The Cost of Translation Errors in Global Business

Split contract torn down the center between English “Partnership” and Spanish “Asociación,” with a judge’s gavel in front and the headline “One Word. $Millions at Risk.” above on a blue background.

In global business, a single word can trigger a lawsuit. For Western Bagel, conflicting English and Spanish versions of an arbitration agreement created confusion over whether it was binding. Instead of resolving the employment dispute, both parties ended up fighting over enforceability in court, spending time and money on procedural matters before reaching a resolution. […]