Infrastructure Company Lawyer Colombia
Infrastructure projects in Colombia and across Latin America present a recurring mix of questions: which law governs a concession agreement, how a joint venture should be structured for US tax and reporting purposes, how key engineers and executives can be moved on immigration status, and what compliance obligations follow a project when US persons or payments are involved. For US-domiciled developers and international clients with infrastructure investments in the region, the practical question is often which attorney is admitted to handle which side of the matter.
Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. is a US law firm founded in 1997 with an international clientele. The firm represents infrastructure companies, project developers, and their investors on the US-law aspects of cross-border matters, and collaborates with foreign-admitted Of Counsel on the foreign-law side. Mr. Sris, admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, is the responsible US attorney for the firm’s cross-border business content.
This page provides general information and is not legal advice for a specific matter. To discuss a cross-border infrastructure matter, contact Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
What Legal Issues Infrastructure Companies Commonly Face in Cross-Border Projects
Infrastructure companies with operations spanning the United States and Latin America tend to face four recurring areas of US law: contracting, corporate structuring and tax, compliance, and personnel. Contracting covers how an agreement is formed, which law governs performance, how disputes are resolved, and whether an award or judgment will be enforceable where the counterparty’s assets sit. Corporate structuring covers entity selection, ownership and control, project finance, and the tax treatment of cross-border income under the Internal Revenue Code.
The third area is compliance. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) reaches certain US issuers, US domestic concerns, and foreign persons acting in US territory, and cross-border infrastructure work often requires diligence on third-party agents, subcontractors, and joint-venture partners. The fourth area is personnel. Moving engineers, project managers, and executives into the United States requires the appropriate petition within the USCIS framework, and the category turns on the person’s role, qualifications, and the nature of the posting.
How Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. Handles Cross-Border Infrastructure Work
Where a matter has a US-law dimension and a foreign-law dimension, the firm handles the US side and collaborates with foreign-admitted Of Counsel on the foreign side. Mr. Sris is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, and his work covers the US-law elements of corporate, commercial, employment, and compliance questions. Every non-Sris attorney who collaborates with the firm is Of Counsel — an independent practitioner, not an employee of the firm.
For matters that turn on the law of Peru, the firm works with Martín Mayandía, Of Counsel, admitted to practice law in Peru (2009) and not admitted in any US state bar. His role is limited to Peru-law matters in collaboration with the US-admitted attorneys of the firm; the US-law aspects are handled by Mr. Sris and the US-admitted attorneys of the firm.
About Mr. Sris and the Of Counsel Network
Mr. Sris (Atchuthan Sriskandarajah, Esq.) is the Owner and Founder of Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. and has practiced since 1997. He is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. Mr. Sris testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee in support of 2019 HB 635 (chief patron Del. David Bulova). He is a former prosecutor.
Of Counsel attorneys are independent, foreign-admitted practitioners who handle the law of their own jurisdiction. They are not admitted in any US state bar, and their work on a firm matter is limited to the law of the jurisdiction where they are admitted. On a cross-border infrastructure matter, the US-admitted attorneys handle the US-law questions and the Of Counsel attorney handles the foreign-law questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both a US-admitted attorney and a Peru-admitted attorney for an infrastructure project?
It depends on which law applies to which part of the matter. A US-admitted attorney handles the US-law dimensions: contracts governed by US law, US tax and reporting questions, US immigration filings, and US compliance obligations. A Peru-admitted attorney handles the Peru-law dimension. At Law Offices of SRIS, P.C., Martín Mayandía is Of Counsel for Peru-law matters; he is admitted to practice law in Peru (2009) and not admitted in any US state bar, and his role is limited to Peru-law matters in collaboration with the US-admitted attorneys of the firm. To discuss a specific cross-border matter, reach the firm at (888) 437-7747.
Can an infrastructure company formed outside the United States be subject to US anti-corruption law?
Yes, in defined circumstances. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) reaches US issuers, US domestic concerns, and certain foreign persons acting in US territory. A foreign-formed infrastructure company with US operations, that issues securities in US markets, or that acts through US persons may fall within one or more of those categories. The anti-bribery and books-and-records provisions carry different elements, and the analysis is fact-specific. For guidance on a specific project, contact Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
What should an infrastructure company bring to a first consultation about a cross-border matter?
The most useful starting point is a clear map of the project. Bring whatever defines the structure: the concession or development agreement, ownership and entity documents, any joint-venture or shareholder agreement, financing terms, and the current immigration status of personnel who may need to move to the United States. Also useful are the counterparty’s jurisdiction and asset location, any existing notice of claim, and the compliance program the project already has in place. The goal of the first conversation is to identify which law governs which question. To schedule a consultation, reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
What role does an Of Counsel attorney play on a cross-border infrastructure matter?
An Of Counsel attorney is an independent, foreign-admitted practitioner who handles the foreign-law dimension of a matter. Of Counsel attorneys are not employees of the firm. Their work is limited to the law of the jurisdiction where they are admitted. On a cross-border infrastructure matter, Of Counsel counsel on the foreign-law questions — local corporate formation, permits and regulatory approvals, local employment requirements, and local dispute procedure — while the US-admitted attorneys handle the US-law side. To discuss the structure of your matter, reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
How does the firm coordinate the two sides of a cross-border matter?
Coordination is structured around which law governs each question. The US-admitted attorney takes the US-law questions, the foreign Of Counsel attorney takes the foreign-law questions, and the two work from a shared understanding of the project and its timeline. The firm’s role is not to advise on foreign law, and the Of Counsel attorney’s role is not to advise on US law. That division is set at the start of an engagement, and any change in scope is handled in writing. For a consultation on a specific cross-border matter, contact Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.