Program Agenda

Click here for a PDF of the 2010 Spring Meeting Agenda.

Tuesday, April 13

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Registration

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
International Law Boot Camp (ILBC) featuring the “Fundamentals of International Practice”
Co-Presented by: New York State Bar Association International Section
Young Lawyers; Business/Transactional; Corporate Counsel; Dispute Resolution/Litigation; International Trade/Customs; Law Practice; Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory

The Spring Meeting commences with a special series of programs, the International Law Boot Camp (ILBC) featuring the “Fundamentals of International Practice”. Attendance is limited to those who register for the ILBC. In addition to the programs denominated ILBC programs below, the ILBC also includes Pathways to Employment in International Law, Speed Networking and the WIN/SIN/GIN/YIN/Outreach Reception (described below).

The ILBC is a full day continuing legal education program which seeks to provide attendees with an introductory look at international aspects of several substantive areas of law and expand their knowledge of the key legal issues that arise in the context of international practice. Register for the International Law Boot Camp featuring the Fundamentals of International Practice as a stand-alone program or in combination with the entire ABA International Spring Meeting (excluding ticketed events).

Sponsoring Committees:
Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee, Young Lawyers’ Interest Network (YIN)

Co-Sponsor:
ABA Young Lawyers Division

Moderators and Program Chairs:
Russell W. Dombrow, Syracuse, NY
Christopher J. Kula, Phillips Nizer LLP,
New York, NY
Shannon P. McNulty, New York University School of Law, New York, NY

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Networking Break

12:20 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
2010 Spring Meeting Registration Opens

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Work-Life Balance and the Economic Crisis: Is Work-Life Balance Dead?
Young Lawyers; Law Practice; Corporate Counsel; Business/Transactional

As a result of the current economic crisis many of today’s lawyers are interested in working more hours to preserve their jobs and are no longer thinking about work-life balance. Wave after wave of layoffs and salary freezes in the legal industry would seem to support this conclusion, but does it? Our panel looks at the effects of the current economic downturn and discusses issues faced by today’s lawyers. Do you need to abandon all efforts to achieve work-life balance to save your job? How can law firms respond to decreased demand for their services without resorting to layoffs?

Sponsoring Committee:
Lawyers Lifestyles Taskforce, Young Lawyers Interest Network (YIN), Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee, Women’s Interest Network (WIN)

Program Chair:
Matt Potempa, Law Office of Matt Potempa, PLLC, Nashville, TN

Moderator and Program Chair:
Nancy A. Matos, Baker & McKenzie LLP, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Speakers:
Jennifer Hilsabeck, Lewis and Roca LLP, Las Vegas, NV
Malcolm S. McNeil, Fox Rothschild LLP, Los Angeles, CA
Yevgenia Muchnick, Squire Sanders & Dempsey, Washington, DC
Nicole N. Santucci, Fox Rothschild LLP,
New York, NY

3:25 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.
Networking Break

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Joint Swearing-In Ceremony:
U.S. Court of International Trade & U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of International Trade,
One Federal Plaza, New York
Law Practice; Young Lawyers

Meeting attendees have the opportunity to be admitted to practice before the Court of International Trade and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Only Spring Meeting registrants may be sworn in at this ceremony. Fees for admission are payable to the courts by interested registrants. Attendance is open to registrants’ guests. If you are interested in being admitted to practice before the CIT and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, please check the correct box on the Spring Meeting registration form. On-site registration for this ceremony is not available.

Sponsoring Committees:
Young Lawyers Interest Network (YIN), Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee

Program Chair:
Jennifer Haworth McCandless, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, DC

5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Pathways to Employment in International Law (Non-CLE)
Young Lawyers

“How-to” for law students looking to launch their career in international law, young lawyers seeking to transition their skills into the global arena, or experienced practitioners who wish to expand their practices into international law. Top practitioners speak frankly about their formative experiences and tips they have about getting one’s foot in the door-from transferable job skills and law school courses to take (or miss!), to interview tips and where to spend those critical summer breaks.
This program is open to all Spring Meeting registrants and all ILBC participants.

