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The International Law Section Gazette
Section News
ILS Chair's News & Notes
Dear ILS Members,

It is that time of year again. Time to throw yourself into frenetic year-end activities. Time to wrap up or “mothball” your cases until January. Time to close your year-end deals and finish that tax and estate planning. Time to ponder the successes and failures of year gone by, and the hopes and challenges of the year to come. Most importantly, time to push your bills out next week before the clients’ administrative capabilities shut down for the holidays.  

Just kidding, of course. What really is important would be that you join your ILS friends and colleagues to celebrate the season at our Holiday Party on the Terrace at Mamey in the THesis Hotel in Coral Gables (on US 1 across from UM). As you will see in the invitation below, in order to accommodate some scheduling conflicts, we had to move up the date by one day to Tuesday, December 14th. Last year’s party in this same venue was a lot of fun, and we expect no less this year. We hope to see you there. 

Best wishes to you for getting those bills paid! 

James M. Meyer
Upcoming Events
December 8, 2021
Please join ILS Past-Chairs Peter Quinter and Robert Becerra, and Homeland Security Investigations Supervisory Special Agents James Weir, on December 8, 2021, for the Webinar "Trademark Violation Enforcement by CBP and HSI: Counterfeit or Gray Market Merchandise." The panel, presenting for the Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association, will discuss 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. Many of these detentions and seizures are of "gray market" merchandise, and most of those shipments are perfectly legal to import or export. The panel will teach 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. To register, please follow this link.
December 11, 2021
Please join the Miami International Arbitration Society and the Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center for their roundtable "Secret Sauce for International Arbitration in Emerging Technology Hubs." Featuring Adolfo Jimenez, Silvia Marchili, Les Schiefelbein, Nir Keidar, Humberto N. Macias, Andrea Gonzalez Sicilia, Victorino J. Tejera, and Professor Manuel Gomez, the roundtable, hosted by White & Case, LLP, will allow the panelists to share their views about the ideal dispute resolution infrastructure that should exist in an emerging technology hub. The roundtable will be followed by a cocktail reception. Starting at 6:00 PM, the event is open to the public, but registration is required as space is limited due to health and safety regulations. To register, please follow this link.
Announcements
Save the Date - 2022 Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot
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.
The ILS Participation Challenge
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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. Mark the tiles on the ILS Participation Challenge “bingo” card as you complete each activity or event marked on that tile.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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).
  7. 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.
  8. 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! 
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."

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.


Member News
Kristin Drecktrah Paz Joins Perlman, Bajandas, Yevoli & Albright, P. L.
ILS Executive Council Member's Kristin Drecktrah Paz has recently joined Perlman, Bajandas, Yevoli & Albright, P.L. as a partner in the disputes group based out of the firm's Coral Gables office. To congratulate Kristin, please send an email to kpaz@pbyalaw.com.
Employment Opportunities
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.
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
Fall 2021 ILQ
The International Law Quarterly - Fall 2021
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.
Visit Our Sponsors
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.
BECOME A SPONSOR for the 2021-2022 Cycle!
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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