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The International Law Section Gazette

Section News

ILS Chair's News & Notes

Dear ILS,

 

 

We hope you and your families are all safe following the devastating rampage of Hurricane Helene late last week. As we continue to learn of the extent of the damage and how best we can help our community, please let us know if you need anything or know of someone in need. For those who are able to support via donations, please consider the Red Cross and The Florida Disaster Fund. Also, the Florida Bar’s Hurricane Information Page is updated regularly with essential resources, including a “how lawyers can help” tab and other helpful links.


With Central and North Florida on our mind, I’d like to highlight three upcoming events in those parts of the state:


  • On October 14, we will be visiting the University of Florida Levin College of Law campus in Gainesville to speak with law students and to introduce them to the ILS.


  • On October 22, we will be visiting the Florida State University College of Law campus in Tallahassee and meeting with the International Law Students Association.

If you are in Gainesville or Tallahassee, I encourage you to join us with our student interactions and recruitment.


  • On November 14, the ILS Annual Orlando Luncheon is coming back to the Citrus Club! Please RSVP to Deborah Kallah (dkallas@bmpdl.com) by November 1 (more information below).

This is a truly special lunch and opportunity to meaningfully connect with ILS Members—but don't take it from me, come and see for yourself! If you're in South Florida, join the ILS Board on the Brightline for one of our favorite events of the year.


Have a great week!

Ana M. Barton, Esq.

Florida Bar ILS Chair

abarton@reedsmith.com

ILS 2024-2025 Calendar

  • October 14 – ILS at University of Florida Levin College of Law to speak to law students (Gainesville, FL)


  • October 16 Lunch & Learn featuring Arnie Lacayo hosted by Fiduciary Trust International (Coral Gables, FL)


  • October 18 deadline to submit statement of interest for articles to be published in the ILQ Winter 2025 edition.


  • October 22 – ILS at Florida State University College of Law to speak to law students (Tallahassee, FL)


  • October 24 – ILS and EASL Welcome FIFA's Legal and Compliance Team to Miami (Miami, FL)



  • October 24 ILS Webinar on U.S. Immigration Laws and Their Extra Territorial Application to Border Control, Foreign Adoption and Derivative Citizenship (online)


  • October 31 deadline to submit application for Board Certification in International Litigation and Arbitration


  • November 5 – ILS Webinar on International Sports Law and Arbitration – the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (online)


  • November 14 – Orlando Holiday Luncheon (Orlando, FL)


  • November 22deadline to submit article drafts for the ILQ Winter 2025 edition


  • December – ILS Holiday Reception (Miami, FL)


  • January 22 Lunch & Learn hosted by Fiduciary Trust International (Coral Gables, FL)


  • February 6 – ILS Mid-Year Meeting (Miami, FL)


  • February 7 – iLaw 2025 Conference (Miami, FL)


  • February 8 – Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot Competition (Miami, FL)


  • March 13 – Board Certification in International Law exam


  • March 19 Lunch & Learn hosted by Fiduciary Trust International (Coral Gables, FL)


  • May 16 – Board Certification in International Litigation and Arbitration exam


  • May 21 Lunch & Learn hosted by Fiduciary Trust International (Coral Gables, FL)


  • June 27 – ILS Annual Meeting (Boca Raton, FL)

This Past Week

ILS Members Meet for the End of Summer Mixer at American Social in Brickell!

Announcements

The Florida Bar ILS Stands With Those Impacted by Hurricane Helene

Call for Articles for the 2025 Winter Edition of the ILQ Focusing on "Creative Solutions in International Law"

The Winter 2025 edition of the International Law Quarterly, with a focus on Creative Solutions in International Law, will be the largest distribution of the year, and will be distributed at 2025 iLaw Conference in Miami on February 7, 2025, where hundreds of international attorneys will be in attendance! The Editors at the ILQ look forward to getting you published in this edition.

Register Now For the

First ILS Lunch & Learn of the Year

Featuring ILS Past-Chair Arnie Lacayo on October 16!

Mark your calendars for October 16 for the first ILS Lunch & Learn of the year, which will be moderated by ILS Past-Chair Jacqueline Villalba and feature Arnoldo "Arnie" Lacayo, who is also an ILS Past-Chair and presently an ILS Executive Council Member! The ILS Lunch & Learn Series is one of our most treasured and requested events year after year. Join us for an intimate Q&A with dynamic Florida law practitioners who share their personal experience in the field of international law--whatever that may look like!


Special thanks to Fiduciary Trust International for their partnership in sponsoring and hosting the Lunch & Learn Series for another year!


Please RSVP to Gabrielle Hermesman at ghermesman@floridabar.org.

Register Now for the ILS Webinar on U.S. Immigration Laws and Their Extra Territorial Application to Border Control, Foreign Adoption and Derivative Citizenship!