Sponsoring Committees:
Young Lawyers Interest Network (YIN), Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee

Program Chair:
Celmira Jamett, Miami, FL

Moderator and Program Chair:
Russell W. Dombrow, Syracuse, NY

Speakers:
Madeleine Giansanti Cag, Gregory P. Joseph Law Offices LLC, New York, NY
Richard Charlton, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York, NY
Daniel McLaughlin, New York, NY

5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Social Networking for Lawyers:
How Lawyers Can Use it to Enhance Their Marketing Success
Law Practice; Young Lawyers; Business/Transactional

This program will teach specific strategies for using and maximizing the success of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, blogging and other social networking options, all as a complement to traditional networking and business development.

Sponsoring Committee:
International Law Practice Management Forum

Moderator and Program Chair:
Janet Moore, Global Rainmaking Strategist, Houston, TX

Speakers:
Dan Harris, Harris Moure, Seattle, WA
Silvia Hodges, Emerson College, Boston, MA
Frank Sommerfield, Sommerfield Communications, New York, NY

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Speed Networking (Non-CLE)
Law practice; Business/Transactional; Corporate Counsel; Dispute Resolution/Litigation; International Trade/Customs; Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

Back by popular demand! We had so much fun, we are doing it again. Start the Spring Meeting by meeting ABA and Section Leadership and other international lawyers. Bring your business cards! Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a number of speed networking rounds to learn about each other or create business opportunities. With this program, there is no need to break the ice - it’s already done for you. Just take a seat and start talking!
This program is open to all Spring Meeting registrants and all ILBC participants.

Program Chairs and Moderators:
Cyndee Todgham Cherniak, Lang Michener, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Janet Moore, Global Rainmaking Strategist, Houston, TX

Wednesday, April 14

7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration

7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Division Chairs Breakfast

Section Vice Chair Michael Burke will host this meeting of Division Chairs to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as how to foster cooperation amongst committees across divisions.

8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Meet Your Division Chairs
Breakfast

Most of the substantive work of the Section is conducted at the committee level. This breakfast provides an excellent social atmosphere for leaders of each committee to meet their Division Chair. Everyone should walk away having built a stronger relationship amongst the committee leadership.

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Strategizing Human Rights and the Environment Claims After Wiwa and Other Recent Cases
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

In the past year, claims of environmental exploitation-related human rights violations have resulted in a major multinational paying US $15,500,000 to plaintiffs allegedly injured by challenged practices in Nigeria, litigation is pending in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and the United States, and violence has erupted in Peru. The relationship between human rights and environmental policies or disputes now finds expression in national constitutions and deliberations of international bodies. Recent U.S. litigation under the Alien Tort Claims Act has led to important precedents concerning allegations of conspiring or complicity with authoritarian regimes that violated human rights as part of national resource policies. This program will explore opportunities and pitfalls that client assignments in these areas can cause through a simulated conference of lawyers active in such proceedings considering how and before which to bring such claims.

Sponsoring Committees:
Corporate Responsibility Committee, International Human Rights Committee, International Litigation Committee, Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee, NGO and Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee, Young Lawyers Interest Network (YIN)

Moderator and Program Chair:
Joseph W. Dellapenna, Villanova University School of Law, Villanova, PA

Speakers:
Judith Brown Chomsky, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York, NY
Kristen Genovese, Center for International Environmental Law, Washington, DC
Richard L. Herz, EarthRights International, Washington, DC (Invited)
Guillermo Malm-Green, Brons & Salas, Buenos Aires, Argentina

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Networking Break
With thanks to our sponsor Matheson Ormsby Prentice

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Legal Empowerment of the Poor:
The UN’s Newest Call to Action
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Young Lawyers

From 2005 to 2008, an independent Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor assessed and debated a new development concept: making the law more accessible to help those most in need to escape from poverty. The Commission conducted national consultations, launched technical working groups and issued reports that challenged the international development community to re-think traditional access to justice. The Commission called for a “bottom-up” approach where reforms are primarily shaped by the needs of the poor and address the following pillars holistically: access to justice and the rule of law; property rights; labor rights; and business rights. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing the Commission’s recommendations in developing countries. Panelists will discuss UNDP’s experience with the Commission’s programming, the response in the Southern Hemisphere and the implications for future legal reform work.

