The International Law Section Gazette |
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Dear ILS Members,
If you did not have enough motivation to be vaccinated before, well, you certainly do now. No, I am not anticipating another new variant. I am referring to the fact that the ILS is going to the Bahamas, where vaccinated visitors can upload their vaccination information online and obtain a Health Visa before traveling – No Shoes, No Shirts, No Tests. Save the Date for the ILS Leadership Retreat at World Resorts Bimini on October 8-10, 2021. You will be able to arrive at this event by fast ferry from Ft. Lauderdale, seaplane from Miami, or a “regular” plane with wheels for landing gear. Weather permitting, you might also want to hitch a ride with one of our members on their private vessels or aircraft.
Besides the professional comradery we are all accustomed to at ILS retreats, we will have the opportunity to meet with and hear from some of our colleagues from the Bahamas. We will also leave time to enjoy some fishing, diving, and lounging at the infinity pool above the crystal blue waters of the Gulfstream. In fact, I personally challenge each of you to game of ring toss at the End of the World Sand Bar, a favorite watering hole of Ernest Hemingway, Adam Clayton Powell and Jimmy Buffet at the end of the road in Alice Town. You will soon be receiving a survey regarding your interest in attending. Please complete this form for us so we are able to better plan our activities and accommodations. More information will follow shortly thereafter. The bottom line is that the International Law Section is finally going “international.” I hope that you will all be there to enjoy this special event for the Section and all the splendor that comes with a weekend among friends on the Islands in the Stream.
Very truly yours,
James M. Meyer
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Meet the 34 Florida Bar Members Board Certified
in International Litigation and Arbitration
Gilbert K. Squires
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Gilbert K. Squires, B.C.S., P.E., FCCA, CIArb, is a native of the Republic of Panama. He is Board Certified in both International Law and International Litigation and Arbitration. Born and raised in Panama City, Panama, Gilbert (aka “G” by his close friends and “Kirk” by family) grew up with martial arts, chess, debate, track & field athletics, math, history, literature, geography, philosophy, and science. In addition, he has an affinity for music and languages. Spanish is his first and formal language. He studied English and Latin in secondary school (7th through 12th-grade equivalent). While in school, extracurricular, he studied French at the “Alliançe Francais.” His parents planned for him to study in Switzerland. However, on the untimely accidental death of his father, Gilbert came to the United States instead to pursue undergraduate engineering studies. A Roku Dan (6th Degree Black Belt) in Tomiki Ryu Aikido, Gilbert, recently celebrated 50 years in the Martial Arts. In addition, he is an over 20-year Yogi and lifelong Mindfulness Meditation practitioner.
In 1980, Gilbert earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, emphasizing Material Science at Texas A&M University. His career started as an Offshore Drilling Engineer with Exxon Company USA in New Orleans, Louisiana. Next, Conoco, Inc. recruited him to Ventura, California, where he served as a Senior Drilling Engineer and Assistant Drilling Manager. Conoco later transferred him to Oklahoma City as California Operations Engineering Manager. There, he started night Law School at Oklahoma City University School of Law. Next, the company transferred him to Houston, Texas, as Chief of Staff to the worldwide Vice-President of Exploration and Production Technology. He continued attending night Law School at the University of Houston Law Center while serving in other executive international positions in acquisitions, new ventures, and business development postings in Indonesia, The Netherlands, and Brazil.
In 1993, Squires completed his law studies at the University of Houston and earned the Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University Law School. In 1994, he was promoted and transferred to Mexico City, Mexico, as President of Conoco Mexico Limited. In 1996, he left Mexico to come to Miami, Florida, and form a Consulting Company seeking and promoting oil and gas and energy deals throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. In addition, he consulted with Universal Music Latin America to set up the region’s Content Management Organizations. He lived and work for a short term in Barra de Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
He later sat for the Florida Bar Exam. He began his practice as a Florida Bar attorney specializing in International Litigation, Arbitration, Oil and Gas, and Cross-Border Business and Probate matters. Admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and New York, Gilbert litigates and arbitrates cases throughout the United States. He represents individuals, businesses, and foreign governments in a variety of matters. Squires has been an American Arbitration Association and International Centre for Dispute Resolution Arbitrator for nearly twenty years of complex commercial, construction, maritime, and energy matters. A Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators, he is a Texas Registered Professional Engineer (Petroleum) and Diplomate in International Arbitration from the UK Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Squires currently serves as a managing member and co-founder of Squires International Law, PLLC. Gilbert is a native Spanish speaker fully bilingual in English and fluent in Portuguese, French, and Italian. Additionally, he is conversational in Dutch, Afrikaans, Hebrew, Japanese, and Greek. Squires is the (’19-’20) Past President of the Dade County Bar Association (now Miami Dade Bar Association). He’s a longtime Florida Bar International Law Section member and is on ADR Section’s Executive Council. Squires is a Florida Super Lawyer and Florida Legal Elite, among other accolades.
Why did you become Board Certified in International Litigation and Arbitration? In 1990, I took a Law School course in International Litigation and Arbitration and knew that I wanted to be an International Litigator and Arbitrator someday. I have been an Arbitrator for nearly twenty years. Florida Bar Presidents Michael Hager and Michelle Suskauer appointed Squires to the Inaugural Certification Committee of International Litigation and Arbitration. To which I brought my professional expertise to complement my outstanding committee colleagues. This specialization dovetails nicely with my International Law Certification and helps distinguish me from those colleagues without these certifications practicing in the field. One of Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, by which I live is to “Sharpen the Saw” — The Seventh Habit: “Seek continuous improvement and renewal professionally and personally.”
