Novedades  News from the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade

Volume 5, Number 6 June 1998

Annual Meeting to Feature Speech on U.S. Trade Policy

Former U.S. trade representative William Barreda will be the keynote speaker at the Center’s annual meeting on June 5 in Tucson. 

Mr. Barreda, former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury for International Trade and Investment, will share his views on U.S. trade policy. Mr. Barreda was chief U.S. negotiator on investment in the North American Free Trade Area negotiations as well as chief U.S. negotiator for trade related investments in the Uruguay Round.

The meeting will feature a report of the Center’s activities by Center president and founder Dr. Boris Kozolchyk and a luncheon. The public is welcome to join Center members and staff.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Kevin O’Shea, Esq.,development director, tel: 520/622-1200 or by e-mail kjoshea@natlaw.com. Cost for the luncheon is $20. The meeting will take place at the University Park Marriott, at 880 E. Second St.

Membership Drive Gains Momentum

The Center welcomes John C. Buette of ICON Land Services, Inc. in Tucson and Stephen K. Goodrich of Westward Insurance Specialities Co., Inc. in Phoenix as new members.
Members of the Center can become directly involved in the work of the Center by participating in projects and attending international meetings.

Members receive considerable international exposure through Center related materials and activities.
As a non-profit organization, the Center relies on membership for much of its financial support.
If you wish to become a member of the Center, please contact Kevin O’Shea at 520/622-1200 or by e-mail at kjoshea@natlaw.com.

Why Do You Support the Center?
“We support the Center because of our global business. We use the research and work done by the Center to develop business with our partners, particularly those in Latin America. We are particularly supportive of the Center’s secured financing project because we think it could potentially influence the way business is conducted by U.S. companies as well as between the U.S. and Mexico.”
— Steve Hoyt, Bank of America Arizona
Founding member since 1993. Mr. Hoyt is vice president and commercial banking manager for the Phoenix commercial banking department.

“I made my firm become a founding member of the Center because I can not think of anything more important to benefit the growth and development of our country than the harmonization of vehicles for the globalization of business and trade.”
— Gerry Morales, Snell & Wilmer
Founding member since 1993. Mr. Morales practices in the areas of labor and employment law, and international law.

“The Center is a very important resource to the international trade community, particularly to people attempting to be more familiar with U.S.-Mexico trade and its applicable rules. The Center has given a lot of attention and exposure to [these issues.]”
— William F. Joffroy Jr., Joffroy Inc.
Regular member since 1992. Mr. Joffroy is president of Joffroy Inc.,a customs broker and freight forwarding company providing trade facilitation services.

Many Thanks to Members, Contributors

Founding Members
Banamex • Bank of America Arizona • Bank One of Arizona NA • Fennemore Craig • Grupo Mexico • Lewis & Roca • O’Connor Cavanagh • Phelps Dodge Corporation • Raven & Kirschner • Raytheon Missile Systems Company • Snell & Wilmer • Tucson Electric Power • Weyerhaeuser Company

Charter Member
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher

Sponsoring Members
Offshore International

Supporting Members
Interamericas Investment • Jenkens & Gilchrist • Jennings, Strouss & Salmon PLC • Robbins & Green • Steel Hector & Davis

Regular Members
Jonathan Adams of Baker & McKenzie • Arizona Travel Center • John C. Buette of ICON Land Services, Inc. • Byrne, Benesch & Walsma • C.H. Robinson Company • Cementos Mexicanos SA de CV • Soules & Wallace • Jim Click Automotive Team • Consolidated Freightways • Despacho Salas Franco • Donelan Cleary Wood & Maser PC • Edgar & DeSoto PC • EMCON • Empire West Companies • First National Bank of Maryland • Prof. David Gantz • Lic. Juan Enrique Garcia of Bryan, González Vargas y González Baz • Roy Geiger of Irell & Manella • Goodrich, Riquelme & Asociados • Stephen Goodrich of Westward Insurance Specialities Co., Inc. • Bruce Greenberg of Greenberg & Associates • Herbert, Ramirez, Xavier de Mello & Abal • Interpro Inc. •William F. Joffroy, Jr. of Joffroy Inc. • Dr. Boris Kozolchyk • Lic. Jesus Madrazo of TAMSA• Shah Makujina of Glaxo Wellcome • Manatt Phelps & Phillips • Martinez & Coombs • Nationwide Resources Corp. • Norwest Bank • Lic. Gerardo Olea of Weyerhaeuser Company • Palo Seco Corp. • Rusing & Lopez • Ryley Carlock & Applewhite • Santos-Elizondo-Cantu-Rivera • Cabot Sedgwick • Kenneth R. Siegel of American Trucking Association • James D. Sonda • Sundt Corp. • Juan Manuel Trujillo of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher • Warner Bros • Westin La Paloma • Saul N. Winsten of Michael, Best & Friedrich

