In my newer role on the Board of the International Section of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA), I came to learn of an invaluable resource for foreign and American investors wanting to do business in Washington State. The WSBA just released the 5th edition of Doing Business in Washington State: A Guide for Foreign Business and Investment, edited by Randy J. Aliment, with articles written by lawyers in the fields of business, tax, real estate, intellectual property, antitrust, securities, litigation, dispute resolution, employment, commercial, bankruptcy and immigration law. The guide is written as an introductory “how to” that is simple to read and broad enough to cover the range of activities in running a business in our state.

The book is available in print and CD for $75 with discounts for bulk ordering. Product will ship after January 1, 2011. This is a particularly helpful resource for foreign investors thinking about starting or buying a U.S. entity or expanding operations in the U.S. EB-5 permanent entrepreneurs and E-1 treaty traders/E-2 treaty investors, L-1 multinational companies and others will find this book useful in planning who to hire, how to set up an entity and protect liabilities and assure tax compliance among other issues. The book is a collaboration with the Washington State Department of Commerce. In September 2010, Governor Christine Gregoire led a trade delegation of 100 Washington businesses to China and Vietnam back. The delegation brought a Chinese version of the CDs with them. The International Section of the WSBA plans to have the book translated into other languages.