top-tier Peru counsel
Cross-border commercial matters involving Peru require counsel who understand both the US legal framework and the Peruvian civil-law system. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. is a US law firm founded in 1997, serving international clients with US legal needs that intersect with Peruvian business, trade, and family interests. Whether you are a US company entering the Peruvian market, a Peruvian enterprise expanding into the United States, or an individual with commercial or personal matters spanning both countries, the coordination of US and Peruvian legal counsel is essential. Mr. Sriskandarajah, admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, leads the firm’s US-side representation on Peru-connected matters. The firm collaborates with Peru-admitted Of Counsel, including Martín Mayandía, who is admitted to practice law in Peru and is not admitted to practice law in the United States. Reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747 to discuss your Peru-related legal needs.
What Cross-Border Commercial Counsel Covers for Peru-Connected Matters
Cross-border commercial counsel bridging the United States and Peru addresses the legal frameworks that govern business transactions, trade relationships, investment structures, and dispute resolution between the two countries. The Peru-United States Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA), in force since 2009, establishes the tariff, investment-protection, and regulatory-transparency framework for bilateral commerce. Peru is a civil-law jurisdiction governed principally by the Peruvian Civil Code of 1984, while US commercial law operates under common-law principles, the Uniform Commercial Code, and federal statutory regimes. Understanding how these two systems interact — and where they diverge — is fundamental to structuring contracts, protecting intellectual property, resolving disputes, and ensuring regulatory compliance across both jurisdictions.
Document authentication between the two countries is streamlined by the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, to which Peru has been a contracting party since 2010. This means that US public documents destined for use in Peru — and Peruvian public documents intended for use in the United States — may be authenticated by apostille rather than through consular legalization. For commercial disputes, Peru is a signatory to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, which facilitates enforcement of arbitral awards between the two countries. As of 2024, Peru remains a contracting party to the Convention, and US arbitral awards are generally enforceable in Peruvian courts through its recognition mechanism. The specific enforcement procedure in Peru is governed by Peruvian law and is handled through Peru-admitted counsel.
How Mr. Sriskandarajah and the Firm Approach Peru-Related Commercial Matters
Mr. Sriskandarajah provides US-side counsel on commercial matters involving Peru, while the firm collaborates with Peru-admitted Of Counsel for all Peruvian-law components of a cross-border matter. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. is a US law firm with an international clientele — it is not a Peruvian law firm and does not hold a location in Peru. The firm’s US-licensed attorneys handle the US-law dimensions of Peru-connected transactions and disputes: contract formation under US state law, federal regulatory compliance, US import-export controls, US investment structuring, and representation in US courts and before US agencies. For the Peruvian-law side — including corporate registration in Peru, Peruvian tax treatment, compliance with Peruvian labor law, and representation before Peruvian administrative bodies — the firm coordinates with Peru-admitted Of Counsel such as Martín Mayandía. Mr. Mayandía is admitted to practice law in Peru. He is not admitted to practice law in the United States. His collaboration with the firm is limited to matters of Peruvian law and to serving as a liaison for clients with US-licensed attorneys at the firm.
This division of responsibility reflects the jurisdictional boundaries that govern cross-border legal practice. No attorney at Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. practices Peruvian law, and no Peru-admitted Of Counsel practices US law. The firm’s role is to provide US legal counsel while ensuring that the Peruvian-law elements of a client’s matter are directed to qualified Peru-admitted professionals. Clients benefit from coordinated counsel — rather than piecemeal engagement of separate firms — while maintaining strict adherence to the licensing rules of both countries. Mr. Sriskandarajah, as Owner and Founder of the firm, oversees the firm’s Peru-connected practice to confirm that US-side representation is sound and that Peruvian-law issues are appropriately referred to licensed Peruvian counsel.
About Mr. Sriskandarajah and the Firm’s Cross-Border Practice
Mr. Sriskandarajah founded Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. in 1997 and has built a practice serving international clients with US legal needs across multiple practice areas. Admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, Mr. Sriskandarajah brings extensive experience to cross-border matters involving US law. His background as a former prosecutor informs his approach to commercial disputes and regulatory matters that carry enforcement risk. The firm’s international clientele includes businesses, investors, and individuals whose legal matters span US and Latin American jurisdictions, with Peru representing a growing area of the firm’s cross-border commercial practice.
