Introduction

This guide is intended to provide foreign business-people with an introduction to the basic kinds of laws and regulations that affect the conduct of business in the United States, and particularly in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The level of detail is varied, refl ecting the nature of the legal areas discussed. For example, environmental law and taxation are subjects of detailed and technical regulation, while labor relations are governed as much by custom and practice as by direct regulation.

The discussion under each heading is intended to provide only general guidance and is not an exhaustive description of all provisions of federal, state and local law with which a non-U.S. business operating in Massachusetts might be required to comply. The laws whose effects are described in this guide are subject to interpretation by courts, may be affected or preempted by federal statutes or regulations, and may themselves be amended or repealed. Particular businesses or industries may also be subject to legal requirements not referred to in this guide.

For these reasons, you should not rely solely upon this guide when planning the details of a specifi c transaction or undertaking. Instead, the pertinent details of any transaction or business project involving Massachusetts should be reviewed thoroughly by qualified Massachusetts counsel.

, table of contents, and links.