Note: this blog post was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse on February 1, 2017. 

When I talk with medical device companies with global business interests in my work as Vice President for International Compliance at AdvaMed (the Advanced Medical Technology Association) about their concerns, ensuring a high standard of ethics while working with distributors is always in the top three.  Most companies, large and small, use distributors to access overseas markets, for a number of reasons: economies of scale, familiarity with local laws and customs, and simple language advantages.