1. Welcome CB
Legal Translation Gone Wrong:
10 mistakes to avoid when having legal content translated
Presented by viaLanguage
Copyright 2011 viaLanguage. All Rights Reserved

2. Your Presenters
CB
• Vincent A. Ruiz
Attorney, Ruiz Law Group
•
Renee Grimmer
Legal Account Executive, viaLanguage
•
Chanin Ballance
Moderator, CEO and President, viaLanguage
Copyright 2011 viaLanguage. All Rights Reserved

3. Today’s Agenda
CB
Avoiding Common Mistakes through:
• Selecting and using the right resources
• Ensuring legal and linguistic accuracy
• Strategies for efficiency and cost savings
• Summary/Q&A
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4. Global Trends
Global Trends
‐ RG
•Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
•UK Bribery Act –July 1, 2011
•EU’s Medical Device Directive
•International Packaging Laws
•International Remittance Market
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5. Rising Diversity
‐ CB
Languages Spoken at Home in the U.S.
Top business languages worldwide
1. English
2. Mandarin Chinese
3. French
4. Arabic
5. Spanish
6. Russian
7. Portuguese
8. Japanese
9. German
10. Italian
Bloomberg, August 2011
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(Other than English)
Other Asian
languages
1%
Arabic
1%
Russian
2%
Korean
2%
German
2%
All Other languages
18%
Spanish or Spanish
Creole
62%
Vietnamese
2%
French
2%
Tagalog
3%
Chinese
5%
U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey

6. Why is this a Growing Challenge?
•Lack of legal and linguistic experts
•Budgets
•Risk
•Limited time
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RG

7. Avoiding the Mistakes—
Starting with the Right Resources
Section Break:
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– CB

8. Mistake 1: Using a General Translator
VR
Use resources that are subject matter experts:
• Language, region, culture, dialects
• National/local laws and regulations
• Specific subject matter expertise, area of law
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9. Examples
– VR
“Transit” and “tránsito”
•
•
•
True cognates
Literal translation= “un cheque en tránsito.”
Best legal translation= “un cheque no local.”
“Withdraw” and “draw”
•
•
•
Literal translation of “withdraw” = “retirar.”
But to “draw” on a line of credit is not “retirar fondos de una
línea de crédito.”
Rather, it is “disponer de fondos de una línea de crédito (to
“avail oneself” of borrowed money through a credit line
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10. Mistake 2: Matching the Wrong Resource
– RG
Attorney, freelance translator,
agency or employee?
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11. Mistake 3: Not Verifying Credentials
Look for:
• Education
• Experience
• Native speaker
• Regional expertise
• Field experts
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VR

12. Example—Regional Expertise
VR
N
“Fee”
• In Mexico= “una comisión” (late payment or registration fee)
• In other countries = “un cargo” (having a closer meaning to a
“charge”) or “un derecho” (e.g., a “planning commission fee)
“Tax Return”
• A tax return is “una declaración de impuestos.”
• In Puerto Rico, the U.S. tax return is referred to as “una planilla
federal (de taxes).”
****note the use of the English word “taxes”
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13. Ensuring Legal and Linguistic
Accuracy
Section Break:
CB
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14. The Importance of Relevancy and Accuracy
• Reputational issues and sound business practices
• Compliance with strict regulatory requirements
• Avoiding legal exposure
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15. Mistake 4: The Clash of the Clauses
RG
• Always pay attention to sensitive
content/clauses
• Call this to the translators
attention
• I.E. Choice of Law Clause,
Arbitration Clause, etc.
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16. Mistake 5: Not Establishing a Glossary and Style Guide
• List of translated (client‐approved) terms
‐Ensures consistency
‐Ensures understanding
‐ Super‐duper® service = el servicio Super‐duper®
• Should not be taken as the final word for
every instance
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VR

17. Mistake 6: Not Drafting with Translation in Mind
•
•
•
•
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Standardize language
Remember text expansion
Simplify the layout
Font requirements
RG

18. Strategies for Efficiency and
Cost Savings
Section Break:
– CB
Copyright 2011 viaLanguage. All Rights Reserved

19. Mistake 7: Using too Much/too Little Translation Memory
Translation Memory (TM):
• Saves Money (100% Matches =
proofreading charges only)
•
Increases consistency
•
Saves time
•
Final proofing is essential
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G
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20. Mistake 8: Cutting Short Quality Control
VR
Don’t rely too much on translation tools
and technology without having the final
content reviewed by a legal professional or
legal linguist.
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21. Avoid Added Fees: Prepare, Organize and Centralize
RG
Sample File Structure
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22. Mistake 9: Using MT for important content
Consider your content:
• Sensitivity
• Purpose of translation
• Desired outcome
• Which pieces need to be
flagged for translation?
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RG

23. Mistake 10: Paying too Little/too Much
NM
• Know the variables to pricing
• Use translator/attorney teams
• Avoid rush fees: build time requirements
into project deadlines
• Finalize files prior to submitting
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RG

24. Putting it all together….
CB
1. Select the right team and
resources
2. Ensure legal & linguistic
accuracy
3. Know how to cut time & costs
4. Appropriate usage of
translation tools
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25. Q&A
– CB
Copyright 2011 viaLanguage. All Rights Reserved

26. Thank You For Attending!
CB
A copy of the webinar will be emailed to you shortly
Vincent Ruiz
Ruiz Law Group
www.viaLanguage.com
viaLegal@vialanguage.com
Copyright 2011 viaLanguage. All Rights Reserved
www.ruizlawgroup.com
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