The Story So Far – Lex International

First offices opened in US and Canada

Lex International's US office has been providing high quality consulting services and representing its clients in the United States since 1980s.
In 1984 Lucius Smejda, an attorney both in the US and Canada together with his partners founded a law firm "Smejda & Associates PA". The first two offices were opened in Alberta (Canada) and Miami (USA).
Mr. Smejda was practicing internationally and gained recognition not only in North America but in various countries around the World. "Smejda & Associates PA" formed a professional network of attorneys working together in various ways including referencing clients and information exchange. In 1988, the company was joined by George Firestone, former Florida Secretary of State (1979-1987) and Senator (1972-1978). His international experience, connections and energy were fundamental factors that influenced Smejda & Associates PA’s future development as international consulting company.
The founders of "Smejda & Associates PA" believed that the center of the World was not only in New York, Berlin or Paris but anywhere their clients’ interests were at stake.

First European office established in Paris

In 1992, Smejda & Associates PA opened its first European office in Paris. Initially, the office in Paris was managed by Lucius Smejda, who had the master’s in law degree from The Sorbonne University. French businessmen and wealthy families having interests in US or Canada became the office’s first clients. Since the French office’s establishment, its lawyers have taken an active role in the work of the French American-Chamber of Commerce of Florida, and present commentaries and reports on US-France legal matters at various conferences and on TV and radio programs.

Smejda & Associates P.A. becomes Lex International Law Firm

In 2001, Smejda & Associates PA was renamed as Lex International Law Firm PA. The Lex International team was joined by renowned lawyers WILLIAM H. NEWTON, III and ANTONIO R. ZAMORA, whose practical and academic background made the company a qualified consulting partner for clients worldwide and an international center for professional knowledge exchange.

Foundation of international network

Due to its unique practical experience covering legal specifics in various countries, an outstanding professional team and partners around the world, Lex International Law Firm provided its clients with reliable legal assistance internationally. In 2007, Lex International Law Firm PA together with law firms in several countries established Lex International Network with headquarters in Miami and Montreal.
Lex International Network Inc is incorporated in Canada and is inscribed in the corporate register of the Quebec province. The Lex International Network registered name in French is Réseau Lex International Inc.

RichWise Consulters becomes the Russian branch of Lex International

Soon after the network was established it opened its offices in Paris, Brussels and Luxembourg. High demand in Lex services from Eastern-European and Eurasian clients had an impact on the opening of new offices. In 2007, the Moscow office opened its doors, in 2009 we opened an office in Kiev, Ukraine, and in 2011 reference agreements were signed with consulting companies from Montenegro and Romania. In 2013, Lex International Network was joined by RichWise Consulters, a consulting company from St. Petersburg (Russia). In 2015, RichWise Consulters was reincorporated as Lex International Rus Ltd. and took over Lex International practice in Russia and Belorussia. Since 2017, Lex International Rus Ltd. has been the network’s regional headquarter in Eastern Europe and CIS.

Organizational change and new strategy implementation

In 2018, Lucius Smejda, the Lex International Law Firm PA president, passed away. George Firestone, one of the most renowned and respected consultants of the company died in 2012. By 2018 most of the lawyers who founded the company and were key practitioners throughout its history had retired.
The Lex International Network board approved a new strategy aimed at developing key offices under the brand Lex International in regions of presence, improving the level of interoffice integration and signing reference agreements with offices providing services under their own brands. The strategy is based on widening the range of services provided, focusing on accounting, tax, management and investment consulting. One of the key aspects of the strategy is improving employees’ mobility and usage of remote work and collaboration tools. A regional Lex International Network office in South America was opened in 2017 in Asuncion (Paraguay) as an objective of the new strategy.