We represent foreign shippers of agricultural products such as flowers, seeds, juice concentrates and other products that ship these products to the United States.  Our services include preparation of sales contracts, general legal advice and collections of delinquent accounts.

Although exporters of flowers and other agricultural products do not have a special United States law like PACA that protects produce sellers, these exporters can still protect themselves when they sell their products here.  Many exporters mistakenly believe that a sales agreement must be complicated, lengthy and written in language only a lawyer could understand.    These exporters justifiably fear that they will pay a lawyer to prepare such a contract and then no buyer will agree to sign it.  We believe that lawyers should help clients make deals work rather than unnecessarily block them.   Protecting a client’s interests does not mean driving the client’s prospective business partners away.

The three primary areas in which we assist these clients are:

The Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation

Wine Exporters to the United States

Flower Shippers to the United States

When our clients find themselves with an uncollectable agricultural receivable that is not covered by PACA or the DRC, we can help them collect their accounts receivable in the United States District Courts.  If the client is locate in one of the countries that has ratified the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, then we can file the claim in the United States District Court in the state where the delinquent buyer is located.   If the exporter is located in a country that has not ratified the CISG, we can assist them with the collection if the amount of the claim is more than $75,000.  If the claim is less, we will assist the client in finding a lawyer in the state where the delinquent buyer is located.