State Property Bans for Russian Citizens: Where They Apply in 2026
This is not a sanctions question, and the difference matters
Can a Russian citizen buy a house, a condominium, or commercial property in the United States? A few years ago the answer usually began and ended with a sanctions check. That is no longer sufficient. It is now also necessary to establish where the property is located, where the buyer lives, what his immigration status is, and, if...
Inheritance from Russia to the US: How to Claim It and Get the Money to Your Account
Four barriers, and only two of them are American
An inheritance from Russia to the US rarely arrives on a lawyer’s desk as a question of law. It arrives as a wire that did not land, a bank that has asked for documents nobody kept, or a client who has just discovered that the six-month window closed four months ago.
It helps to separate four barriers that operate independently of one...
Delaware Corporation Registration: Who Needs It and Who Does Not
Why Delaware became the default
Roughly two-thirds of the Fortune 500 are incorporated in Delaware. That concentration is not an accident of history, and it is worth understanding what the state actually delivers before deciding whether you need any of it.
The statute comes first. The Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) is amended almost every year and tracks commercial practice more...
US Bank Account for Foreigners: What Banks Really Ask
Why a foreigner needs a US bank account
For a foreigner who is building a business in the US, incorporating a Delaware C-Corp or an LLC, receiving payments from American counterparties, or paying expenses in dollars, a US bank account for foreigners often becomes a practical necessity. At the same time, the account-opening process is frequently described either too optimistically (“just show...
OFAC GL 131H: Eighth Extension in a Row Gives Lukoil International GmbH Deal Until August 22
On July 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License No. 131H (OFAC GL 131H), replacing General License No. 131G and extending the authorization for negotiations and contingent contracts for the sale of Lukoil International GmbH (LIG) until August 22, 2026. LIG is the Austrian holding company through which PJSC Lukoil manages...
OFAC Delisting Petition Documents: What Works and What Gets Ignored
What Is an OFAC Delisting Petition and Who Reviews It
The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC) maintains the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) - a roster of individuals and entities whose U.S.-based assets are frozen and with whom American persons are broadly prohibited from doing business. Designation carries severe...
Lukoil GL 131F: OFAC Extends Authorization for LIG Sale Negotiations
On May 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License No. 131F (Lukoil GL 131F), replacing General License No. 131E and extending the authorization through 12:01 a.m. EDT on June 27, 2026. The license continues to authorize negotiations and the entry into contingent contracts for the sale of Lukoil International GmbH (LIG), the...
Challenging OFAC Sanctions in Court: The Albanese Case and the D.D.C. Preliminary Injunction
On May 13, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (D.D.C.) issued a preliminary injunction in L.C. et al. v. Trump (L.C. v. Trump), suspending sanctions enforcement against Francesca Albanese, a United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights. The case has become a landmark example of challenging OFAC sanctions in court: the court blocked enforcement of a decision by the...
Can You Challenge an OFAC Decision?
Many people facing U.S. sanctions for the first time ask whether they can challenge an OFAC decision. The answer depends on what “challenging” means in context and what type of decision the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC) has issued. There is no administrative body to which a complaint against OFAC can be made. That said, the situation is not...
Zadornov SDN Delisting: How It Was Done
On April 3, 2026, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC) announced the Zadornov SDN delisting, ending nearly four years of U.S. blocking sanctions. The result followed a deliberate two-stage legal strategy: an administrative petition to OFAC, followed by a lawsuit in federal court. Below, we analyze how this was accomplished and what lessons the case...