Martín Mayandía serves as Of Counsel for Peru matters, drawing on his admission to the Peruvian bar since 2009. Mr. Mayandía is admitted to practice law in Peru. He is not admitted to practice law in the United States. His role on Peru-connected matters is to address the Peruvian-law dimensions of client engagements, working in coordination with the firm’s US-licensed attorneys who handle the US-law components. Together, Mr. Sriskandarajah and his Of Counsel bring extensive combined experience to cross-border commercial matters, though each operates strictly within the bounds of their respective licensure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both a US lawyer and a Peruvian lawyer for a cross-border commercial matter?
Yes — a cross-border commercial matter involving the United States and Peru typically requires both US-licensed counsel and Peru-admitted counsel because each country’s legal system operates under its own licensing rules. A US-licensed attorney cannot represent a client before Peruvian courts or administrative bodies, and a Peru-admitted attorney cannot represent a client before US courts or federal agencies. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. handles the US-law side of Peru-connected matters and collaborates with Peru-admitted Of Counsel such as Martín Mayandía for the Peruvian-law components. Mr. Mayandía is admitted to practice law in Peru. He is not admitted to practice law in the United States. This coordinated approach allows clients to address both sides of their matter without the administrative burden of separately engaging two unaffiliated law firms. For guidance on your specific cross-border situation, reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
How are US documents authenticated for use in Peru?
US documents intended for use in Peru are authenticated through the apostille process under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, to which Peru has been a contracting party since 2010 and the United States since 1981. An apostille is a certificate issued by a designated competent authority — typically the Secretary of State’s office in the US state where the document originates — that verifies the authenticity of the document’s signature, seal, or stamp. Because both countries are Convention signatories, consular legalization is not required for public documents moving between them. The specific competent authority and processing time vary by US state. The apostille does not validate the content of the underlying document; it only certifies the official character of the document for acceptance in the destination country.
Can a US arbitral award be enforced against assets in Peru?
Yes — Peru is a contracting party to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, and as of 2024, US arbitral awards are generally enforceable in Peru through the Convention’s recognition mechanism. A party seeking to enforce a US arbitral award in Peru must apply to the Peruvian courts under the procedure established by Peruvian law. The Peruvian court will review the award under the Convention’s enumerated grounds for refusal of recognition — which are limited and do not permit review of the merits. The enforcement proceeding itself is conducted under Peruvian procedural law and requires representation by Peru-admitted counsel. An attorney licensed in the United States cannot appear before Peruvian courts to enforce an award. The firm collaborates with Peru-admitted Of Counsel for this phase while handling ancillary US enforcement actions where appropriate.
What should I consider when forming a contract between a US and a Peruvian party?
A contract between a US party and a Peruvian party should specify governing law, dispute resolution mechanism, and choice of forum with precision, because US common-law and Peruvian civil-law systems interpret contractual provisions differently. Under Peruvian civil law, certain obligations and remedies may be implied by the Civil Code of 1984 even if not expressly stated in the contract, whereas US common law generally enforces the four corners of the written agreement. A choice-of-law clause selecting US law, Peruvian law, or a neutral body of law should be drafted with an understanding of how each system treats contractual interpretation, damages, and force majeure. An arbitration clause designating a neutral seat — such as Miami or Santiago under the auspices of an institution like the ICC or ICDR — often provides a practical middle ground. Peru-admitted counsel should review Peruvian-law implications, and US-licensed counsel should review US-law implications before execution.
How does the firm bill for Peru-connected commercial matters?
Fees for Peru-connected commercial matters vary by case complexity, the number of jurisdictions involved, and the extent of coordination required between US-licensed and Peru-admitted counsel. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. manages the overall engagement and provides transparent billing for US-side legal services. When the matter requires Peruvian-law work, the firm coordinates with Peru-admitted Of Counsel, and fees for that component are addressed as part of the engagement arrangement. The firm’s objective is to provide coordinated counsel that reduces the administrative burden on the client while maintaining clarity about which services are rendered by which licensed professional. For a consultation on your specific Peru-connected commercial matter, contact Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
What if my matter requires Peruvian court representation right now?
If your matter requires immediate representation before a Peruvian court or administrative body, you should consult an attorney admitted by the Colegio de Abogados de Lima or the corresponding bar association in the relevant Peruvian jurisdiction. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. does not currently maintain a location in Peru, and no attorney at the firm is admitted to practice Peruvian law. The firm is expanding its Of Counsel network in Peru, and clients may provide their contact information to be notified when the firm engages Peru-admitted Of Counsel for representation. In the interim, the firm can provide US-side counsel on the US-law dimensions of your matter while you engage separate Peru-admitted counsel for the Peruvian-law components. Reach the firm at (888) 437-7747 to discuss how US-side representation may complement your existing Peruvian counsel.