The International Law Section Gazette | | |
Dear friends and colleagues:
The Gazette is coming to you late this week because, truth be told, we’re all still recovering from the incredible time we had at our Annual Retreat in Punta Cana! From ILS Talks to pool-side cocktails, from beach games to meaningful conversations with colleagues and friends, it was a weekend to remember. Thank you to Whitney Jobson and Laura Reich for helping to plan the retreat and to all of those who attended for bringing your best energy and helping make this retreat such a success.
As we return home and shift our focus back to Florida, there’s much to look forward to. On November 20, we’ll host our Annual Luncheon at the Citrus Club in Orlando, and both Miami and Orlando will host additional Lunch and Learn events in the coming months. These programs continue our mission of bringing the ILS community together across regions and to provide CLEs for our members and for those looking to get board certified—so mark your calendars and stay tuned for details!
Lastly, please remember to tune in on November 5 at noon for Larry Rifkin, Juan Carlos Freire, and Elaine Weiss’s latest CLE webinar, Working in the United States as a TN Professional: Visa Requirement for Canadian and Mexican Citizens. And if you miss it, don’t sweat it, because all of our CLE content is available at our 24/7 CLE Catalog.
Un abrazo,
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October 31 – Application Period Closes for Board Certification in International Litigation & Arbitration
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November 5 - ILS Webinar Working in the United States as a TN Professional: Visa Requirement for Canadian and Mexican Citizens featuring Larry Rifkin, Juan Carlos Freire, and Elaine Weiss
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November 7 - FIU Law Latin American and Caribbean Law Review’s Inaugural Symposium from 9 AM to 12 PM in the Eric C. Padron Esq. courtroom at FIU College of Law (Modesto Campus)
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November 20 - Orlando Luncheon at the Citrus Club
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December 10 - Holiday Party at The River Oyster Bar, 7:00pm
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February 12, 2026 - Mid-Year Executive Council Meeting
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February 13, 2026 - iLaw 2026
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February 14, 2026 - Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre Moot
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Learning, connecting, and soaking up the sun, our retreat had it all! 🌊 ☀️From thought-provoking TED Talks and committee discussions to beach team-building and cocktails with Dominican lawyers, this weekend reminded us what makes ILS truly special.
See you at next year's retreat!
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| Our Next ILS Webinar is Here! | | |
Join us on November 5, 2025, at 12 PM for for the next installment in the ILS Webinar Series featuring Larry Rifkin, Juan Carlos Freire, and Elaine Weiss.
Be sure to register here: November 5, 2025 ILS Webinar
| | FIU Law’s Latin American and Caribbean Law Review is Hosting its Inaugural Symposium! | |
| Save the Date: Annual Orlando Luncheon! | | |
Join the ILS on November 20th, 12:00 p.m. at the Citrus Club in Orlando for an afternoon of networking with fellow Central and North Florida members.
📩 RSVP to Deborah Kallas (dakallas@bmdpl.com) to secure your spot.
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Call for Articles for International Law Quarterly Winter 2025 Edition | If you're interested in submitting an article for the Winter 2025 Edition of the International Law Quarterly, please submit a Statement of Interest to Co-Editor Jennifer Mosquera (jmosquera@sequrolaw.com) by October 3, 2025. | | 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.
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Get Florida Bar Board Certified in International Litigation and Arbitration! Deadline to Submit Your Application is October 31, 2025! | |
Did you know that only about 30 Florida Bar members are Florida Bar Board Certified Specialists in International Litigation & Arbitration. If you are an international litigation or arbitration practitioner, you should consider the advantages of Board Certification by the Florida Bar. Board Certified International Litigation& Arbitration Lawyers can objectively state to their clients that the Florida Bar has certified that they are experts in International Litigation & Arbitration 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 litigation and arbitration during the three years immediately preceding application;
- Substantial involvement in a minimum of 16 contested international litigation and arbitration matters during the eight years immediately preceding application;
- 50 hours of continuing legal education in the field of international litigation and arbitration in the five years immediately preceding application;
Peer review;
The application filing period runs September 1 - October 31 of a given year to determine eligibility to sit for the exam in March of the subsequent year. Applications must be postmarked by October 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 Litigation and Arbitration 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 Litigation & Arbitration Certification – The Florida Bar or the International Law website at Board Certification – International Law Section.
| | 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!
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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.
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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
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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!
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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.
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