top-tier Colombia counsel
Law Offices of SRIS, P.C., founded in 1997, is a US law firm that assists clients with cross-border commercial matters involving the United States and Colombia. For companies and individuals engaged in US-Colombia trade, investment, or business operations, navigating two distinct legal systems requires coordinated counsel on both sides of the border. Mr. Sris, the firm’s Owner and Founder, is admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, and serves as the responsible US attorney on matters involving US commercial law. On the Colombian-law side, the firm collaborates with Eric Duport Jaramillo, Of Counsel for Colombia matters at Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. Mr. Duport Jaramillo is admitted to practice law in Colombia. He is not admitted to practice law in the United States. His work with the firm is limited to Colombian law matters and to serving as a liaison between international clients and the firm’s US-licensed attorneys. Reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747 to discuss your US-Colombia commercial matter.
What US-Colombia Cross-Border Commercial Practice Covers
Cross-border commercial practice between the United States and Colombia addresses the legal frameworks that govern business transactions, entity formation, trade compliance, and dispute resolution when parties or operations span both jurisdictions. Companies based in Colombia that wish to enter the US market — whether through subsidiary formation, distribution agreements, or direct investment — encounter US federal and state regulatory requirements that differ substantially from Colombian commercial law. Likewise, US companies investing in or trading with Colombia must navigate Colombian corporate, tax, and regulatory frameworks under the Colombian Commercial Code (Código de Comercio) and related statutes.
The practice encompasses several intersecting areas. Entity selection and formation for cross-border operations requires analysis of both Colombian sociedad structures and US limited liability company or corporate forms, with attention to the tax treaty between the United States and Colombia. Commercial contracts — including distribution agreements, supply contracts, joint ventures, and technology licensing — must allocate governing law, forum, and dispute resolution mechanisms across two legal systems that do not always align. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), 15 U.S.C. § 78dd-1 et seq., imposes anti-bribery and books-and-records obligations on US issuers and domestic concerns operating in Colombia, while Colombian law separately criminalizes corruption under the Estatuto Anticorrupción (Ley 1474 de 2011) and related provisions of the Colombian Penal Code. Trade sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) — as of 2026, Colombia is not subject to comprehensive US sanctions — and US export controls under the Export Administration Regulations add additional compliance layers. Cross-border dispute resolution frequently involves international arbitration under the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (the New York Convention), to which both the United States and Colombia are contracting parties, providing a treaty framework for enforcing arbitral awards across borders. Document authentication for use in Colombian or US proceedings may proceed under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, to which both countries are signatories, eliminating the need for consular legalization in most cases.
How Mr. Sris and His Of Counsel Network Handle US-Colombia Commercial Matters
Cross-border commercial matters between the United States and Colombia require a clear division of legal work: US-law issues are addressed by US-licensed counsel, and Colombian-law issues are addressed by Colombian-licensed counsel, with coordination between the two. Mr. Sris and the firm’s US-licensed Of Counsel attorneys handle the US-law dimension — entity formation under state law, federal regulatory compliance including FCPA and OFAC obligations, US contract drafting and negotiation, and representation in US courts or arbitration proceedings. On the Colombian-law side, the firm collaborates with Eric Duport Jaramillo, Of Counsel for Colombia matters, who is admitted to practice law in Colombia and is not admitted in any US state bar. Mr. Duport Jaramillo addresses Colombian corporate law, Colombian regulatory requirements, Colombian contract law under the Código de Comercio, and Colombian litigation or arbitration procedure as applicable.
The collaboration model is structured to maintain strict jurisdictional separation. Where a matter has both a US-law dimension and a Colombian-law dimension, Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. handles the US-law side and the Colombian-admitted Of Counsel handles the Colombian-law side. The attorneys coordinate on matters that implicate both legal systems — such as a dual-jurisdiction commercial contract or a cross-border entity restructuring — but neither attorney practices law in a jurisdiction where they are not admitted. For clients, this means the legal work on each side of the border is performed by an attorney licensed in the relevant jurisdiction, while the firm provides a single point of contact for the overall matter. Consultations are available at the firm’s location in Pereira, Colombia, by appointment only, and at the firm’s US locations in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, also by appointment only. Reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
About Mr. Sris and the Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. Of Counsel Network
Mr. Sris is the Owner and Founder of Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. Admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York, he has served as the firm’s Managing Attorney since its founding in 1997. Mr. Sris is a former prosecutor. He testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee in support of 2019 HB 635 (chief patron Del. David Bulova), the bill that became the 2019 revision to Va. Code § 20-107.3(g). Mr. Sris was involved in the introduction of Virginia House Joint Resolution HJR 573 (2017), recognizing Pongal Day in the Commonwealth (chief patron Del. David Bulova), agreed to by the House January 24, 2017 and by the Senate February 14, 2017.
The firm’s Of Counsel network includes Eric Duport Jaramillo, Of Counsel for Colombia matters. Mr. Duport Jaramillo is admitted to practice law in Colombia. He is not admitted to practice law in the United States. His practice with Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. is limited to matters of Colombian law and to serving as a liaison for international clients with US-licensed attorneys at the firm. A former Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Colombia to the European Union and former Executive President of the Pereira Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Duport Jaramillo holds his law degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and is fluent in Spanish, English, and French. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. maintains a location in Pereira, Colombia, by appointment only. The firm is a US law firm with an international clientele; it does not practice Colombian law directly. Colombian-law matters are addressed through the firm’s Colombian-admitted Of Counsel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both a US-admitted attorney and a Colombian-admitted attorney for my cross-border commercial matter?
