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Program AgendaTuesday, October 271:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 287:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 7:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. In several markets around the world, including Latin America and the US, liquidity shortages, over leveraged positions, bank failures and government intervention is forcing companies to sell-off assets. Speed, more than price, is paramount to the success of these deals. This represents a quantifiable opportunity for buyers who have managed to hoard cash through the financial crisis. Leading the charge are PE and VC firms as well as wealthy individuals who can approve a purchase quickly. Countering the opportunity is the considerable risk that comes with buying assets with minimal time to conduct proper due diligence. Buyers, and their advisors need to be better informed of both the opportunities – where they can be found and who are the new buyers as well as the risks – an explanation of the best practices undertaken by savvy investors to avoid or mitigate risks associated with these attractive investments. Program Chair: Moderator: Speakers: 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. is currently the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. He has been a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, serving as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council from 2003 to 2005. From 2002 to 2003, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State, where he was Director of Andean Affairs from 2001 to 2002. He was also U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) from 2000 to 2001. He has served as Director for Inter-American Affairs at the National Security Council from 1999 to 2000; as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela from 1996 to 1999; and as Regional Labor Attaché at the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg, South Africa from 1992 to 1996. During his career as a Foreign Service Officer, Mr. Shannon also served as Special Assistant to the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil from 1989 to 1992; as Country Officer for Cameroon, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe from 1987 to 1989; and as the Consular/Political Rotational Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, Guatemala from 1984 to 1986.On June 1, 2009, Assistant Secretary Shannon was nominated to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Brazil and awaits Senate confirmation. The topic of his luncheon address will be an Overview of U.S. Foreign Policy in the Western Hemisphere. 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Enjoy this first full evening of networking opportunities by dining with your fellow Committee members after the first full-day of programming. This social setting will provide a great opportunity to meet your colleagues in the Section, learn about and shape committee plans for the year, and become more active in the Section. Thursday, October 297:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 7:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. This panel will consider the prosecution of criminal misconduct alleged in connection with the operation of a business. Working from the perspective of their various roles, the panelists will consider the matter from the determination of whether to file charges, through trial and appeals, all with comparative commentary by a U.S. criminal defense expert. Panelists will focus on the new federal constitutional mandate for adoption of adversarial criminal procedures and the present achievements of select Mexican states that have led the implementation of these reforms. This program provides essential information to those who would advise companies and their executives on conducting business in Mexico, as well as grounding to lawyers concerned with the criminal justice system and its support for protection of human rights. Sponsoring Committees: Other Sponsors: Program Chairs: Moderator: Speakers: 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. For too long, corrupt actors around the world have been able to enrich themselves by stealing, bribing, and extorting with impunity. These corrupt actors use their ill-gotten gains to employ sophisticated lawyers, accountants, bankers, and other professionals to move assets around the globe for them and to hide them from the public view, often permanently. Victim governments and their instrumentalities, often with limited resources and even more limited technical expertise, are called upon to investigate and pursue these criminals and their assets on a very uneven playing field. That is where the public-private partnership asset-recovery model comes in. Join us for a presentation by a group of preeminent corruption fighters and world renowned asset recovery specialists for an in-depth examination of this paradigm-shifting asset recovery approach. Sponsoring Committee: Program Chairs: Moderator: Speakers:
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Friday, October 307:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 7:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. 7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The foreign investment landscape in Latin America continues to shift dramatically, for economic, political, and ideologtical reasons—but not in a common direction. States such as Brazil, Colombia and Peru have made significant commitments to create a more favorable legal environment for FDI, and have generally become more accepting of international arbitration to resolve cross-border disputes. Other states have decidedly moved in the opposite direction: Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela in particular have enacted constitutional amendments or other laws, renegotiated treaties and contracts, defaulted on foreign debt payments, or shunned ICSID arbitration. These differing stances appear to have had a directly impact on foreigner investors' willingness to risk their capital: FDI flows in the former group have doubled or tripled in the five year period leading up to the current economic crisis, while foreign investment decreased significantly in the latter group during the same period. Why has such a dichotomy emerged? Is this antagonistism towards foreign investment a transitory surge of resource nationalism, or does it portend something more fundamental and enduring? This panel will consider this marked dichotomy and its ramifications for investment and investment arbitration in Latin America. Sponsoring Committees: Program Chair: Moderator: Speakers: 12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. 10:30 p.m. Saturday, October 317:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 1:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. |