Sponsoring Committees:
Asia/Pacific Committee, Latin America & Caribbean Committee, UN and International Institutions Coordinating Committee, International Human Rights Committee, Rule of Law-Technical Legal Assistance Board, International Legal Resource Center

Co-Sponsor:
ABA Center for Human Rights

Program Chair:
Mitchell A. Orpett, Tribler Orpett & Meyer, PC, Chicago, IL

Moderator and Program Chair:
Don S. DeAmicis, Ropes & Gray LLP, Boston, MA

Speakers:
Stephen Golub, Adjunct Professor, University of California at Berkeley Law School and Central European University
His Excellency Mr. Abdullah H. Haroon, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, New York, NY
Olav Kjorven, United Nations Development Programme, New York, NY
James Goldston, Open Society Justice Initiative

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
So You Want To Be an Arbitrator? A How-To for Would-Be Arbitrators
Dispute Resolution/Litigation; Business/Transactional; Young Lawyers

Time for a change? International arbitrators are highly sought after. Many lawyers nearing retirement age, and many younger lawyers restructured or downsized from their positions, are considering international arbitration as their next career move. A distinguished panel of international arbitrators with varied backgrounds (including international commercial arbitration, international sports arbitration and international intellectual property arbitration) will provide an overview of international arbitral institutions and participants, as well as the qualifications required for arbitrators. The panelists will discuss their own experiences in becoming international arbitrators, and provide pointers for those considering becoming an international arbitrator.

Sponsoring Committees:
Seasoned Lawyer Interest Network (SIN), International Arbitration Committee, International Litigation Committee

Moderators and Program Chairs:
James H. Carter, Sullivan & Cromwell,
New York, NY
Carol M. Mates, International Finance Corporation, Washington, DC

Speakers:
Deborah Enix-Ross, Deboise & Plimption LLP, New York, NY
William R. Jentes, William R. Jentes, P.C., Chicago, IL
Maidie E. Oliveau, Arent Fox LLP, Los Angeles, CA
Horacio Grigera Naon, Center on International Commercial Arbitration, Washington College of Law, Washington, DC

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Networking Break

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
How Do the Latest U.S. Tax Proposals Affect You and Your Corporate Clients?
Business/Transactional; Corporate Counsel; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

This panel will provide a financial and business overview on likely results to U.S. multinationals of the new proposals (particularly those calling for the elimination of "check the box" on certain foreign entities, deferral of expense deductions related to deferred foreign income and new limitations on foreign tax credit planning). The panelists will review corporate and commercial steps which may be implemented to address these changes and will highlight the U.S. and foreign tax consequences which may arise from such restructuring.

Sponsoring Committee:
International Tax Committee

Moderators and Program Chairs:
Elinore Richardson, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sonia Velasco, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, Barcelona, Spain

Speakers:
Stuart Chaseman, Vivendi, New York, NY
Nishith Desai, Nishith Desai Associates, Mumbai, India
Frederick Hey, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Frankfurt, Germany
Dan Kusnetz, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, New York, NY
Raquel Novais, Machado, Meyer, Sendacz e Opice Advogados, São Paulo, Brazil

Thursday, April 15

7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration

7:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
With thanks to our sponsors
Bron & Salas Abogados; Estudio Beccar Varela; Estudio Randle; Gonzalez & Ferraro Mila; M. & M. Bomchil Abogados; Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal; Negri & Teijeiro; Vitale, Manoff & Feilbogen; Zang, Bergel & Vines Abogados

7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Committee Breakfasts

Not sure whether to attend committee business breakfasts? If not attending, you may be missing the greatest benefit of Section membership. Our more than sixty committees cover every possible aspect of public and private international law. Most of the Section’s substantive work is conducted at the committee level. Committee business meetings provide a great opportunity to meet your Section colleagues, learn about and shape committee plans, and become more active in the Section. Section members can join as many committees as they wish—at no charge! Further details concerning the schedule of which particular committees will be meeting will be listed on the Spring Meeting website (www.abanet.org/intlaw/spring10) as well as in the onsite meeting information guide.