If your matter involves legal questions under both US law and Colombian law, you generally need counsel admitted in each jurisdiction to address the respective legal issues. A US-admitted attorney can handle US entity formation, US contract law, FCPA compliance, OFAC sanctions analysis, and US litigation or arbitration. A Colombian-admitted attorney addresses Colombian corporate formalities, Colombian regulatory approvals, Colombian tax treatment, and Colombian dispute resolution. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. provides the US-law counsel through Mr. Sris and its US-licensed Of Counsel attorneys, and collaborates with Colombian-admitted Of Counsel on the Colombian-law side. For matters that are purely Colombian-law in nature — a Colombian domestic contract dispute with no US nexus, for example — you may only need Colombian-admitted counsel. For a consultation on your specific situation, reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
What is the FCPA and how does it affect US companies doing business in Colombia?
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), codified at 15 U.S.C. § 78dd-1 et seq., is a US federal statute that prohibits US issuers, domestic concerns, and certain foreign persons acting in US territory from bribing foreign officials to obtain or retain business, and imposes accounting and internal-controls requirements on US issuers. A US company operating in Colombia — whether through a subsidiary, a joint venture with a Colombian partner, or a distribution arrangement — must ensure that its employees, agents, and third-party intermediaries do not offer or pay anything of value to Colombian government officials for the purpose of influencing an official act or securing an improper advantage. The FCPA’s jurisdictional scope extends to conduct that occurs in whole or in part in US territory, and its books-and-records provisions apply to issuers regardless of where the conduct occurs. Colombian law separately criminalizes bribery under the Estatuto Anticorrupción. A compliance program addressing both US and Colombian anti-corruption requirements is a routine element of cross-border commercial risk management. For guidance on your FCPA compliance obligations, contact Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
How are cross-border commercial disputes between US and Colombian parties resolved?
Cross-border commercial disputes between US and Colombian parties are frequently resolved through international arbitration under institutional rules, with enforcement of the resulting award governed by the New York Convention, to which both the United States and Colombia are contracting parties. Commercial contracts between US and Colombian entities often include arbitration clauses designating a neutral arbitral institution — such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) or the American Arbitration Association (AAA) — and specifying the seat of arbitration, governing law, and language of the proceedings. The New York Convention provides a treaty framework under which a final arbitral award issued in one contracting state is generally enforceable in the other, subject to limited defenses. Absent an arbitration clause, disputes may proceed in the courts of the jurisdiction specified in the contract’s forum-selection clause, though enforcing a US court judgment in Colombia or a Colombian judgment in the United States involves additional procedural steps and may not benefit from a treaty framework comparable to the New York Convention. Litigation strategy in cross-border disputes requires analysis of both potential forums. For a consultation on cross-border dispute resolution, reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
What entity structure should a Colombian company use to enter the US market?
The appropriate US entity structure for a Colombian company depends on the company’s business objectives, tax considerations under the US-Colombia tax treaty, liability exposure, and the US state where operations will be based. Colombian companies entering the US market commonly form a US limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation (C-corporation or, if eligible, S-corporation), typically registered in a state such as Delaware, Florida, or Virginia. An LLC offers pass-through taxation by default with flexibility to elect corporate tax treatment, while a C-corporation provides a familiar structure for eventual equity investment or a future US public offering. The US-Colombia tax treaty may affect withholding rates on dividends, interest, and royalties paid by the US entity to its Colombian parent. State-level considerations — including franchise taxes, annual reporting requirements, and foreign-qualification obligations if the entity operates in multiple states — also influence the choice of entity and state of formation. A Colombian-law analysis of the parent company’s obligations under Colombian corporate and tax law runs in parallel with the US-side structuring. For guidance on US entity formation for your Colombian business, contact Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
Are US sanctions a concern for commercial transactions with Colombia?
As of 2026, Colombia is not subject to comprehensive US sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and routine commercial transactions with Colombian counterparties do not raise OFAC compliance concerns absent a nexus to a sanctioned person, entity, or third country. However, US companies and their foreign subsidiaries must still screen Colombian counterparties against the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and other sanctions lists, because OFAC sanctions are targeted at specific persons and entities rather than at Colombia as a jurisdiction. A Colombian distributor, joint-venture partner, or customer that appears on the SDN List — or that is owned or controlled by a sanctioned person — triggers OFAC prohibitions regardless of Colombia’s overall sanctions status. US export controls under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) may also apply to goods, software, or technology exported from the United States to Colombia, depending on the item’s Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) and the end-use and end-user. Sanctions and export-control lists change frequently; verify current status with OFAC directly at treasury.gov. For guidance on OFAC compliance in your Colombia-related transactions, contact Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.
How do I authenticate US documents for use in Colombia, or Colombian documents for use in the US?
Because both the United States and Colombia are contracting parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, public documents issued in one country and intended for use in the other are generally authenticated by apostille rather than by consular legalization. For a US document destined for use in Colombia — such as a certificate of incorporation, a corporate resolution, or a power of attorney — the document is presented to the competent authority in the US state of issuance (typically the Secretary of State) for apostille certification. For a Colombian document destined for use in the United States — such as a Colombian notarial deed, a commercial registry extract, or a Colombian court order — the document is presented to the Colombian competent authority designated under the Apostille Convention. The apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing acted, and the seal or stamp on the document. It does not certify the content of the underlying document. The apostille process replaces the multi-step chain-legalization procedure that applies when one of the countries is not an Apostille Convention signatory. For assistance with cross-border document authentication, reach Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747.