Jonathan Bench

Jonathan is chair of Harris Sliwoski’s corporate practice group, where he helps public and private companies with international and domestic business transactions. His clientele includes companies from Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Jonathan has worked and consulted in the U.S., Asia, and South America and is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese.

He is an emerging blockchain legal expert and enjoys developing international legal strategies with promising web3 projects.

Crypto regulation

Who Will Regulate Your Crypto and How

The past two weeks have seen a flurry of proposed regulatory activity in cryptocurrency. Governments around the world are making a sustained push for regulation similar in form and scope to regulations in more traditional financial markets. Many are now wondering who will regulate my crypto, and how do they plan to regulate it? Who

Federal Legislation Gets the Attention, but State Laws Matter Also

Federal Legislation Gets the Attention, but State Laws Also Matter

If you’re not American, U.S. politics can be confusing. And believe us, even if you are American, they’re confusing. The United States has been mired in a partisan struggle for several decades (some would say, for the past 245 years), and during the past 10 years it has been particularly difficult to pass legislation through

NFT Contracts

NFT Contracts

Recently we have been drafting and reviewing NFT (non-fungible token)-related contracts for our clients. Some of our projects involved operating agreements for NFT companies and their owners. Others involved contracts for NFT companies with their investors or consultants. And because NFTs are intellectual property, we have also been involved in registering trademarks and preparing agreements

U.S. Employment Law for Foreign Companies

United States Employment Law for Foreign Companies

With a GDP of $20 trillion and a population of 325 million people, the United States is the world’s largest consumer market. Household spending is the highest in the world, accounting for more than a quarter of global household consumption, and free trade agreements with 20 countries provide enhanced access to hundreds of millions of

Does My International Company Need to Register in the U.S.

Does My International Company Need to Register in the U.S.?

When and how to register a foreign company in the US In the prior post in this series, we discussed U.S. banking requirements for international companies. This post focuses on when a foreign company should or must register as doing business in a U.S. state, either by registering their foreign company directly in that state

Does My International Business Need to Pay U.S. Federal and State Taxes?

Does My International Business Need to Pay U.S. Federal and State Taxes?

Our foreign direct investment team regularly fields inquiries from international companies and existing international clients regarding establishing U.S. business operations. (See Does My International Company Need to Register in the U.S. and How Does My International Company Do Banking in the U.S.?) This post will answer questions for foreign companies regarding when they must pay

A Legal Primer on Doing Business in the United States

Doing Business in the United States: The Laws You Should Know

As the country with the world’s largest economy, the United States offers some of the best business opportunities in the world. However, the US legal system can also pose complex regulatory hurdles for foreign enterprises. Navigating these legal intricacies is crucial for foreign companies seeking to minimize risk and operate successfully in the expansive US commercial

ForeignCompaniesDoingBusinessintheUnited States

Doing Business in the United States: State Laws Matter

Foreign companies doing business in the United States need to realize that state laws can matter every bit as much as U.S. federal laws. Many foreign companies know the U.S. is complex, but many do not know the extreme differences among U.S. states. The United States has been mired in a partisan struggle for several

Which State is best for foreign companies

In Which U.S. State Should We Set Up Our Company?

Every week we talk with international companies that are trying to bring their product or service to the U.S. market. The #1 question I get is: In which U.S. state should we set up our operations? I always respond like this: the answer to this question depends on your goals for your business. Then I