Many translators assume law firm invoices are just a list of billing hours and fees, but that’s not always the case. I’ve seen some basic mistakes, like attention to mistranslated as “attend” instead of “handle” when followed by a document. However, in my experience, the real challenge is translating certain descriptions of complex legal tasks in the narrative section, where phrasing is highly condensed and sometimes filled with internal jargon.
My team wrapped up the latest invoice translation project right before the May holiday. Over the past year or so, we translated multiple invoices for a U.S. law firm handling an M&A deal for a Chinese SOE. Some line items referenced CFIUS-related work, and the phrasing was so technical that most translators would struggle to make sense of it.
One moment from this project stood out. Early on, for the first invoice of this matter, I flagged some ambiguous parts for clarification to ensure consistency across future translations. The managing partner at their Shanghai office printed out the document, added handwritten comments, and scanned it back to me. Her edits on a few key terms addressed specific translation issues, cutting straight to the essence of the legal meaning. With that kind of direct input, the work only got smoother, and the subsequent invoices for this matter went seamlessly.
Note: This was the second time I’d received handwritten feedback from a client. Unlike the first time, which focused on refining Traditional Chinese legal terminology, this time the partner’s comments addressed key translation issues, further improving the legal clarity of the text.