American producers had taken the offensive even before Taiwan's troubles.

Before Yukos's troubles, Russian oil companies sometimes paid effective tax rates as low as 5 percent.

Even before its latest troubles, the Sterling Place clock had led a hard-knock life.

Truth is, even before Mr. Jackson's legal troubles, many here did not really expect that the center would ever be built.

Before our troubles, you could not hire a servant or slave for love or money.

While the campaign was conceived last year, long before Perrier's troubles, it could not come at a better time for Evian.

Before my troubles I was making decent - for Russia - money.

Before Braniff's troubles you could get there in less than three hours.

Troi would have been surprised, considering his mental state even before their current troubles, if he wasn't somewhat withdrawn now.

But even before her legal troubles, ratings of Ms. Stewart's previous daytime show were starting to cool after an 11-year run.