THE OWNER OF a Northern Italian vineyard wants to export his wine to the United States. To do so, he must follow American importing laws and regulations – from labeling requirements to complying with customs – as well as finding an importer and dealing with a myriad of other details involved in getting his wine on the shelves of American stores.

But what does a vineyard owner in Northern Italy know about American laws and regulations, or how to find an importer for his product?

Enter attorney Marian N. Sagona, a NH Bar member who several years ago left the traditional practice of law to become what she calls a "facilitator" to Italian companies looking to do business in the U.S. Sagona’s practice is now dedicated to helping her Italian clients navigate the American commerce system.

Sagona, 48, continues to use her legal skills to an extent in helping clients understand American importing laws and regulations, but her practice now focuses more on some of her other strengths: the network of business contacts she has established in Italy and her ability to speak Italian fluently.

Although of Italian heritage, Sagona didn’t learn to speak Italian from her family while growing up in the Midwest, nor did she ever travel to Italy as a child. Her passion for the Italian language and culture developed later, when she began traveling frequently to Italy and spent years perfecting the study of its language, with the help of private tutors.

Sagona also didn’t turn her love of Italy and its people into a career until later in life. After spending 12 years teaching music, she decided to go to law school "with the idea of working in foreign service," she said. After her second year at the University of Maryland Law School, Sagona spent a summer working for an American law firm in Milan, which reinforced her desire to work with international – particularly Italian – clients. But she put that desire on hold and started a general law practice, working first for a couple of NH firms before opening her own law office in Concord (she still owns the building and occasionally meets clients there).

A few years ago, though, Sagona made what she called a "lifestyle decision" to pursue her dream of melding her profession with her passion for things Italian. "The reason I went to law school is because I wanted to work with Italians. Going to court in Concord was a far cry from that – not that it’s not interesting work, but it wasn’t the career I wanted to pursue," she said.

Sagona closed out her general practice to develop her international practice. She began spending more time in Italy and used her existing relationships there to make new contacts in various industries. "I began a concerted effort to make myself available to people, to get to know people in Italy," said Sagona. "I invested a lot of time and money into developing this practice."

Through her network of business contacts and word of mouth, Sagona began getting more and more clients. Her clients are mainly what she calls in Italian "agro/alimentari" companies – those that deal in the agricultural and wine and spirits industries, from olive oil producers to vineyard owners. But her practice is not limited to such clients; manufacturers and artists are also on her client list.

From her office in the Maine International Trade Center in Portland, Sagona acts essentially as an agent for her Italian clients – which covers a broad range of services. For example, she may be helping a vineyard owner, through his American importer, get label approval for his wine from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Or she may be helping an olive oil producer find an American importer and seller for his product. She was recently approached by a group of Italian investors who want to develop Italian "boutique" delis in the U.S. and sought her assistance in developing a business plan, finding a location and representing them through the transaction.

A sign that Sagona has truly established herself in the Italian business world, particularly the wine-making industry: She recently gave a presentation titled "Como Esportare I Vostri Vini Negli Stati Uniti: Leggi e Normative" ("How to Export Your Wine to the United States: Laws and Regulations") at VinItaly, the largest wine trade show, which took place in Verona in April. It was the first speech Sagona had ever given in Italian. She presented the program with Giuseppe Broggi, a native of Italy who recently relocated to Andover, Mass., and is also a NH Bar member. More than 4,000 international wine companies from 70 countries participated in the five-day trade show, which this year was attended by more than 150,000 people.

Sagona and Broggi’s presentation outlined the steps an Italian wine producer would need to follow to export his product to the U.S., from getting label approval for exporting to finding an importer and distributor. Topics addressed included applicable laws and regulations, labeling requirements, customs duties, how to find an importer, billing practices, and the relationship between the supplier and importer.

Sagona has also been asked to lead the initiative to re-create the U.S./Italy Chamber of Commerce in Boston. Such Chambers are active in Rome, New York and Chicago, but the Boston Chamber dissolved a couple of years ago, according to Sagona. Her task will be to re-establish the Boston Chamber, which will serve as a liaison for New England companies wanting to do business in Italy and vice versa.

When asked if she enjoys her work, Sagona said, "It’s hardly work because I so enjoy working with Italians and being part of the Italian culture." She also relishes the opportunity to speak Italian – which she does for about two hours a day while working in her Portland office. It is her fluency in Italian and her ability to tap into her network of contacts that Sagona feels have helped her successfully establish her international practice.

"With computers being the way they are, it’s not hard to communicate with people all over the world, but the language barrier is still a problem. The magic in what I do is being able to speak the language," she said. "Very few lawyers in the U.S. are able to speak Italian well enough to do this kind of work."

Sagona estimates that in 2000, she traveled to Italy every 10 to 12 weeks, spending a total of about five months there. In the fall, she plans to begin another transition – toward spending six months to a year in Italy at a time. She is about to receive dual citizenship in Italy and the U.S., which will allow her to work in the European Union without a visa. There is also the possibility that she could establish a law firm in Verona.

"The Italian people have welcomed me like I’m one of them," said Sagona. "They’ve been so gracious and elegant – this experience has really broadened my horizons."

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