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internationallawsection.org                                                       Thursday, December 21, 2017
The International Law Section Gazette
Section News
Photos from the ILS Holiday Cocktail
   

 

Urgent Call for Expressions of Interest to Serve on the International Litigation and Arbitration Certification Committee - New Deadline December 22, 2017
 
On November 9, 2017, the Supreme Court of Florida created a new Board Certification in International Litigation and Arbitration through an amendment to the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar.  This success followed years of work by the Section through a subcommittee led by Certification Subcommittee Chair Gary Davidson and former Section Chairs C. Ryan Reetz and Edward Mullins.
 
According to the newly promulgated rules contained in subchapter 6-31, the purpose of the standards adopted by the Court is to "identify those lawyers who have the special knowledge, skills, and proficiency, as well as the character, ethics, and reputation for professionalism, to be properly identified to the public as board certified in international litigation and arbitration." 
 
As detailed in the same rules, applicants for the new Board Certification must demonstrate a minimum period of practice, substantial involvement in the practice of international litigation and/or arbitration, a minimum number of matters, extensive continuing legal education, must be peer reviewed, and must successfully pass a certification exam.
 
The certification process will be administered by the Florida Bar with substantial assistance from the to-be-formed International Litigation and Arbitration Certification Committee.  This Certification Committee will serve a similar function as to other certification committees for the various board certifications.
 
Pursuant to Rule 6-31.2(c):
 
(c) International Litigation and Arbitration Certification Committee. The international litigation and arbitration certification committee will consist of 9 members. The international litigation and arbitration committee members will initially be appointed according to the criteria set forth in rule 6-3.2(a).
 
Rule 6-3.2(a) provides the following regarding initial Certification Committees:
 
(a) Initial Certification Committees. For each certification area approved by the Supreme Court of Florida, a 9-member committee, bearing the name of the area, shall be appointed by the president of The Florida Bar, with the advice and consent of the board of governors. Initial committee appointees shall be eminent attorneys in each field, shall be members in good standing of The Florida Bar, shall have been admitted to The Florida Bar no less than 10 years, and must meet such other requirements as may in the future be promulgated by the board of legal specialization and education. Initial committee appointees shall be certified in the applicable area of practice by reason of appointment to that area's certification committee. The committee members shall hold office for 3 years and until their successors are appointed. The committee members shall be appointed to staggered terms of office, and the initial appointees shall serve as follows: 3 members shall serve until June 30 next following their appointment, 3 members shall serve until the second June 30 following their appointment, and 3 members shall serve until the third June 30 following their appointment.
 
The Florida Bar will advertise for applications in the latter half of December and January, and a formal application will be required, but the Florida Bar president will receive expressions of interest and advice and input from the International Law Section.  In light of the foregoing, the Florida Bar International Law Section is soliciting expressions of interest from qualified members of the Section interested in serving on the initial International Litigation and Arbitration Certification Committee.  Expressions of interest received from qualified members on or before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 22, 2017 , will be forwarded to the president of the Florida Bar for consideration by him and the Florida Bar Board of Governors.  If you are interested in the foregoing, and meet the qualification requirements, please send your expression of interest and CV to International Law Section Chair Arnoldo B. Lacayo (alacayo@sequorlaw.com).  Late submissions will not be considered.
 
Please note that pursuant to new Rule 6-31.3(g) highly qualified applicants who have practiced in the area for 20 years will be able to apply for certification without taking an exam as long as they meet specified criteria.
 


International Law Quarterly (ILQ)
The Fall 2017 ILQ - 
Focus on International Dispute Resolution
 is now available to view and download
.





New Rules for Foreign Legal Consultants 

For the past year and a half, the Foreign Legal Consultant Committee of The Florida Bar, which is chaired by Yine Rodríguez Pérez, has been working on amending Chapter 16 of The Florida Bar Rules.  Chapter 16 regulates The Florida Bar's certification of foreign lawyers as Foreign Legal Consultants.  
 
The work involved drafting new rules and revising existing ones and then submitting the proposed new rules and amendments to the Board of The Florida Bar (the "Board").  It also involved meetings and discussions about the proposed amendments with the Division Director of the Ethics and Consumer Protection of The Florida Bar and the Director of Investigations of the National Conference of Bar Examiners, among others.  
 
In July 2016, the proposed amendments to Chapter 16 were reported on for first reading and were later heard on second reading and approved by the Board in late 2016.  In October 2016, the proposed amendments were filed with the Supreme Court of Florida.  We're pleased to announce that just last week, the Supreme Court of Florida issued its ruling approving the new and amended Foreign Legal Consultant rules.  The new rules will be effective in February, 2018. 
 
This is a major accomplishment that was actively pursued by the International Law Section of The Florida Bar and applauded by Florida's international practitioners and Foreign Legal Consultants.
 
Congratulations to Yine and to the Foreign Legal Consultants Committee members Jacqueline Villalba and Jose Maria Carneiro da Cunha

Call for Volunteer Arbitrators! 

