Book excerpt: In 1976 Congress enacted the landmark Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act opening the doors of US federal courts to suits by private individuals against foreign governments. In the decades following, over 3000 cases have been brought and the instances of new cases are increasing as the US becomes more integrated into the world economy and foreign governments are behaving more like private entitles. While this development has created new opportunities for US attorneys to seek redress from foreign governments for their clients, the challenges presented by the complex rules governing Immunities Act cases, counterparts from radically different legal traditions, and unfamiliar terminology can befuddle even the most competent counsel. Since first publication of the book in 1988, "Suing Foreign Governments and Their Corporations" has become recognized as the standard handbook providing guidance on the intricacies of litigation under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.