ILS logo
Instagram  Twitter  Linkedin  Facebook

The International Law Section Gazette

Section News

ILS Chair's News & Notes

Dear friends and colleagues:

 

This week we have big news: it’s official, the Lunch and Learn series is expanding to Orlando! The inaugural Orlando Lunch and Learn will take place on September 24, 2025, at 12:00 p.m., at the offices of Holland & Knight (200 South Orange Ave., #2600, Orlando, FL) and will feature two ILS legends: Phil Buhler and Brock McClane. Please share the news with your networks and we hope to see you there! 

 

Second, we are just one week away from our End of Summer Cocktail at Café La Trova, graciously sponsored by SubIT. Don’t forget to mark your calendars and join us for a drink (or two!) on September 10, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

 

Lastly, we released the agenda for the ILS Retreat in Punta Cana – are you excited yet? The retreat is shaping up to be a truly memorable one. If you have not, you can register here, and book your room here. 

 

Hope you have a great week,

Cristina Vicens Beard

Florida Bar ILS Chair

cvb@bluestonelaw.com

ILS 2025-2026 Calendar

  • September 1 – Application Period Opens for Board Certification in International Litigation & Arbitration


  • September 10 - End of Summer Cocktail at Cafe La Trova


  • September 15 - Deadline for Submissions in MIAS Writing Competition


  • September 17 - Lunch and Learn featuring Judge Kevin Emas, Florida Third District Court of Appeal


  • September 24 - Orlando Lunch and Learn featuring Phil Buhler


  • October 1 – Application Period Closes for Board Certification in International Litigation & Arbitration


  • October 16 - 19 - ILS Retreat at the Hard Rock Hotel, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic


  • November 20 - Orlando Luncheon at the Citrus Club


  • February 12, 2026 - Mid-Year Executive Council Meeting


  • February 13, 2026 - iLaw 2026


  • February 14, 2026 - Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre Moot

Announcements

Register Now for the ILS End of Summer Cocktail!

Register now for the ILS End of Summer Cocktail at Cafe La Trova! Don't miss out on cocktails, live music, Cuban cuisine, and a great opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and welcome newcomers. Register here

Our Next ILS Lunch & Learn is Here!

Join us on September 17, 2025, at 12 PM for a compelling conversation with Judge Kevin Emas of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal, moderated by Arnie Lacayo of Sequor Law.

👏 Special thanks to our sponsor, Fiduciary Trust International.

📧 RSVP to Whitney Jobson at wjobson@floridabar.org to reserve your spot!

Our First ILS Lunch & Learn in Orlando is Here!

The ILS is bringing its Lunch and Learn series to Orlando for the first time! Join us on September 24, 2025, at 12PM for a riveting discussion with Philip Buhler, Board Certified in Admiralty & Maritime Law and International Law, moderated by J. Brock McCLane, Past Chair of the ILS.


📧 RSVP to Whitney Jobson at wjobson@floridabar.org to reserve your spot!

Save the Date: ILS Retreat at Punta Cana!

We look forward to seeing you at the Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic! You can now book your stay at the Hard Rock Hotel here:


https://hotel.reservations.hardrock.com/?adult=2&arrive=2025-10-16&chain=13924&child=0&config=GPS20&currency=USD&depart=2025-10-19&dest=AIC&group=251016THEFDHPC&hotel=59389&level=hotel&locale=en-US&productcurrency=USD&rooms=1&theme=Groups20


Please make sure to also register for the retreat and RSVP for each specific event, here: Overview


Call for 2026 Richard Dewitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot Committee Members

The Richard Dewitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot hosted by the Florida Bar International Law Section returns February 14, 2026, and planning is officially underway!


If you're interested in joining the Committee please reach out to Co-Chairs Jennifer Mosquera (jmosquera@sequrolaw.com) and Pedro Jedlicka (pjedlicka@jedca.law).

Call for iLaw 2026 Steering Committee Members and Topic Proposals

The Florida Bar International Law Section’s flagship conference returns February 13, 2026, and planning is officially underway!


If you're interested in joining the Steering Committee or submitting a panel proposal, please reach out to Co-Chairs Davide Macelloni (dmacelloni@drclaw.com) and Adrian Nunez (nuneza@gtlaw.com).

Save the Date: iLaw 2026!

Mark your calendars: The Florida Bar International Law Section’s flagship conference returns February 13, 2026, at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami.


Expect to join legal practitioners from 20+ jurisdictions for plenary sessions, a stand-out keynote, incredible networking, and three breakout tracks: International Litigation, International Business Transactions, and AAA-ICDR International Arbitration.

Get Florida Bar Board Certified in International Law! Deadline to Submit Your Application is August 31, 2025!

Did you know that only about 50 Florida Bar members are Florida Bar Board Certified Specialists in International Law. If you are an international law practitioner, you should consider the advantages of Board Certification by the Florida Bar. Board Certified International Lawyers can objectively state to their clients that the Florida Bar has certified that they are experts in International Law and that they have been rigorously vetted and tested for expertise! Board Certified lawyers earn the title “B.C.S.” meaning “Board Certified Specialist”.

 

Minimum standards for international law certification, include:


  • Practice of law as a Bar member for at least five years, in either the United States or abroad, or four years with an LL.M. in international law or a related field;


  • Substantial involvement in the specialty of international law — 50% or more — during each of the three years immediately preceding application;


  • 60 hours of approved international law certification continuing legal education in the three years immediately preceding application;

        Peer review; and


  • A written examination.


The application filing period runs July 1-August 31 of a given year to determine eligibility to sit for the exam in March of the subsequent year. Applications must be postmarked by August 31. Eligible applicants who pass the exam will be officially certified in June. Certifications are valid for 5 years, the expiration upon which the expert must be re-certified.


