Venezuelan Attorneys and Lawyers around the World

The recent political instability situation in Venezuela has caused many Venezuelans to cross the country's borders to find other places to work and live in peace. Those of us who make our living as lawyers have not been an exception to this reality, and although this transition has been difficult in many cases, mainly because of the difficulty of validating the professional title or to sit for the bar exam in those other countries, many colleagues have been able to work within their profession. A few have been lucky enough to be able to do an LL.M or take some courses in comparative law, as in our case, and obtain certain permits or licenses in those other jurisdictions, even passing the bar exam in some states that allow so. Some others a little less fortunate, have had access only to non-attorney legal jobs, like paralegals, as they are called in the United States and Canada.

In Spain, for instance, foreign lawyers are allowed to "re validate" their law degree, and practice law as a local professional. This requires studying not only the Spanish Civil Law but also the laws called "derecho foral", which applies to the different regions or communities that make up the Kingdom of Spain. We know of colleagues who have gone to work in countries like Italy and Portugal, where not only they have had to learn its laws and regulations, but also new languages like Italian and Portuguese, respectively. In the U.S. and Canada, our fellow Venezuelan attorneys have adapted to the current situation working to meet the legal needs of many Venezuelans who have immigrated there and need the advice of their lawyers in matters like their immigration documents and work permits, or their contracts for the purchase of a house, or even a business.

Danilo Arsenijevith is a Venezuelan lawyer and business manager. He earned his law degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, an LL.M. in Comparative Jurisprudence from New York University, and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Florida Metropolitan University in Tampa, Florida. He specializes in advising clients in business investment, immigration and trade in the United States of America and Canada. Danilo has worked for law firms in Caracas, Mexico and New York City. He is the principal with the firm Bizlatin LLC, and also a Consultant with Econlex Corp.