One strategy across several legal systems.

When more than one legal system is involved

• Evidence, respondents or assets sit outside England and Wales.
• You need service, evidence gathering, interim relief or enforcement in more than one country.
• A foreign judgment or arbitration award may need to be recognised, or an English order recognised abroad.

When another route may be better

If the only useful step is in a court we cannot usefully reach, or if recognition and enforcement will cost more than they return, the honest advice may be a narrower English claim, a local instruction only, or no further action. We set that out before parallel proceedings multiply.

Forum, service and recognition

Service out of the jurisdiction, letters of request and mutual legal assistance follow the Civil Procedure Rules, the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 where criminal, and the law of the receiving state. Recognition of foreign judgments and arbitration awards depends on the country and the instrument. None of that is a global network of Edison Law offices.

One strategy across several systems

1. Jurisdiction and forum assessment. Which claim, in which court, and in which order. A UK file that pretends the world is England will fail.
2. Location of defendants, evidence and assets. We map where the people, the records and the value actually sit before anyone files.
3. Service and evidence gathering abroad. Service, letters of request and lawful collection follow the rules of the place of collection. Local counsel is instructed when that step is real.
4. Interim relief and recognition. An English freezing order does not automatically bite abroad. Recognition, mirroring or a local application is a separate question.
5. Local counsel and cost control. Overseas lawyers, translation and certification are scoped as disbursements. Parallel cases are coordinated so one does not ambush the other.
6. Enforcement planning. Or a decision to stop, if recognition will cost more than it returns.

London practice, local counsel where required

We are a London practice. Where foreign-law advice or local procedure is required, we identify and instruct appropriately qualified local counsel with the client's approval.

Principal risks

• Foreign courts take time and can refuse recognition.
• Serving a defendant who has left the UK can fail if they cannot be found.
• Translation, apostille and local fees add cost that a London estimate will miss if it is not scoped.

Fees

We agree the scope and charging basis before substantive work begins. Most matters are charged by reference to time; a fixed fee may be available for a clearly defined preliminary review. Full rates and terms are on the Pricing page.

Who is responsible

Each matter is supervised by a named solicitor. Specialist investigators and forensic professionals are introduced where their expertise is needed, with their role and status explained. Job titles on this site are not a reserved-activity authorisation. Confirm current authorised individuals on the Regulatory information page and the public SRA record.