To register, please click the flyer above or click here!

Save the Date for the Annual ILS Orlando Luncheon Set for November 14 at the Citrus Club!

Register Now for the ILS Webinar on International Sports Law and Arbitration: The FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport!

To register, please click the flyer above or click here!

Save the Date for iLaw 2025!

Application Period Open for Board Certification in International Litigation and Arbitration!

If you are a practitioner in International Litigation and Arbitration, The Board of Legal Specialization and Education invites you to consider Board Certification in this field.

 

Board-Certified attorneys have access to several exclusive benefits, including:

 

  • Board-Certified attorneys can state to the public that the Florida Bar has certified that they are experts in this field.
  • Only Board-Certified attorneys earn the title “B.C.S.”, which means Board-Certified Specialist, reflecting their expertise.
  • Board-Certified attorneys are listed in an online directory maintained by the Florida Bar.
  • Board-Certification is the Florida Bar’s highest designation of professional expertise in the field. You would join an exceptional group of only 35 Florida Bar members who are Board-Certified in International Litigation and Arbitration.
  • The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education has found that certification increases the likelihood that a prospective client will select one attorney over others by up to 40%.
  • Attorneys Board Certified by The Florida Bar are eligible for a 10% discount on their Florida Lawyers Mutual policy premium.
  • And many more.

 

Minimum standards for the international litigation and arbitration law certification, provided in Rule 6-31.3, include:

 

  • Practice of law for at least five years;
  • 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 approved continuing legal education in the field of international litigation and arbitration in the five years immediately preceding application;
  • Peer review; and
  • A written examination.

 

There are significant resources available to applicants seeking to become Board-Certified in International Litigation and Arbitration, including an outline of topics, sample questions, reference materials, and more. To learn more, visit:  International Litigation & Arbitration Certification – The Florida Bar.

 

Applicants seeking to meet their CLE requirements should consider attending the multiple events organized by the International Law Section and conferences held in Florida by other organizations. Additionally, many CLE platforms, including PLI and others, offer courses that count towards Board Certification requirements. The Board of Legal Specialization and Education has staff liaisons to guide applicants who may have questions in this regard.

 

The deadline for applications is October 31, 2024. Applicants are encouraged to start their applications early. 

 

Applicants who have questions or need help navigating the application process may call (850-561-5768) or email Charlotte Bell at CBell@floridabar.org

ILS Member Spotlight

ILS Member and Former Chair, Robert (Bob) Becerra, Receives Legal Luminaries Award in International Law and Trade from the St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law!

The International Law Quarterly

Just Published: The International Law Quarterly - Spring 2024 on "This or That"

The Spring 2024 Issue of the International Law Quarterly - "This or That" is now available.


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!

The Miami International Arbitration Society (MIAS) Invites Practitioners and Scholars to Participate in the Inaugural Edition of its Annual Writing Competition 

The Miami International Arbitration Society (“MIAS”) invites practitioners and scholars to participate in the inaugural edition of its annual Writing Competition. The MIAS Writing Competition aims to foster intellectual exploration of current and cutting-edge topics in international arbitration and to provide an excellent opportunity to new and emerging professionals to showcase their expertise and contribute to the field. 


Participants are encouraged to submit original articles that contribute to the understanding of contemporary international arbitration.


For additional details as to eligibility, submission topics, applicable deadlines, and prizes, please click the flyer above or please click here!

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

 

Chair: Kristin Drecktrah Paz

kpaz@pbyalaw.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: Matthew Akiba

makiba@b2b.legal

 

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

 

Chairs: Jeff Hagen | Jennifer Mosquera

jhagen@harpermeyer.com

 jmosquera@sequorlaw.com


International Litigation and Arbitration Board Certification Committee

 

Chair: Kristin Drecktrah Paz

kpaz@pbyalaw.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

 

Chair: Jacqueline Villalba

jvillalba@harpermeyer.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 Sponsors 


In light of what we accomplished this past year, we hope you will continue to support the Section as a sponsor. In 2023-2024, 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, Davide Macelloni at dmacelloni@drbdc-law.com or Vice Treasurer, Jeffrey Hagen at jhagen@harpermeyer.com for more details.

ILS Board Members and Officers


Chair: Ana M. Barton

Chair-Elect: Cristina Vicens Beard

Secretary: Laura Reich

Treasurer: Davide Macelloni

Vice-Treasurer: Jeffrey S. Hagen

Immediate Past Chair: Richard Montes de Oca

ILS Executive Council


Terms Expiring 2025


Gary Birnberg

Phillip Buhler

Jennifer Diaz

Kristin Drecktrah Paz

Prof. Manuel A. Gomez

Omar K. Ibrahem

Adrian Nunez

Pamella A. Seay


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



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, Matthew Akiba at matt.akiba12@gmail.com.

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