A person in a long coat is standing in front of an orange building with two windows. The person is looking up and reaching toward a hat that appears to be falling or floating above them.

Buying a home in Europe – Renovation and bricolage

This is the third post in Harris Sliwoski’s online series, in which Shannon Brandao will guide you through the practical, legal, and personal considerations of purchasing a home in Europe. See past posts here:  Where can YOU buy a home in Europe? Well, that depends . . . Where to buy a home in Europe:

A cityscape with skyscrapers is overlaid with digital graphics and the words "SMART CONTRACTS AND DAOS FROM A LAWYER'S POINT OF VIEW," along with a symbol resembling the Ethereum logo.

Smart Contracts and DAOs: A Lawyer’s Point of View

I recently returned from the iTech Law Conference in Washington, DC, where I spoke on a panel about smart contracts and DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations). I was joined by two impressive international tech lawyers, Julia Pazos (Brazil) and Katarzyna Szczudlik (Poland). These are some of the questions our panel discussed. How Do Lawyers Think About

Promotional graphic for the ipba annual meeting and conference in tokyo 2024, featuring symbolic landmarks like tokyo tower and tokyo skytree, with decorative elements and text details.

IPBA 2024 Tokyo – “New World, New Wisdom”

The Inter-Pacific Bar Association (“IPBA”) kicked off its 32nd Annual Meeting and Conference in Tokyo, Japan, last week. This was the first time the meeting has been in Tokyo since its 1991 inaugural year. More than 1400 people from more than eighty countries participated, marking the event’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. It also provided

Emerging market risks

Recent Events in Africa as a Guide for Investing in Emerging Markets

Political Risks in Emerging Markets Emerging market countries offer tantalizing rewards. High growth rates, untapped resources, and burgeoning middle classes can make for attractive investments. But amidst this allure lies an unpredictable nemesis: political risk. From the abrupt twists of military coups in West Africa to nationalization policies in Latin America, and from regulatory upheavals

Cargo Shipping Business

A Guide to Starting a Maritime Cargo Shipping Business

The financial barriers to starting a cargo shipping business are significant and every level of operation requires a significant amount of capital investment. Even assuming you can afford to purchase a seaworthy vessel, entry into the industry is complex due in large part to the varying stakeholders whose functions are essential to operations. For those

Copy of Hilary Vince Chamber Award  Announcement

Harris Sliwoski Recognized by Chambers in 2022 Guide

Harris Sliwoski has once again been recognized by Chambers and Partners in its Chambers USA 2022 Guide. Chambers and Partners, a London-headquartered research company that publishes detailed rankings of the world’s leading law firms and lawyers, recently named Harris Sliwoski one of the top cannabis law firms in the United States and singled out two

International trade cargo containers

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine & The Shape of International Trade to Come

Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign and democratic nation, has shattered Europe’s long peace, cancelled the peace dividend bestowed by what was thought to be the end of the Cold War, and provoked widespread condemnation. With Ukrainian cities, towns, military bases, infrastructure, citizens, and refugees coming under what at times appears to

Mainland Chinese courts do not enforce U.S. judgments. Therefore, it is usually (but not always) a waste of time to bring a lawsuit in a U.S. court against a Chinese company that does not have assets in either the United States or in a country that enforces U.S. judgments.

Disputes with Chinese Companies

Disputes with Chinese companies are becoming increasingly common, yet they are not becoming any easier to resolve. Mainland Chinese courts do not enforce U.S. judgments. Therefore, it is usually (but not always) a waste of time to bring a lawsuit in a U.S. court against a Chinese company that does not have assets in either

Emerging markets success

Four Essential Principles of Emerging Market Success

In my work as an attorney representing mostly Western companies in emerging markets, I have concluded there are four essential elements to emerging market success: a good partner, an open mind, active participation, and extreme patience. I have seen enough essential similarities between such diverse countries as Russia, Korea (back when it was still an