The future of translation: A conversation with Arrow Translation’s global competition and commercial litigation team

Against the backdrop of rapid globalization and digitalization, the translation industry faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges. As the legal needs of multinational companies become increasingly complex, the role of the translation team in legal affairs becomes increasingly important. Today, we had an in-depth conversation with the head of Arrow Translation’s global competition and commercial litigation management lawyer team to discuss the role of translation in the legal field, changes in the legal industry, and future development trends.

Translation and Law: From Academia to Practice

The lawyer started his career by studying at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. As early as his student days, he developed a strong interest in the intersection of law and economics. It was in this context that he began to get in touch with and delve into the field of competition law. "I was interested in economics at the time, and if I hadn't chosen law, economics might have been the direction of my study." He said that competition law is not only novel but also challenging, which also prompted him to find his foothold in the legal field.

As his career progressed, he gradually turned to the field of commercial litigation and competition law and became a member of the Arrow Translation team. As Arrow Translation's global competition and commercial litigation management lawyer, his responsibilities are not limited to handling legal affairs, but also involve the coordination and leadership of legal teams around the world. Regarding the translation needs in legal affairs, he deeply understands that accurate legal translation is crucial for cross-border affairs.

The Importance of Translation in Multinational Businesses

In a globalized business environment, the legal affairs faced by multinational companies are becoming increasingly complex, involving multiple languages and legal systems. At Arrow Translation, legal translation is not just a matter of language conversion, but also a fusion of legal culture and business needs. "When we deal with competition law and commercial litigation cases, translation plays a bridging role." He said that the translation team must not only be proficient in legal language, but also understand the business processes and strategic goals of multinational companies. "An excellent translation team can accurately convey the essence of legal documents and ensure unimpeded communication between different jurisdictions."

In his opinion, translation is not only about converting legal documents of one country into another language, but also about helping clients understand the business impact of different legal systems. "For example, European competition law and American competition law are very different in some details. The translation team must be aware of these differences and ensure that the legal requirements of each country are accurately understood and implemented."

Technological innovation in legal translation

As technology continues to advance, the legal translation industry has gradually introduced automated tools and data analysis techniques. The lawyer mentioned that although the application of technology in legal translation is still under development, it has great potential, especially when dealing with massive legal documents. "Technology-assisted translation tools, such as machine translation, automated review and data analysis, can greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of translation." He said that as the amount of data continues to grow, legal translation requires more and more technical support to ensure the accurate and timely delivery of information.

However, he also stressed that although technology plays an important role in the translation process, the translator's professional judgment and deep understanding of the legal field are still indispensable. Only by combining artificial intelligence with professional experience can efficient and accurate legal translation be truly achieved.

Cross-cultural cooperation and legal translation

Arrow Translation's work is not just about language conversion, but also about legal adaptation and integration under different cultural backgrounds. The lawyer believes that cross-cultural cooperation plays an extremely important role in legal translation. At Arrow Translation, the legal team needs to work closely with legal experts from different countries to ensure that the translated content complies with local legal regulations and business environment. "Understanding the impact and implementation of different cultures on the law can help the translation team better adjust the translation strategy and avoid misunderstandings and potential risks."

He gave an example, saying that when dealing with cross-border commercial litigation, cultural differences may lead to deviations in the interpretation of legal documents, which in turn affects the outcome of the litigation. Therefore, legal translators must not only have language skills, but also cross-cultural sensitivity and a comprehensive understanding of the international legal environment.

Future Outlook: Challenges and Opportunities of Legal Translation

In the face of an increasingly complex global legal environment, the legal translation industry will face more challenges and opportunities. From changes in global competition law to the implementation of the Digital Markets Act, to the rise of emerging regulations such as environmental, social and governance (ESG), the demand for legal translation will become more diverse and demanding.

"In the next few years, we will witness more changes in legal systems and regulations, which will not only require the translation team to maintain keen legal insight, but also to continuously improve the application level of translation tools and technologies." The lawyer said that legal translation will rely more on the support of technology, especially in data analysis, automated translation and information processing. "But in the end, successful legal translation still depends on the professional translator's profound skills and deep understanding of the law."

Summarize

Legal translation is not only about language conversion, but also a bridge for cross-cultural communication and legal adaptation. As globalization and digitalization accelerate, Arrow Translation helps multinational companies cope with challenges in a complex legal environment with its deep legal expertise and technological innovation. As industry demands continue to change, the future of legal translation is full of opportunities, and it also requires translation teams to continuously improve their professional skills and cross-cultural understanding to meet new legal and market challenges.

◀️：Gaming Industry Trends in 2024

▶️：Multilingual Challenges in Cross-Border Litigation: How to Overcome Obstacles with Translation Technology