Chairman's Corner
It's Another Globally-Connected Year

Greetings from Cleveland, Ohio, USA

The New Year (Roman calendar) is now well underway. Global financial markets have sent only the latest message that we are all much more closely tied together on this planet than we would have ever dreamt just a generation (or even a decade) ago. Although still separated by natural and political borders, languages, cultures and customs, our business worlds and financial markets are colliding and becoming increasingly intertwined.

Twenty or thirty years ago doing business in a foreign country was an exotic notion to most middle market companies. Now, it is becoming almost routine, and often critical to survival, in a world where global competition has become the norm rather than the exception. more...

Executive Director

Our recruiting efforts in 2007 have resulted in exciting new members joining LAW in the first quarter of 2008. Ward Keller Lawyers in Darwin, Australia became the 98th member of LAW on January 24, 2008. Three other observers from the 2007 Annual General Meeting are in the process of becoming members: Tay & Partners of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Horizon Law Group of Seoul, Korea; and DC Law of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

As LAW members identify additional jurisdictions where their clients need legal assistance, there is a team of individuals who evaluate the jurisdictions and the law firms to be considered. Recruiting Director Ward Bondurant of Morris, Manning & Martin, L.L.P. in Atlanta, Georgia leads the efforts for LAW. more...

Welcome Nancy Eiler

We are pleased to announce the fulltime addition of Nancy Eiler to our administrative staff. Nancy is now the manager for communications and member relations. Having served several years as our public relations person, she worked part-time last year to assist the executive director with the growing communications and planning tasks required to service the steady increase in membership. Nancy has worked as a freelance journalist and has a master's degree in English from Case Western Reserve University . She has worked in the marketing departments of law firms in various capacities of public relations, operations, event planning, marketing, and Web development and served on the board of the Northeast Ohio Legal Marketing Association. She is responsible for the LAW newsletter, updating the website and other processes involving LAW communications. She also works with Hallie Mann on meeting planning and day-to-day operational matters. Nancy can be reached by phone at 1.216.561.3466 or by e-mail at nancyeiler@lawyersworldwide.com.

Canadian Sub-Regional Members Stay in Touch – Quarterly

Born out of last year's Americas regional meeting in Vancouver, the Canadian sub-regional members made a decision to meet on a quarterly basis – by phone. And they have successfully met and developed a system that enables them to stay in regular contact, make effective use of the calls and derive the maximum benefit of their membership in LAW.

Stewart Wallace of Aylesworth LLP in Toronto organized the first call last year. According to Stewart, “We started these conference calls for continual contact, to not lose touch. By coincidence the Quebec member, Gagne, Letarte was in Toronto at the time, and they joined us in the call at our office. The calls let us know what firms are doing locally, not just in LAW.” The December call was organized by Paul Sharek of Emery Jamieson LLP in Edmonton, Alberta. The next call is scheduled in March in anticipation of the Americas regional meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina in April. The plan is to rotate responsibility for the calls among each Canadian member firm. more...

International Law Article

The International Practice of Law: Chinese Lawyers in the United States

By Ping-Shan Li

Ping-Shan Li was a summer associate at Ulmer & Berne LLP and is currently a third-year law student at Case Western Reserve University School of Law

Globalization of world economy requires transnational legal services. Increasing number of clients need to retain lawyers with both geographic capability and local substantive expertise. These lawyers will assist in negotiating and documenting transactions involving parties in multiple countries that typically have different, and sometimes conflicting, legal, regulatory, and taxation environments. Lawyers play vital roles in international business transactions and consequently, these kinds of transactions become a very important sector of legal services. This is well-illustrated by the fast growing cross-border transactions between parties from the U.S. and China . Many law firms are trying to foster China as the next “new continent” for legal work. Some of the American law firms therefore have found creative ways to get a share of the China market. more...

New Firm Spotlight

Ward Keller Lawyers – Darwin, Australia
Ward Keller Lawyers is the Northern Territory 's oldest, and one of its largest, legal practices.  Ward Keller works with clients across Northern Territory, Australia and overseas. Its origins can be traced back to before the First World War and the legal practice of Mr. RA Mallam who worked from premises at the same site as the building that Ward Keller currently occupies.  The modern firm of Ward Keller Lawyers commenced when Dick Ward resumed practice following his return from the Second World War.

The firm is broadly divided into commercial and litigation.  While Ward Keller Lawyers acts for a small number of significant government departments in select areas, it is a firm focused predominantly on the private sector.  In commercial, the firm has specialist expertise in mining and resources, infrastructure projects, land access and development, business advice, finance and estates.  In litigation, Ward Keller Lawyers specializes in commercial litigation, insurance, industrial relations, work health, personal injuries, medical negligence and family law. www.wardkeller.com.au

Member Highlights

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• Manila, Philippines - Zambrano and Gruba Law Offices
• São Paulo, Brazil - Lacaz Martins, Halembeck, Pereira Neto, Gurevich & Schoueri
• Beijing, China - RayYin & Partners PRC Lawyers
• Detroit, Michigan, USA - Kotz, Sangster, Wysocki and Berg, P.C.
• New York City, New York, USA - Todtman, Nachamie, Spizz & Johns, P.C.
• Zurich, Switzerland - Grüninger Hunziker & Roth Rechtsanwälte