Concerned about getting enough International Law Certification CLE credits to apply? No worry! The International Law Section provides ample opportunities to earn those credits through its CLE programs, including the annual iLaw ILS Forum on International Law, speaking opportunities and the ability to earn certification credit by writing articles for the ILS’ International Law Quarterly magazine.


The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization has found that the likelihood that a client will choose a Board Certified lawyers over one that is not Board Certified is between 25 and 40%! Don’t miss out on getting a step ahead of the competition! For more information, consult the Florida Bar website at International Law Certification – The Florida Bar or the International Law website at Board Certification – International Law Section.


Membership Benefits

The International Law Quarterly

The ILQ Publishes its Spring 2025 Issue, Focus on International Law Under the Trump Administration, Available Now!

The Spring 2025 Issue of the International Law Quarterly - "Focus on International Law Under the Trump Administration" is now available, featuring the latest submissions by ILS members, including articles focused on the Trump Administration's effects on immigration, economic security, tariffs, and more!


Click on the images above to download or please click here!


For all previous issues of the International Law Quarterly, please follow this link.

Call for Member Submissions for the ILS Gazette!

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.


Turn in your membership application TODAY!



Join an ILS Committee Today!

 

Amicus Committee

 

Chair: Edward Mullins

emullins@reedsmith.com

 

Arbitration & Mediation Committee


Chair: Javier Samaniego

javier.samaniego@osborneclarke.com


Asia Committee

 

Chairs: Neha Dagley | Fred Rocafort

neha.dagley@dagleylaw.com

fred@harrisbricken.com

 

CLE Initiatives Committee

 

Chairs: Kristin Drecktrah Paz | Ana Barton

kristin.paz@pierferd.com

abarton@reedsmith.com

 

Europe Committee

 

Chairs: Susanne Leone | Davide Macelloni

sleone@leonezhgun.com

dmacelloni@drbdc-law.com

 

Foreign Legal Consultant Committee

 

Chair: Robert J. Becerra

rbecerra@rjbecerralaw.com

 

iLaw Steering Committee

 

Chairs: Davide Macelloni | Adrian Nuñez

dmacelloni@drbdc-law.com

nuneza@gtlaw.com

 

ILS Deskbook Committee

 

Co-Editors: Robert Kossick | Laura Reich | Larry S. Rifkin | Clarissa Rodriguez | Pamella Seay

robert.kossick@harrisbricken.com

lsrifkin@rifkinfox.com

lreich@harpermeyer.com

crodriguez@harpermeyer.com

p-seay@usa.net

 

ILS Gazette Committee

 

Chair: Alain Acanda

aacanda@sequorlaw.com



Immigration Liaison Committee


Chair: Larry S. Rifkin

lsrifkin@rifkinfox.com


International Law Board Certification Committee

 

Chair: Robert J. Becerra

rbecerra@rjbecerralaw.com


International Law Quarterly Committee

 

Chair: Jennifer Mosquera

 jmosquera@sequorlaw.com


International Litigation and Arbitration Board Certification Committee

 

Chair: Kristin Drecktrah Paz

 kristin.paz@pierferd.com


International Tax Law Committee

 

Chair: Jeff Hagen

jhagen@harpermeyer.com

 

Law School Liaison Committee

 

Chairs: Prof. Manuel A. Gomez | Laura Reich

magomez@fiu.edu

lreich@harpermeyer.com

 

Legislative Committee

 

Chair: Carlos F. Osorio

 cosorio@osorioint.com

 

Lunch & Learn Committee

 

Chairs: Arnoldo B. Lacayo | Edward H. Davis

alacayo@sequorlaw.com

edavis@sequorlaw.com


North America Committee

 

Chair: Nouvelle Gonzalo

ngonzalo@gonzalolaw.com

  

Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot Committee

 

Chair: Priscila Bandeira

pbandeira@duanemorris.com

 

White Collar Crime Committee

 

Chair: Robert J. Becerra

rbecerra@rjbecerralaw.com

Visit Our Sponsors

The ILS Thanks its 2025 Sponsors 


We look forward to another year of innovative programs where we can advance international law in Florida and further promote our sponsors.If interested in sponsoring the ILS, please contact our Treasurer, Jeffrey Hagen at jhagen@harpermeyer.com or Vice Treasurer, Adrian Nuñez at nuneza@gtlaw.com for more details.

ILS Board Members and Officers


Chair: Cristina Vicens Beard

Chair-Elect: Laura Reich

Secretary: Davide Macelloni

Treasurer: Jeffrey S. Hagen

Vice-Treasurer: Adrian Nuñez

Immediate Past Chair: Ana M. Barton

ILS Executive Council


Terms Expiring 2026



Matthew Akiba

Lauren Bengochea

Neha Dagley

Gary E. Davidson

Nouvelle Gonzalo

Susanne Leone

Jennifer Mosquera


Terms Expiring 2027


Priscila Bandeira

Fabio Giallanza

Penelope Perez-Kelly

Frederic Rocafort


Terms Expiring 2028



Phillip Buhler

Kristin Drecktrah Paz

Prof. Manuel A. Gomez

Omar K. Ibrahem

David O'Steen

Eve Perez-Torres

Lyubov Zeldis



To learn more about the ILS Executive Council Members, click here!

About the ILS Gazette

The ILS Gazette is a weekly publication of the Florida Bar International Law Section that informs members about upcoming programs, initiatives and resources.


If you have any questions about the Gazette or wish to include an announcement in future publications, please contact our ILS Gazette Editor, Alain Acanda at aacanda@sequorlaw.com.

Connect With Us on Social Media!

Instagram  Twitter  Linkedin  Facebook

© 2025. All Rights Reserved.