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Conflicts Between Sharia and International Human Rights Law and Norms Regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Young Lawyers; Law Practice

This roundtable discussion will familiarize attendees with the effects of Sharia, religious and national laws on traditional taboos of sexual orientation and gender identity in North African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Speakers will address the serious question of how to reconcile traditional religious law in these regions with international human rights mechanisms and norms which seek to prohibit discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. The panel will also explore a hypothetical Western client’s likely course of action to protect its LGBT employees who work in more conservative legal environments.

Sponsoring Committees:
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues Network, Middle East Committee, Asia-Pacific Committee

Moderator and Program Chair:
M. David Coffman, Coffman Legal PLLC, Seattle, WA

Program Chair:
Paul E. Johnson, The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, IL

Speakers:
Hossein Alizadeh, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, New York, NY
Rasha Moumneh, Human Rights Watch, New York, NY (Invited)
Hedwin Salmen-Navarro, Salmen-Navarro & Associates, New York, NY
Mark Wojcik, The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, IL

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Networking Break
With thanks to our sponsors
Bron & Salas Abogados; Estudio Beccar Varela; Estudio Randle; Gonzalez & Ferraro Mila; M. & M. Bomchil Abogados; Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal; Negri & Teijeiro; Vitale, Manoff & Feilbogen; Zang, Bergel & Vines Abogados

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Confessions of a Virtual Shopaholic—Legal Traps for the Unwary in the World of E-Commerce
Regulatory; Corporate Counsel; Business/Transactional; Young Lawyers, Antitrust Law mini-track

Online shopping has exploded in popularity, primarily because it makes consumers’ lives easier, but online commerce also raises a host of complex legal issues that can leave corporate counsel “putting out fires” in multiple jurisdictions. Limited international consensus on these issues makes advising companies even more difficult. A panel of international experts from both government and the private sector will provide insights and strategies on a variety of issues raised by selling goods on the internet, such as exclusivity and territorial restrictions, pricing and misleading advertising issues, addressing counterfeit goods, credit card fraud and privacy concerns.

Sponsoring Committees:
International Antitrust Committee, Information Service Technology Committee

Moderator and Program Chair:
Mark Katz, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Speakers:
Lesley Fair, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC
Jacqueline Klosek, Goodwin Procter LLP, New York, NY
Paul Schoff, Minter Ellison, Sydney, Australia

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Know Your Style – Networking, Marketing and Business Development Tips for Women (and Men) (Non-CLE)
Law Practice; Young Lawyers

Do men and women generate business the same way? Unleash your existing communication and networking skills and join us for an informative session on how to build your brand and develop your client base and referral network. This is also an opportunity to present and explore the opportunities that the ABA offers for networking and business development. This panel will be an interactive discussion between dynamic young lawyers about how they approach business development. Analysis and advice will be offered by Andrea Nierenberg, best-selling author, speaker and known authority on business networking, professional development and business communications.

Sponsoring Committees:
Women’s Interest Network (WIN), International Law Practice Management Committee

Program Chair:
Elisa Kearney, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Moderator:
Jennifer Wills, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

Speakers:
Susana Cabrera, Garrigues LLP, Madrid, Spain
Andrea Nierenberg, The Nierenberg Group, New York, NY
Sébastien Savage, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Rules of Engagement: Avoiding the Pitfalls in Cross-Border Electronic Discovery
Dispute Resolution/Litigation; Corporate Counsel; Law Practice; Young Lawyers

Counsel facing litigation involving foreign jurisdictions face a confusing web of regulations and court rules that can confuse even the most seasoned litigator. This panel will guide the audience through the thicket of international privacy and other regulations that govern ESI discovery in key foreign jurisdictions. We will provide a road map for practitioners engaged in cross border disputes that will help them understand how to avoid costly mistakes and exploit available technology to their strategic advantage. The panel will use a mock case involving multiple overseas collections in the context of multi-national litigation. Each panelist will take a role (in house counsel, outside counsel, electronic discovery consultant, judge) and a series of questions will be posed to the panelists which take the dispute from its infancy through to settlement. Challenges typically faced in similar matters such as cultural misunderstandings, spoliation, data privacy compliance, sanctions motions and cost overruns will be embedded into the questions.

