The International Law Section Gazette |
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Dear ILS Members,
It is that time of year again when the Year itself becomes the topic at hand for most publications. Not to be outdone, I present to you The ILS Gazette’s 2021 Year in Review.
January: Despite his relentless efforts to the contrary, our Immediate Past Chair, Bob Becerra, is forced to cancel our in-person, live, signature event, The i-Law Conference, due to a mandate issued by the President of the Florida Bar. In an open mic moment (for which he is known to frequently have) Bob is heard muttering, “I would rather have a root canal than attend another all day webinar!” Nevertheless, webinars ensue.
February: Vaccines arrive on the scene but only for a select few. Many ILS members suddenly become frontline and essential workers, even if just for a day. Again, sadly, no i-Law. Webinars persist.
March: More vaccines. Less webinars.
April: The CDC announces a new mental health condition of epidemic proportions called “webinar fatigue.”
May: In response to The Big Bar canceling in-person Bar Section Meetings at the Annual June General Meeting in Orlando, the ILS Executive Board plans a blow-out, stand-alone, ILS Annual Meeting and Retreat in the Florida Keys. At that same moment, apparently, the rest of the Continental United States discovers that they too can drive to a somewhat tropical destination called the Florida Keys, avoiding the need to board a plane. Room prices at all of the resorts in the Keys increase overnight seemingly on a geometric basis. The Holiday Inn in Key Largo is apparently now competing for customers with Ritz Carlton. The ILS plans for its Annual Meeting in June to be held at The Biltmore in Coral Gables.
June: Warning to future ILS Boards - beware if the resort brochure uses the words “charming” and “historic” to describe its facility. If so, ask about plumbing and air conditioning. Thanks to various connections, our Immediate Past Chair, Bob Becerra, was able to snag the Presidential Suite at the top of the Main Tower of the Biltmore. Well-documented stories abound that this suite is haunted. During the Chair’s Saturday night Cocktail Reception some of the creaky doors and windows to the aging wooden balconies kept flying open, and a tray of glasses crashed to the floor for no apparent reason. You will have to ask Bob directly what happened later that night as he and his family spent the night there. Suffice to say, the only thing missing was the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man.
July: Everything goes back to normal. Yay! No more webinars!!! “Wait… What was that you heard about the Delta Variant?”
August: Back to the webinars.
September: Given the increasing vaccination rates but the rising numbers from the Delta Variant, the ILS Executive Board makes a decision to compromise by holding in-person events but only at outdoor venues. The first is a Cocktail for a Cause with the Haitian Lawyers Association in the courtyard setting at Glass & Vine. Of course, a monsoon of historical, biblical and epic proportion hits Coconut Grove precisely one hour before the event. Nevertheless, the ILS persists undauntingly and has a beautiful event raising over $3,200 for the Ayiti Community Trust. On the same night that the International Law Quarterly launches its Fall Issue, which is also dedicated to legal issues in Haiti. I think we might have also held a webinar at some point.
October: In another outdoor setting at the Delano in Miami Beach, ILS hosts a cocktail party for a statewide delegation of the Young Lawyers Division. No monsoon this time - just rush hour traffic on the causeways out to Miami Beach on a Thursday night. The party is such a success that the median age of the Membership of the ILS drops by .3 % to 51.6 years.
November: Over 70% of the people in Miami-Dade County and most of the other metropolitan areas within the State of Florida have recieved at least one vaccination. After hosting several virtual events with law schools at the University of Miami, Florida State University and St. Thomas, the ILS decides to hold its first indoor, in-person CLE event of the year with the College of Law at Florida international University. Even better, the event is co-sponsored and co-hosted by the Caribbean Bar Association. The CLE program is dedicated to the legal issues confronting the hospitality industry during the era of Covid, and ends with an interactive rum and tequila mixing/tasting presentation hosted by the mixologists at the Chaplin School of Hospitality at FIU. Needless to say, The Bar’s CLE Approval Committee makes us promise that the rum and tequila tasting would not occur until AFTER the CLE panel concluded. Either that, or they would make us do it - you guessed it – as a webinar.