The  Florida Bar International Law Section Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot  will be held on  Saturday, February 17, 2018  at JAMS Resolution Center in Miami (the day after the International Law Section's 2018 iLaw Conference).  The ILS Vis Pre-Moot prepares law students from the largest law schools in Florida and beyond for the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna. The daylong event includes four rounds between the competing law schools with South Florida practitioners serving as arbitrators.   There will be CLE available for all volunteer arbitrators.  We need volunteer arbitrators for both the morning and afternoon rounds (9:00 AM, 10:45 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:15 PM). If you are interested in serving as a volunteer arbitrator or would like more information, please email Danielle and Adrian at dweekes@jamsadr.com;  anunez@jonesday.com and indicate whether you prefer morning or afternoon rounds.

Join the Miami Finance Forum for its December 20, 2017 CEO Power Breakfast on Public-Private Partnerships

Interested in how Public-Private Partnership (P3s) can fund and maintain needed infrastructure in Miami? MFF's panel of experts will talk about the benefits of using P3s to finance infrastructure such as roads, highways, tunnels, transportation, schools and maximize the use of under-utilized government owned land. P3 projects also ensure that the project will be maintained over a period of years after it is completed.  Miami Finance Forum is extending a special offer to Florida Bar members to attend at the member rate.  For more information, please refer to the event's brochure.

Date:  December 20, 2017.  Location:  Conrad Brickell.  

Enter code: FLBARP3, register here: http://bit.ly/2A71pQ5

SAVE THE DATE - New Retreat Dates Confirmed and Big News About Our 2018 Annual Section Meeting


 
The Florida Bar ILS has confirmed new dates for the Section's Retreat at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs.  Our Section Retreat will take place on May 18-20, 2018.  Because of the proximity of the new Retreat dates to our annual Section meeting at the Florida Bar's Annual Convention, the Florida Bar ILS annual Section meeting will take place at the Retreat on May 18-20, 2018, in Bonita Springs.  More details and registration information to follow.

Upcoming Events
 

December 14, 2017
We look forward to seeing you at the ILS Holiday Party on  December 14th at Sequor Law
 (1001 Brickell Bay Drive, 9th Floor, Miami, Florida 33131)!

January 10-12, 2018
The Tax Section of the Florida Bar organizes the International Tax Conference, a multiday event that provides lectures and networking opportunities for certified public accounts and licensed attorneys with a specialization in tax. Within the global economy, taxes are constantly changing, which require CPAs and attorneys to know the latest trends in tax reform and technology.  The International Tax Conference will be held at the JW Marriott Miami off Brickell Avenue. There is a group room block with a rate of $329/night. For the agenda of the event and to register, please visit the event website.

January 29, 2018
At the University of the Bahamas, Nassau the 6th Annual Arbitration & Investment Summit 2018 will take place on January 29, 2018, 8AM to 4.30 PM. The event will feature talks on the topic "Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution: Cooperation or Competition?" For more details on the program and registration details, please refer to the event's brochure

February 15, 2018.
The ILS Executive Council Mid-Year Meeting will take place in Miami on February 15, 2018. Save the date! More details will be posted in the next weeks.

February 16, 2018
The iLaw2018 - The ILS Forum on International Law will take place at the Conrad Hotel, 1395 Brickell Avenue, Miami, Florida 33131. Join the ILS for its annual flagship event in which leading practitioners, experts and neutrals present cutting-edge topics related to international arbitration, litigation, and business transactions. Once again, the ILS has partnered with the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) for its arbitration track. Stay tuned for an agenda and registration details. For sponsorship or other inquiries, please contact any of the iLaw2018 Co-Chairs: Ana Barton ( abarton@reedsmith.com ), Jacqueline Villalba ( jvillalba@harpermeyer.com ), or Kristin Drecktrah Paz ( kpaz@shutts.com ).



February 17, 2018
Florida Bar International Law Section 2018 - Richard Dewitt Memorial Vis Pre Moot


March 6, 2018
Join the 
Atlanta Center for International Arbitration and Mediation 
for its
GAR Live Event at Georgia State University. 
The event will feature an extensive program on the hottest topics in international arbitration and networking opportunities. For more information and to register, please refer to the event's website.

June 5-6, 2018
The German Bar Association (DAV) will be hosting its first International Bar Leaders Symposium on June 5th and 6th in the historic city of Heidelberg, Germany.  Don't miss this chance to benefit from inspiring presentations and to engage in a fruitful dialogue with legal professionals and experts from all over the world. Registration details are forthcoming.

Fall 2017 ILQ
International Law Quarterly (ILQ)
The Fall 2017 ILQ - 
Focus on International Dispute Resolution
 is now available to view and download
.





Visit our Sponsors                                             
ILS thanks its sponsors for the 2017-2018 cycle
 

In light of what we accomplished this past year, we hope you will continue to support the Section as a sponsor. In 2016-2017, 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. For more information, c ontact Robert Becerra at rbecerra@rjbecerralaw.com  for more details.

  Become a Sponsor for the 2017-2018 Cycle
The ILS Gazette

Editor: Fabio Giallanza

Chair: Arnoldo B. Lacayo
Immediate Past Chair: Alvin F. Lindsay, III
Chair-Elect:  Carlos F. Osorio
Secretary:  Clarissa Rodriguez
Treasurer: Robert J. Becerra