Sponsoring Committee:
International Litigation Committee

Moderator and Program Chair:
Margaret A. Daley, Duff & Phelps, Chicago, IL

Speaker and Program Chair:
Debra Bernard, Perkins Coie, Chicago, IL

Speakers:
David Bayer, Stratify, Mountain View, CA
Alexander Shapiro, Bank of New York Mellon, New York, NY

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
What Do You Need to Know to Become a Global Deal Lawyer?
Law Practice; Business/Transactional; Young Lawyers

This panel will consider the challenges facing deal lawyers who work in a transnational context. Among the questions our panel will discuss are the following: How does a lawyer’s role in doing deals (as opposed to litigation) differ in various jurisdictions, and how do lawyers maneuver around these differences to help clients get their deals done? What are the common cultural misunderstandings related to the differences in roles occupied by transactional lawyers? And what sort of legal education and training might help—or hurt—lawyers prepare for working in a transnational context as transaction lawyers?

Sponsoring Committees:
Transnational Legal Practice Committee, International Law Practice Management Forum, Foreign Legal Consultant Committee

Program Chair and Moderator:
Carole Silver, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC

Speaker and Program Chair:
Albert Garrofé, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, New York, NY

Speakers:
Lee Buchheit, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, New York, NY
Jorge Carey, Carey y Cia, Santiago, Chile
Beomsu Kim, Shin & Kim, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Cagatay Yilmaz, Yilmaz Law Offices Istanbul, Turkey

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Networking Break

With thanks to our sponsor
Arent Fox LLP

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Harmonization of Law: North America, Europe and Latin America—Developments and Future Prospects
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

The negotiation of international conventions is only one way in which law is harmonized. Valuable harmonization of law has also developed independent of treaties. This program will explore significant harmonization projects that have been undertaken in recent years in North America, Europe and Latin America. The Uniform Law Commission in the United States has worked with its counterparts in Canada and Mexico to develop a model for harmonization projects, with a multinational committee initially developing a set of principles for drafting legislation and then subjecting individual countries’ draft legislation for review by the multi-national committee. This program will consider the utility of this and other harmonization models and projects that have recently been undertaken in Canada, the European Union, and Latin America. Suggestions will also be sought as to possible future regional harmonization projects.

Sponsoring Committee:
Private International Law Coordinating Committee

Program Chair:
John A. Sebert, Uniform Law Commission, Chicago, IL

Moderator:
The Honorable Martha L. Walters, Oregon Supreme Court, Salem, OR

Speakers:
Jeffrey B. Golden, Allen & Overy, LLP, London, United Kingdom
Harry J. Haynsworth, IV, Briggs and Morgan, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
Peter J.M. Lown, Alberta Law Reform Institute, Alberta, Canada
Robert A. Stein, University of Minnesota School of Law (and former Executive Director, American Bar Association), Minneapolis, MN
David P. Stewart, Georgetown University Law Center Washington, DC

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Strategies for Managing a Customs/Trade Audit in the U.S. and Canada
International Trade/Customs; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

Managing a customs/trade audit can be difficult for the unprepared. U.S. and Canadian customs and trade law experts will discuss the management of a customs/trade audit by providing essential information on: various types of customs/trade audits; how to ensure internal controls and processes are ready for a customs/trade audit; what to expect and how to prepare once an audit notice has been issued; responding to a Pre-Assessment Survey or questionnaire; strategy during an audit on addressing requests for information; and dealing with the auditor’s report. The panel will contrast and compare U.S. and Canadian regulatory requirements in the context of specific types of audits and address related issues such as: corporate downsizing; non-compliance uncovered during a customs/trade audit; and contingent liability/financial disclosure reporting requirements.