December: The ILS enjoys a well-attended and delightful holiday party on the third floor outdoor terrace of Mamey at the THesis hotel in Coral Gables. No monsoons, no causeways, no problems. Just a beautiful night catching up with good friends and colleagues. At one point during the festivities, I shouted “The ILS is back!” Everyone cheered. Later that evening, I heard someone saying, “What is that you said about Omicron? Hmmm… Do you have any good ideas for webinars?”
Happy Holidays!
James M. Meyer
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Great Success for the 2021 ILS Holiday Party |
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The 2021 ILS Holiday Party at Mamey on 3rd at the THesis Hotel was a great success, with over 50 attendees, including ILS Past Chairs and many Executive Council Members. The ILS Executive Board thanks all who participated to the event, wishing Happy Holidays to all ILS Members, and looks forward to a successful and eventful 2022. Below are some pictures from the event: |
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Save the Date - 2022 Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot |
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Save the Date for the 2022 Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot! The ILS invites all members to join for the annual Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot Competition, co-hosted with JAMS on Saturday, February 19, 2022. The event aims to give students an opportunity to practice and sharpen their skills by presenting and defending their legal arguments and receiving feedback from some of the best practitioners in the field. This year's event will be a hybrid format, hosting schools both in Miami, FL and virtually. To register a team, please contact ilspremoot@gmail.com. For any other questions or to volunteer as an arbitrator, please contact ilspremoot@gmail.com.
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The ILS Participation Challenge |
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The ILS Executive Board invites all ILS Members to compete in the 1st Annual ILS Participation Challenge and win amazing prizes and, more importantly, bragging rights. Here is how it works:
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Download your ILS Participation Challenge “bingo” card using this LINK, or come pickup your “hard card” at our upcoming September 22, 2021 cocktail event with the Haitian Lawyers Association to benefit the Ayiti Community Trust (see the invitation in the Gazette below). You will note that you can also check-off a square by attending that same event.
- To win, you must be an ILS member. If you want to play but are not a member, then you have yet another compelling reason to join!
- Mark the tiles on the ILS Participation Challenge “bingo” card as you complete each activity or event marked on that tile.
- You may only mark one tile per event or activity and only during the period from June 30, 2021 until the June 2022 Executive Council Meeting.
- Bring your marked ILS Participation Challenge card to the June 2022 Executive Council meeting OR scan and submit your card to me by that date.
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Any ILS member to mark the most squares (regardless of their position on the card) will enter the competition in the form of a drawing to win the first place prize: free attendance for one (1) at the next ILS retreat (including hotel, meals and other VIP treatment).
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Any ILS member that covers the card with two diagonal lines, from corner to corner (in the form of an “X”) will enter the competition in the form of a drawing to win second place prize: one complimentary ticket for iLaw2023.
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Any ILS member that completes any 5 consecutive squares (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) will enter the competition in the form of a drawing to win third place prize: dinner for two at il Gabbiano in Downtown Miami.
Ready, set, GET INVOLVED WITH THE ILS!
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International Law Deskbook 2020
The International Law Section is proud to announce that its International Law Deskbook 2020 is now ready for shipping! Get yours today!
To purchase the International Deskbook 2020, please click HERE to log into your account on the Florida Bar's website. Once logged in, please click HERE to search for the International Deskbook 2020 by entering the course number 4039. You will then find the International Deskbook 2020 under "Course Materials."
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Join the International Law Section
If you are reading the Gazette, chances are that you are a practitioner or a student with an interest in International Law, one of the most wide-ranging, exciting and challenging legal specialties. Everyone in our field knows how crucial it is to stay on top of diverse and evolving national legal regimes, and at the same time, the difficulty of keeping meticulously up-to-date on developments around the world.
The International Law Section (ILS) of The Florida Bar is here to help you, the practitioner, navigate both the everyday and big-picture challenges of our field. Our Section is your forum to share knowledge and best practices, and to meet and mingle with peers in professional collaborations that can only enhance your grasp of the specialty and your standing among clients and peers.
Let ILS membership assist you in developing a thriving international practice through peer network development that includes important shared learnings and reciprocal referrals of clients and casework.
If your practice transcends borders, join us in making this the authoritative, go-to forum for Florida and the gateway to the region for anyone practicing International Law. Our Section is open to lawyers from other states and countries, full-time faculty at U.S. law schools, and full-time U.S. law students, all of whom may participate as associate members. For more information regarding membership with the ILS, click HERE.