What are some benefits you received from being Board Certified? First, it has brought valued professional notoriety domestically and abroad. Colleagues and potential clients desire to associate with me and seek my counsel. Second, it has made a difference when speaking in national and international media. Third, although I am the same person that I was before certification, it seems to cause some people to view me differently.
Any best tips or advice to ILS Members preparing for the Certification Exam? One, learn the certification requirements and prepare early. Two, Get a Certification Mentor, a person who does not have a conflict and can guide you through the preparation process. Three, expose yourself to the active practice of intranational litigation and arbitration. Four, learn about the Conventions, Arbitral Rules, Rules of Evidence and Procedure including their application to international matters, motions, complaints, discovery, and another practice point in the field. Make it your point to Google, Pacer, and find cases in the milieu. Five, find ways either individually or through your firm if you are at a significant firm to work and learn in the arena. Finally, do not discount pro bono opportunities. Additionally, you can join and become an active member of the Florida Bar’s International Law Section and Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.
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Priscila Bandeira Lessa Joins Shutts & Bowen |
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Priscila Bandeira Lessa has joined Shutts & Bowen's International Dispute Resolution Practice Group. as an Associate. At Shutts, Priscila will focus her practice on complex litigation matters, international arbitration, and international business transactions. A member of the Florida Bar and Brazilian Bar, Priscila is fluent in Portuguese, French, and Spanish. For more information, please follow this link.
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Barbara Alonso Joins Banco Santander International |
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Barbara Alonso has joined Banco Santander International as Senior Legal Counsel and Senior Vice President. |
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Call for Articles: Legal Globalization
The editors of the International Law Quarterly are soliciting articles for the Fall 2021 edition, which will focus on Legal Globalization. Possible topics include (but are not limited to):
• global anticorruption efforts,
• international judgment recognition,
• environmental issues, such as global trading in carbon credits,
• international security issues,
• treaties and public international law,
• treatment of refugees,
• and more!
PLEASE NOTE, timely articles not specifically dealing with Legal Globalization will be considered for inclusion in this edition.
Please submit a short Statement of Interest in writing an article on a specific topic to the ILQ Editors at EditorsILQ@gmail.com by Wednesday, July 21, 2021.
The Fall edition of the ILQ will be distributed at and in connection with the annual ILS Retreat. Final drafts will ve due from the authors by Friday, August 20, 2021.
If you have any questions, please fell free to reach out to EditorsILQ@gmail.com or to one of the editors directly: Ana Barton, Neha Dagley, Jeff Hagen, or Laura Reich.
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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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Call for New Members - Law School Liaison Committee
The Law School Liaison Committee (LSLC) is seeking to expand its membership to energetic individuals who can help strengthening the relationship between the ILS and law schools from Florida and beyond. We are particularly keen in adding young members (i.e., having graduated from law school within the last two years). Anyone interested in joining the committee should email Professor Manuel Gomez at: magomez@fiu.edu.
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International Law Section - Call for Member News
The Executive Board of the International Law Section calls for all Members to share news about their professional achievements, endeavors, and successes to be published in the Gazette and on the International Law Section website.
To share your professional achievements with the ILS Network, please submit all relevant information to Davide Macelloni, Editor of the ILS Gazette, at dmacelloni@drbdc-law.com.
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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 Florida Bar International Law Section on August 4, 2021 for its Webinar, "Immigration Strategies for Investors, Entrepreneurs, and Corporations in the Post-COVID World." The webinar will discuss procedures regarding visa processing issues at Consulates in the business visa categories, inspections issues at the border, and maintaining lawful status upon entry. The panel will feature Jacqueline Villalba, a Board Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law, Treasurer of the International Law Section, and Partner at Harper Meyer LLP in Miami; Larry S. Rifkin, a Board Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law, Managing Partner at Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A., and Past Chair of the International Law Section; and Juan Carlos Freire, Junior Partner at Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, P.A. CLE Credits are approved for this webinar (General 1.0 hour; Immigration and Nationality Law 1.0 hour; International Law 1.0 hour; and International Litigation and Arbitration 1.0 hour). To register, please click on the image above or follow this link.
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ILS Regional Sponsor, Geoffrey M. Wayne, P.A., is looking to hire an associate attorney and administrative assistant.
Candidates for the associate attorney position should have 3-5 years of experience in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate. The ideal candidate will have experience in complex estate planning for high-net-worth individuals and families, estate tax planning, probate and trust administration (preferably with experience with non-U.S. estates). The candidate must be a self-starter with a strong work-ethic, organizational skills, and excellent oral communication skills. LLM in Taxation is preferred. To apply, please email your résumé and salary requirements to Geoffrey M. Wayne at gmw@abogadomiami.com and Cindy E. Calderon at la2@abogadomiami.com.
Geoffrey M. Wayne, P.A., is also seeking a motivated individual to join the firm as a full-time administrative assistant (entry level applicants welcome to apply). The candidate will be intensely mentored to acquire new and improve existing skills. Proficiency in Spanish preferred, although not required for the right candidate. To apply, please provide résumé, cover letter (optional), and contact information to la2@abogadomiami.com.
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The International Law Quarterly - Spring 2021 |
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The Spring 2021 Issue of the International Law Quarterly - Shifts in International Law Under the Biden Administration 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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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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