Regional Meetings

Asia Pacific

The Asia Pacific Regional Meeting was held in Xiamen, China on 24-26 April, 2008 at the Sofitel Plaza Xiamen Hotel.  It was hosted by Sphere Logic Partners.  This was the largest Asia Pacific Regional Meeting ever held with 23 member delegates and 3 individuals from two observer firms from Vietnam and Qingdao, China. It is exciting to see the growth of the region over the past few years.

There was recognition of Anzac Day (Australia/New Zealand Remembrance Day) prior to the start of the meeting.  Small group networking sessions were used to facilitate further understanding of member firms and their capabilities.

The feature presentation was “China & FDI--from the perspective of Xiamen SEZ” by Arthur Zhang, Xiamen Investment Promotion Agency.  Other highlights included member-led discussions on:  Doing Business in China - Assisting the Small to Mid-Sized Foreign Business Enterprise; LAW Success Stories; and Practice Management and Marketing, Business Development and Cross-Selling. Brian Everett was elected as the 2-year regional representative for the Asia Pacific region. There will be a vote of all LAW members taken at the AGM to determine the 1-year regional representative position since the necessary 65% affirmative vote was not achieved in Xiamen. The two candidates are Lynden Kenyon of Melbourne, Australia and Yi Zhou of Beijing, China.

Many delegates participated in an optional tour of Guangzhou Island following the meeting. They also enjoyed wonderful seafood that evening. Thanks again to the host firm of Sphere Logic Partners for their warm hospitality.

Americas

The Americas Meeting was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 8-10 April, 2008 at the Caesar Park Hotel and was hosted by Estudio Jurídico Strunz Abogados.  The meeting was attended by 38 delegates and one observer firm from Montevideo, Uruguay.

The agenda included networking sessions to deepen members' knowledge of their colleagues' expertise and firm specialties. There was an extensive discussion of marketing activities by LAW and a panel of LAW members, which included: Bob Wilson, Denver, Colorado; Harty Brown, San Diego; Roger Gripp, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; and Rodger Wheaton, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The discussion centered on the marketing practices of corporate sponsorship, advertising/article publication and client follow-up. Harty Brown discussed American Bar Association speaking and blogs. Bob Wilson led discussion on trade associations, Martindale-Hubbell listings, and corporate karma. There was additional discussion on speaking engagements, sponsorship, gifts to clients, e-newsletters, among others. Two new Americas representatives were elected. Michael Miller, Toronto, Ontario, Canada was elected to a two-year term on the Executive Committee, and Howard Cohen, Chicago, Illinois, USA, was elected to a one-year term.

The featured speaker was Brian Brisson, Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires. He spoke on “Argentina: Emerging Opportunities.” His presentation gave delegates a look at the current state of the Argentinean economy and the potential opportunities in various industry sectors for clients of LAW member firms.

The ambience of Buenos Aires infused the entire meeting and included an evening at an incredible tango show, full of live tango music and beautiful dancing. After the meeting, delegates and accompanying persons enjoyed a Saturday afternoon at an old estate, Estancia La Candelaria, outside of the city, where they enjoyed a gaucho exhibition, a tour of the old estate, a polo demonstration and great traditional food, including local wine, Argentinean beef and the traditional dulce de leche. The dinner was followed by traditional “folke” dancing, where a number of members got up and enthusiastically joined the performance.

We are grateful to Susana and Alejandro Strunz who gave the delegates a magnificent taste of the city of Buenos Aires and its combination of modern South America and Old World Charm.

Europe, Africa & Middle East

Porto, Portugal was the site of the 2008 Europe, Africa & Middle East Regional Meeting.  Aport Advogados Portugueses em Consórcio, Algarve, Portugal, was the host of the meeting  22-24 May, 2008 at the Tiara Park Atlantic Porto Hotel.  The meeting was attended by 58 delegates, two observer firms from Croatia and Romania, and three representatives from the meetings sponsor, Bank Julius Baer.

In addition to an extensive networking session, there were several presentations. Janwillem Acket, economist for Bank Julius Baer gave an overview of the state of the world economy, with emphasis on emerging markets, and the potential opportunities in various industry sectors. Dr. Renato Homem, Executive Director of AICEP ( Portuguese government trade delegation and marketing body) spoke to the delegates regarding the Portuguese economy and the opportunities for investment in Portugal. There was also a roundtable discussion led by Isabel de Pina regarding evaluation & retention of young lawyers. Two regional representatives were elected. Jörg Heyer, Cologne, Germany was elected to a two-year term and Marc Grüninger, Zurich, Switzerland, to a one-year term.

Delegates and accompanying persons enjoyed the many facets of the seaside town of Porto. The opening night dinner at Taylor Port Winery began with a tour of the winery among the giant wine barrels, along with a tasting and dinner at the winery. Saturday's dinner at the Stock Exchange and Courts, included a tour of the building, a cocktail reception on the balcony, a dinner in a room normally reserved for heads of state, and a performance of traditional “fado” music by a male vocalist and two guitarists. Saturday's optional tour included lunch at the home of the parents of Aport attorney, Silvio Cervan. The home's beautiful formal garden (designed and meticulously maintained by Silvio's mother) as well as a beautiful lunch inside the art-filled home, was a highlight for all present.

Many thanks go to Isabel and Paulo Alexandre de Pina for the gracious experience of Portuguese hospitality.