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Please join the International Law Section on January 19, 2022, for its webinar, "Alternatives for Client Where Permanent Residence or Non-Immigrant Visa is Not an Option." The webinar, presented by Past Chair Larry Rifkin, Chair-Elect Jacqueline Villalba, and Juan Carlos Freire, will examine immigration options for clients who want to live in close proximity to the USA in a stable country, but do not want to live in the USA full time because of tax issues or because they do not easily or readily qualify for a U.S. non-immigrant or immigrant visa. Destinations to be reviewed include Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. The panelists will also review visa alternatives that may limit tax obligations of foreign nationals if they choose to be in the United States for an extended period of time. To register, please follow this link. CLE credits available.
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ILS Past Chairs Robert Becerra and Peter Quinter Present for the Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association |
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On December 8th, ILS Past-Chairs Peter Quinter and Robert Becerra, joined by Homeland Security Investigations Supervisory Special Agents James Weir, presented the Webinar "Trademark Violation Enforcement by CBP and HSI: Counterfeit or Gray Market Merchandise" for the Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association. Bob and Peter discussed how CBP targets, stops, examines, detains, and seizes hundreds of millions of dollars every year of merchandise that infringes the trademark of a trademark owner, and how many of these detentions and seizures of "gray market" merchandise affect shipments of products which are often perfectly legal to import or export. The panel also taught attendees about "gray market" goods, how to best interact with CBP whenever the Trade Enforcement Team detains a shipment, and how to effectively persuade the Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures Office to release seized gray market merchandise.
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Osorio Internacional, P.A.
Osorio Internacional, P.A., Brickell based, is looking for a Florida Bar Licensed attorney for fast-paced international litigation and arbitration practice. Our cases are complex and high stakes. 5 year minimum required, with strong leadership and cross-cultural skills. Foreign law degrees, foreign practice and additional languages a plus. Please send CV/resume and writing samples in languages spoken. Pay is competitive. For follow up, please contact Office Manager, Gabriela Saavedra, at gsaavedra@osorioint.com.
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MPA Law Firm
Senior Litigation Attorney
The MPA Law Firm is seeking to hire an experienced litigation attorney to work on complex, multimillion dollar commercial matters in state, federal and appellate courts. Candidates should have 5+ years of experience fluently handling all functions of a case from the initial client meeting through case resolution and large volumes of information. Must have excellent writing and analytical skills and be able to work independently as well as with others. Trial experience or experience as a public defender or prosecutor is a plus. This is a position with growth opportunity based on performance. The hours are flexible and the candidate can choose to work remotely or from MPA’s Brickell office. Competitive salary.
The MPA Law Firm focuses exclusively on complex commercial litigation in a variety of industries, including banking, financial services, securities, real estate and cross-border partnerships and investments. MPA’s clients are foreign and domestic businesses and sophisticated entrepreneurs in a wide range of federal, state and international litigation and arbitration matters involving business torts, complex contractual disputes, unfair trade practices, breaches of fiduciary duties, professional negligence, partnership dissolutions, civil RICO claims, international disputes, and appellate litigation. www.theMPAlawfirm.com
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The International Law Quarterly - Fall 2021 |
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The Fall 2021 Issue of the International Law Quarterly - Focus on Haiti is now available. Click on the image above to download! For all previous issues of the International Law Quarterly, please follow this link.
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The ILS Thanks its Sponsors
In light of what we accomplished this past year, we hope you will continue to support the Section as a sponsor. In 2019-2020, various firms, companies and suppliers sponsored the Section.
We look forward to another year of innovative programs where we can advance international law and further promote our sponsors. To learn more, read the Section's sponsorship package. You can also contact our Treasurer, Ana Maria Barton at abarton@reedmith.com, or Vice Treasurer, Cristina Vicens Beard at cvicens@sequorlaw.com for more details.
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The ILS Gazette
Editor: Davide Macelloni
Chair: James M. Meyer
Immediate Past Chair: Robert J. Becerra
Chair-Elect: Jacqueline Villalba
Secretary: Richard Montes De Oca
Treasurer: Ana Barton
Vice-Treasurer: Cristina Vicens Beard
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© 2021. All Rights Reserved. |
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