Know the 8 types of legal documents that should always be translated

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While all industries have translation idiosyncrasies, legal documents tend to be far more complex. Laden with legal terminology and technical details, translating them into English is never an easy task. Given the complexities associated with legal translation, they typically require extra effort and industry-specific expertise. A translator that is a generalist will encounter difficulty in translating your legal documents, which could result in delays.

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Why legal translations should be left to professional translators

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I’m sure you’ve been there, you’ve got a trial next week, and a stack of case materials that needs your attention. Time-consuming to say the least, but when they’re in a different language – let’s assume Spanish – the task becomes nearly unattainable. Perhaps your first instinct is to ask your colleague, who speaks Spanish, to translate the materials for you.

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What is enhanced machine translation and when should your law firm use it

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Over the last few years we’ve seen an acceleration of technology advancements that have, in many ways, made our work lives easier. With so many technical tools at your disposal, how do you know which ones will save you time and money? Machine translation tools, such as Google Translate have been around for nearly two decades. And, as the years went by, technologies such as this have continued to advance and become more sophisticated. 

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Freelance translators vs. an LSP: What you need to know

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What do you think of when you hear the term “freelancer?” If you’re like most people, the first thing that comes to mind is a one-person company with no overhead costs to pass on to you. And while this is true, there are a few things you should consider before hiring a freelancer to translate your life sciences or legal documents.

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How to reduce your legal translation cost

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In an industry where accuracy is essential, you can’t leave anything to chance. And when it comes to legal language translation, the smallest error could have significant consequences. 

Even with the need for precise translation, one of the top reasons legal firms don’t seek assistance from a language service provider (LSP) is cost. What if you could get the professional legal translation you need, while keeping your costs under control? This post provides tips to help you to reduce your legal translations costs.

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Should legal translations be done in-house?

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When you decide to extend your reach on an international level, there’s more to consider than just investment and capital, product standardization and staffing. You also need an understanding of the differences between your country’s legal system and that of the nation you’re about to enter. And since each country’s law is based on its unique heritage and culture, translating legal documents can be an arduous and complex undertaking. This article will discuss whether legal translations be done in house.

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Case Study: How a multinational law firm saves money on litigation translations

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The Challenge

Often, legal documents include a wet signature that is typically in PDF file format – and image files, in general, are not designed to be edited. When converting PDF to Word format the result is usually garbled text that is incredibly difficult to read, let alone translate. 

The situation is further complicated when PDF fonts are in a foreign language that includes diacritics, accent marks and double-byte (i.e. Chinese or Japanese) characters. As a result, standard file conversion software does not lend itself to this part of the translation process.

This is what BURG Translations encountered when a multinational law firm needed to translate 51 documents, totaling approximately 368,000 words from six languages into English. The six languages that needed to be translated were German, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish and Polish. This was also a rush project that needed to be done as soon as possible. 

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Planning a back translation

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Receiving complaints, concerns, or running into legal and regulatory issues are all more good reasons to consider a back translation. This is the process where a translated document is translated back into its source language by a different translator. It helps to check how close the original translation was to the source material, and highlight any inaccuracies and mistakes. Key things to consider when planning a back translation are:
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Increased FCPA enforcement may lead to more foreign language document reviews for attorneys

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The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is likely to provide more foreign language document reviews for attorneys and translators during the new presidential administration because U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said during a speech this month that the Justice Department would continue to prosecute corporate fraud. He added that “one area where this is critical is enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.”  Read more

4 mistakes to avoid when dealing with foreign language lease agreements in the context of FASB’s ASC 842

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With FASB’s new lease accounting update, ASC 842, companies may be struggling to establish procedures that make the transition easier. But with any new process, companies will make iterative improvements. Here are four mistake to avoid when dealing with foreign language lease agreements. Read more