Sponsoring Committees:
Customs Law Committee, International Trade Committee

Speaker and Program Chair:
Daniel Kiselbach, Miller Thomson LLP, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Moderator and Speaker:
Dalton Albrecht, Miller Thomson LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Speakers:
Judy Haggin, J.L. Haggin & Associates Co., Portland, OR
Mike Hodes, Hodes Keating & Pilon, Chicago, IL
Joel Junker, Joel Junker & Associates,
Seattle, WA
Matthew Nolan, Arent Fox, Washington, DC

Friday, April 16

7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration

7:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Committee Breakfasts

Not sure whether to attend the committee business meetings? If you miss them, you may also be missing the greatest benefit of Section membership. Our more than 60 committees cover every possible aspect of public and private international law. Most of the substantive work of the Section is conducted at the committee level. The committee business meetings 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. Section members can join as many committees as they wish - and committee membership is free! Further details concerning the schedule of which particular committees will be meeting will be listed on the Spring Meeting website (www.abanet.org/intlaw/spring10) as well as in the onsite meeting information guide.

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Can Carbon Offsets Save the Rain Forest (and Other Ecosystems)?
Regulatory; Business/Transactional; Corporate Counsel; Young Lawyers

Emerging global and national frameworks for mitigation of climate change provide for “carbon offsets” that would satisfy obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in part by investments in “biosequestration,” the uptake and storage of carbon in forests or other ecosystems. Properly designed, a carbon offset system could ensure that such projects simultaneously achieve multiple goals: GHG reductions, wildlife and biodiversity conservation, and local economic benefits. Conversely, a poorly designed system could create perverse incentives that reduce biodiversity, displace local people, and undercut GHG commitments. Can forest carbon offsets achieve a “win-win-win” for climate, biodiversity and development? Leading practitioners and experts will discuss the Copenhagen setting, lessons learned from other ecosystem trading schemes, and the role of lawyers in this complex and evolving regulatory arena.

Sponsoring Committees:
International Environmental Law Committee, International Energy & Natural Resources Committee, Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, Asia/Pacific Committee, India Committee

Program Chair:
Royal C. Gardner, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, FL

Moderator and Program Chair:
David R. Downes, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, DC

Speakers:
George Kelly, Environmental Banc & Exchange, Owings Mills, MD
Leslie Lowe, Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility
William L. Thomas, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Washington, DC
Robert O’Sullivan, Climate Focus, Washington, DC

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Immigration Compliance Initiatives Across the Globe: What’s Happening in Your Region?
Corporate Counsel; Regulatory; Public International Law/Rule of Law; Young Lawyers; Employment Law/Human Resources mini-track

Immigration compliance is increasingly moving to the forefront of considerations by corporate counsel and lawyers advising businesses who seek to hire foreign workers while complying with the laws governing their jurisdiction. In some instances, those laws can vary, and even conflict, at the national, state and local level. As jurisdictions seek to enact or amend their laws and policies to satisfy political, economic and security concerns, compliance with these laws becomes increasingly more difficult and the consequences of non-compliance more substantial for both companies and employees. This panel will focus on major compliance initiatives occurring around the globe, in large commercial centers, and assist employers and their counsel navigate those often complex waters.

Sponsoring Committees:
Immigration and Naturalization Committee, International Employment Law Committee, International Corporate Counsel Committee

Program Chair:
Lisa Ryan, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, New York, NY

Moderator and Program Chair:
Susan Cohen, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., Boston, MA

Speakers:
Graeme Kirk, Gross & Co. Solicitors, Bury St. Edmunds, United Kingdom
Patrick Shen, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Washington, DC
Baba Zipkin, International Business Machines, Bethesda, MD
Satyendra Shrivastava, ALMT Legal, Mumbai, India

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Seventh Annual What’s New In International Dispute Resolution—Plus The Art of Cross Examination In International Arbitrations
Dispute Resolution/Litigation; Young Lawyers

This program will review and analyze recent developments in international litigation and arbitration in the U.S. and abroad. The panel will also address the extent to which discovery is available in international arbitrations and the methods for obtaining evidence with a focus on the IBA rules of evidence, 28 USC § 1782 and various arbitral regimes.

