An old client called: he had sold equipment to a foreign company for 2 or 3 years. On the basis of individual sales contracts. Out of sheer friendliness, he had informed this company that he would now use an agent in this country and all future sales would need to go through this agent. All well, but suddenly, a letter by a law firm demanding a high six-figure payment. As there had been, they allege, no sufficient notice period, mandatory law now gives rise to a claim for damages. This is where we came in. A short call to a lawyer we work with in that country reveals: yes, there is a public policy provision that requires sufficient notice, or else! We now need to go over the details and especially the question if a succession of individual contracts warrants the application of this law.
A typical example of why it pays to ask the lawyer before: a short call would have clarified the situation and we would have avoided the current discussion.
Oh, which country has this provision? France. (Who else would?)
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