Jordan Assignment Attestation & Legalization

Recording Transfers of Rights in Jordan

When rights connected to Jordan change hands, whether a trademark portfolio after an acquisition, shares in a Jordanian company, or receivables under a contract with a Jordanian buyer, the Jordanian record has to be updated before the new owner can rely on it there. Jordanian registries and courts accept a U.S.-signed assignment only after it has been notarized, authenticated and legalized by the Embassy of Jordan.

Trademarks and patents

Jordan’s Industrial Property Protection Directorate, part of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, registers trademarks, patents and industrial designs, and records changes of ownership. Jordan offers strong IP protection, reinforced by the intellectual property commitments in the U.S.–Jordan Free Trade Agreement, and it is a member of the Madrid system for international trademark registrations. Assignments of national Jordanian registrations are recorded with the Directorate through a local agent, usually on the basis of a legalized deed of assignment listing the Jordanian registration numbers, together with a legalized power of attorney. Changes to Madrid designations are recorded through WIPO instead.

Shares and company interests

Transfers of shares or quotas in a Jordanian company are recorded with the Companies Control Department. The department generally expects the transfer document, the approvals of the relevant corporate bodies, and proof that the signers had authority. Where a U.S. company is the transferor or transferee, its board resolution and good standing are usually requested as well, legalized on the same route.

Contracts and receivables

Assigning a contract with a Jordanian ministry or state-owned company often requires the counterparty’s consent, so check the contract first. Banks financing trade with Jordan may require a legalized assignment of proceeds before releasing funds. Describe the assigned contract precisely by date, parties and reference number.

Preparing and legalizing the assignment

Name the parties exactly as registered, describe the rights with their Jordanian numbers, state the effective date, and have each party sign through an authorized officer before a notary. Jordan is not a Hague Convention member, so instead of an apostille the document goes to the Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State and the Embassy of Jordan. We register and pay the request on the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-portal and include the extra copy the embassy requires; the embassy then takes about five working days.