U.S. Foreign Investment and Trade with Cuba, Immigration and Human Trafficking Topics at Upcoming ABA Meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 19, 2009 — Dr. Hernando de Soto, president of Peru’s Institute for Liberty and Democracy, will be giving the opening address Oct. 28 at 9:45 a.m. during the American Bar Association Section of International Law 2009 Fall Meeting. The meeting will be held Oct. 27-31, at the Eden Roc, 4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, Fla. de Soto will speak on “The Importance of Law in Avoiding Recessions.” The theme of this year’s conference is “The Global Economy and its Effects on Lawyers and Our Clients;” Cuban-related issues will be a central focus.

Prior to Dr. de Soto’s address Stephen N. Zack, ABA president-elect, will deliver opening remarks. Additionally, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. will be making a keynote luncheon speech on Oct. 28 at 12:30 p.m. Other speakers include representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Council of Foreign Relations, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, U.S. Naval War College, The Hague’s International Criminal Court, Cuban American National Foundation, as well as a host of governments throughout Latin America.

In all, there are 60 total programs in five concurrent tracks, including the highlighted topics below. To view a full list of speakers and program details of the meeting, please visit http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/fall09/.

Oct. 28

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t: Navigating Conflicting U.S. and Foreign Regulation of Investment and Trade with Cuba

Speakers
Jay Brickman, vice president of government services, Crowley Maritime Corporation, Miami, Fla.
H. Scott Fairley, lawyer, Toronto
John Grayston, lawyer, Brussels
Luis F. Martinez, lawyer, Mexico City

Moderator
John Boscariol, lawyer, Toronto
**Click here for other Cuba-focused programs

2 – 3:30 p.m.
Trafficking in Persons: The Challenges of Victim Protection

Speakers
Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State
Jonathan Todres, professor, Georgia State University College of Law
Ana Isabel Vallejo, supervising attorney, Lucha: A Women’s Legal Project, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Miami.
Maria Guadalupe Morfin Otero, lawyer, Office of the Attorney General of Mexico

Moderator
Don S. DeAmicis, lawyer, Boston

2 – 3:30 p.m.
Ethical and Legal Considerations in Dealing with Compliance, Document Management and eDiscovery in the Global Financial Crisis: View from the Inside

Speakers
Carmen Araujo, counsel, International Operations, General Motors Corp.
Anita Cava, associate professor, University of Miami School of Business Administration
Thomas T. Kivell, vice president and general counsel, Spartan Motors, Inc.

Moderator
Carole Basri, president, Corporate Lawyering Group LLC, New York

4 – 5:30 p.m.
Mediating International Child Abduction Cases and Other High Conflict Cross Border Custody Disputes

Speakers
Timothy Arcaro, professor, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center
Melvin Rubin, attorney, Fla.
Jessica Sandberg, lawyer, Stockholm
Jennifer Zawid, professor, University of Miami School of Law

Moderator
Lawrence Katz, attorney, Miami.

4 – 5:30 p.m.
Cybercrime Across Borders: The Pitfalls and Remedies

Speakers
Kyle French, assistant attorney general, Computer Crimes Division, Office of the Illinois Attorney General
Sigal P. Mandelker, lawyer, New York
Shawn Henry, assistant director, Cyber Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C.
Lucy L. Thomson, senior engineer, Enforcement, Security and Intelligence Division, Computer Sciences Corporation

Oct. 29

8:30 – 10 a.m.
The Latin American Petrochemical Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges for the Region’s Ground-Breaking Petrochemical Infrastructure Development Projects

Speakers
Victor Barrientos, legal manager, Project Finance Group, Petroquimica de Venezuela (Pequiven)
Jose Bosch, chief of staff of the CPO, Pemex Gas y Petroquimica Basica (PEMEX), Mexico City,
Walid Labadi, principal, counsel, International Finance Corporation, Washington, D.C.

Moderator
Miguel A. Zaldivar, lawyer, Miami, Fla.
10:30 a.m. – noon
Piracy: An International Problem in Search of a Solution

Speakers
James Bergeron, political advisor, Striking and Support Forces, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, London
Lizabeth L. Burrell, lawyer, New York/former president of the Maritime Law Association of the United States
Commander James Kraska, JAGC, U.S. Navy; professor, U.S. Naval War College
Bruce G. Paulsen, lawyer, New York

Moderator
Dr. Steven L. Snell, professor, American University Washington College of Law

2 – 3:30 p.m.
The American Dilemma: A Transparent Immigration Policy and Border Security — Is It Possible?

Speakers
Henry Chang, lawyer, Toronto
Maureen Dugan, assistant director, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations
Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico’s ambassador to the United States
Kathleen Walker, past president, American Immigration Lawyers Association

Moderator
Fausta M. Albi, lawyer, San Diego

4 – 5:30 p.m.
Will the American Assault on Tax Havens Finally Succeed?

Speakers
Alan S. Lederman, lawyer, Miami, Fla.
Bobbe Hirsh, lawyer, Chicago
Steven A. Musher, associate chief counsel, Internal Revenue Service

Moderator
Jose A. Santos, Jr., vice president and general counsel, JM Dealer Services, Inc.

Oct. 30

10:30 a.m. – noon
It’s a Small World: The Internationalization of Government Anti-Bribery Investigations

Speakers
Kathleen Hamann, trial attorney, Fraud Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice
William Jacobson, vice president and chief compliance officer, Weatherford International
Susan Ringler, senior counsel, International Compliance, ITT Corporation
Tony Wales, senior vice president and general counsel, AOL Europe, London

Moderator
J. Scott Maberry, lawyer, Washington, D.C.
4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The Impact of the Crisis in Latin America: Going to Bed Alone and Waking up with the Government
This panel will compare and contrast host country perspectives in Latin America regarding the role of government involvement in the economy, and whether this may foster or threaten private activity.

Speakers
Fred Einbinder, general counsel, Alstom, Levallois-Perret, France
Elizabeth Horwitz, legal counsel, Fluor Canada Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia
Jose Martinez, area vice president, Legal and Governmental Relations, Latin America, Nokia U.S.
G.I. Wilkinson, director, Gas Natural BAN, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Moderator
Saul Feilbogen, lawyer, Buenos Aires, Argentina

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Note to Editors: Reporters are welcome to attend and cover any session of the Section of International Law Fall Meeting for free, but it is recommended they preregister.  For more information about the programs or to arrange for press credentials, contact Jane Singleton at 202/662-1093.