仲裁庭进行仲裁，具有许多优点，包括成本较低、程序便捷等。
5. 将反垄断纠纷排除出仲裁范围。由于通常是美方对外国企业提起反垄断主张，这样的条款设计要求美方必须在法院进行反垄断诉讼，而这类诉讼主张通常很弱，美方可能怠于花费时间和精力开展诉讼。
6. 双方都有权不受仲裁条款限制，向法院申请临时救济。
7. 经一方当事人申请，仲裁员（或者仲裁庭）可以要求另一方提交保证金，以便实现未来可能的金钱赔偿。
8. 在仲裁中胜利一方有权请求对方支付律师费和仲裁费用。
9. 美方对外国企业提起的产品责任纠纷必须通过仲裁解决。
在美国做生意，从准备工作到合同谈判、签订和履行、争议的发生与解决，都伴随着许多不同的法律和政策问题，是外国企业自身很难解决的。聘请专业律师、会计师进行协助，是顺利进入美国、开展商业活动和避免纠纷的最好方法。