Sponsoring Committees:
International Litigation Committee, International Arbitration Committee

Program Chair:
Pierre Yves Gunter, Python & Peter LLP, Geneva, Switzerland

Moderator and Program Chair:
Robert F. Brodegaard, Thompson & Knight LLP, New York, NY

Moderator:
Benjamin H. Sheppard, Jr., University of Houston School of Law, Houston, TX

Speakers:
Lorraine M. Brennan, CPR International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution, New York, NY
Klaus Gunther, Oppenhoff & Partner, Cologne, Germany
Dieter A. Hofmann, Walder Wyss & Partners Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland
Dana MacGrath, Allen & Overy LLP,
New York, NY
Louise Ellen Teitz, Roger Williams University School of Law, Bristol, RI

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Networking Break

With thanks to our sponsor
steptoe & johnson LLP

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
AIJA Presents: Investing in Commercial Real Estate: Prerequisites, Limits and the Impact of the Financial Crisis
Young Lawyers; Business/Transactional; Regulatory; Real Estate

This session is the first of a two-part program (the second session is from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) covering the highly topical subject of investments in commercial real estate. The complexity of developing commercial real estate presents a lawyer advising a developer or operator with interesting challenges—from land acquisition, through financing, operating permits and leasing. At all of these stages, the lawyer is confronted with complex legal issues which must be solved in a way that fits into the business objectives of—mainly—international clients. Although local in appearance, the commercial real estate business has a truly global dimension. The working session will create an opportunity for practitioners to share their experiences in this field and better understand its global perspectives.

Sponsoring Committee:
Cross-Border Real Estate Practice Committee

Program Chairs and Moderators:
Charlotte Wieser, Baer & Karrer AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Justyna Szpara, Laszczuk & Wspolnicy, Warsaw, Poland

Speakers:
Roger Canals, Jausas Abogados, Barcelona, Spain
Nils Dohler, Moenreo Meyer Marinel-lo, Barcelona, Spain
Martin Forster, Graf & Pitkowitz, Vienna, Austria
Klaus Knipschild, Lur Realis, Frankfurt, Germany
Phillip Skinner, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, Atlanta, GA

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Renewable Energy—Legal Framework Comparison: North America vs. Europe
Business/Transactional; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

In 1979, President Carter installed solar water heater panels at the White House and said: “In the year 2000, the solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here, supplying cheap, efficient energy. A generation from now, this solar heater could either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken. Or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people; harnessing the power of the sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil.” In 1986, President Reagan took down the panels—a symbol for a road not taken by the U.S., but a road well traveled in Europe and other countries. How did renewable energy laws impact these countries’ success stories and what is America doing to catch up?

Sponsoring Committees:
Europe Committee, International Private Client Committee, International Energy & Natural Resources Committee

Moderator and Program Chair:
Wilhelm J. Ziegler, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, Atlanta, GA

Speakers:
Frederick R. Fucci, Arnold & Porter LLP, New York, NY
Fermin Garbayo Renouard, Gomez-Acebo & Pombo, London, United Kingdom
Allen Garson, Heenan Blaikie, LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Susanne Schroeder, Dr. Burg & Schroeder, Unna, Germany

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Regulating Attorney Conduct in Arbitration: The Search for Transnational Standards
Dispute Resolution/Litigation;  International Trade/Customs; Business/Transactional; Young Lawyers

Misconduct and unethical behavior by counsel in transnational arbitrations have reached epidemic proportions. How should international arbitrators cope with the problem? What are the limits of their powers to sanction counsel? What are the appropriate sources of standards governing attorney conduct? What responsibility do arbitrators have to report misconduct to disciplinary bodies? These and other cutting-edge ethical issues will be explored in a lively demonstration and debate.

Sponsoring Committees:
International Arbitration Committee, International Litigation Committee, Canada Committee

Program Chairs and Moderators:
Marc J. Goldstein, Marc J. Goldstein Litigation and Arbitration Chambers, New York, NY
Pierre-Yves Gunter, Python & Peter LLP, Geneva, Switzerland

Speakers:
Julie Bedard, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York, NY
Dominique Brown-Berset, Brown & Page LLP, Geneva, Switzerland
William G. Horton, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Kenneth B. Reisenfeld, Patton Boggs, Washington, DC

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Networking Break

Saturday, April 17

7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Section Council Continental Breakfast