The Immigration Lawyer Charting New Remote Work Pathways for Companies

A fledgling community of legal experts wants to tap into emerging remote work trends, and ultimately smooth the way for corporations looking to give their employees more flexibility and freedom.

Startup Relocate is just five months old, but its co-founder has big plans.

David Cantor wants to build a network of immigration lawyers in digital nomad-friendly countries, but is already pinpointing bigger-picture trends that closely align with the future of work. However, he has warned that governments are working at “glacial speed.”

Global migration, whether it’s for economic, social or political reasons, is front of mind for the lawyer. “The future of work encapsulates so much. Remote working, co-sharing, virtual offices. We’re interested in how the future of work influences immigration pathways, and how to navigate that,” he said.

One of his visions includes the fate of Europe’s forgotten villages. Many attempts have been made to drum up interest with various campaigns, and they can even involve selling picturesque townhouses for just a few euros.

Italy-based Cantor has another idea.

“I’ve been in countless beautiful, cobblestone villages in Europe. Because of the drain of economic labor, our generation unfortunately has left, in search of work,” he said. “I envision in five or 10 years you’ll have agile companies, maybe 100 employees, or 1,000 employees, which will take over these villages. They’ll maybe pay an eighth of what they would pay if they were to host their employees in the city, or a hotel. You can imagine a bunch of engineers in the piazza coding.”

Reinvigorating abandoned villages aside, Relocate’s own plan involves building up a networ