What Do Process Agents Do?

Many organizations that conduct international transactions may be familiar with the term Process agents but are not aware of the exact services they provide. For companies that are dealing with banks, suppliers or tenders in foreign countries the role of process agent is a crucial one. It allows for a local representative to accept service of notices, proceedings or documents on behalf of the company in situations where serving them abroad is not possible. This is a common requirement for financing agreements with overseas parties.

The benefit of hiring a professional Process Agent is that they understand the precise legal proceedings and documentation that will be received on their clients’ behalf and instil confidence that there will not be any mishandling that could lead to costly default judgments should a dispute arise. Furthermore, the fees involved in having a professional Process Agent are typically much less than hiring someone internally to take on this role and it provides the peace of mind that a company’s important legal processes or notices will be dealt with promptly.

Demystifying Process Agents: Clearing Up Common Misconceptions

Motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders are required to designate process agents in all states in which they operate (using Form BOC-3) and many commercial firms offer ‘blanket’ service that means they can arrange a Process Agent for all the states that a carrier or broker operates in. This saves a great deal of time and effort for the carrier or broker as they don’t have to individually select a Process Agent in each state where they are operating.