Honorary Members
Stanley Abrams • A. Samuel Adelo • Donald Diamond • The Honorable Jim Kolbe • Nate Miller • Octavio Molera • John F. Molloy • Lic. Octavio Rivera Farber • Eric Stein• Victor Valdez

Project Coordinators
First American Title • General Motors • Microsoft Corporation • Stewart Title • World-Wide Title

Agenda

On June 22 and 26, Dr. Boris Kozolchyk will lecture on “The Legal Component: NAFTA's Continuous Commercial Legal Highway,” during the Border Academy Conference to be held in Tucson, Ariz.

On June 29, Dr. Kozolchyk will be a featured speaker participating in a panel discussion, “Legal Ramifications of Current Trade Issues,” during the Third Quarterly Meeting of the Border Trade Alliance, to be held in Tucson, Ariz.

On May 18, David W. Eaton, Esq., made a presentation on  infrastructure finance to a meeting of construction companies interested in investing in Mexico’s rapidly expanding low-income housing market. The event was organized by the State of Nuevo Leon’s low-income housing authority, FOMERREY.

On May 15, Dr. Kozolchyk spoke about the reliability and global significance of the financial standby letter of credit during the UNILAW International Conference in Los Angeles. The conference was attended by lawyers from law firms in the United States, Mexico, Japan, Chile, China, Pakistan, Canada, England, Ecuador, Taiwan, Republic of China, Ukraine, Argentina, Russian Federation, Venezuela, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, France and Greece. Two Center members are also members of UNILAW: Jennings, Strouss & Salmon in Phoenix and Goodrich Riquelme y Asociados in Mexico City. While in Los Angeles, Dr. Kozolchyk and Kevin J. O’Shea, Esq., Center development director, met with lawyers from Kelley Drye & Warren, White & Case, McKenna & Cuneo and Irell & Manella to discuss recent Center activities and projects, including secured financing, real estate securitization, intellectual property and product liability.

Calendar of Events

JUNE 5, TUCSON, ARIZ.
Center Annual Meeting
This year's meeting will feature a presentation on current U.S. trade policy  by William Barreda, former U.S. trade
negotiator. Contact: Kevin O'Shea, 520/622-1200; kjoshea@natlaw.com

JUNE 21-JULY 4, TUCSON, ARIZ.
Border Academy Conference
The two-week interdisciplinary program will explore political, economic and social issues relevant to the U.S.-Mexico border. Contact: Tom Gelsinon, tel: 626-8213, e-mail: ttg@u.arizona.edu.

JUNE 29-30, WASHINGTON D.C.
Labor-Management Relations in North American Multinationals: Legal,Cultural and Economic Environments
Organized by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the conference will feature presentations on labor issues, including a presentation on “Differences in negotiated conditions of employment in the NAALC countries.”  Contact: DOL, 202/501-6653.

SEPT.13-16, FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ.
WEPZA Conference on Free Zones and Export Processing Zones
Organized by the World Export Processing Zones Association (WEPZA), the conference, entitled “The Changing World of free Zones,” will feature sessions on multinational free zones, the European Union view of free zones at home and abroad, and labor conditions in export processing zones. Contact: Richard Bolin, WEPZA, 520/779-0052;  e-mail: wepza@aol.com.

SEPT. 23-25, SILVER CITY, N.M.
4th Annual NAFTA Institute
Practical aspects of cross-border trade for small businesses will be discussed at the annual NAFTA Institute meeting. Contact: 505/538-6320; e-mail: sbdc@silver.wnmu.edu.

InterAm_SM  Database Updates

BRAZIL
http://www.natlaw.com/brazil/brazil.htm
•Lei 9.074 Estabelece Normas para Outorga e Prorrogações das Concessões e Permissões de Serviços Públicos e dá outras Providências.  08-VII-1995.
•Lei 7646 Dispõe Quanto à Proteção da Propriedade Intelectual sobre Programas de Computador e sua Comercialização no País e dá outras Providências. 18-XII-1987.
•Decreto 96.036 Regulamenta a Lei número 7.646, de 18 de dezembro de 1987, que Dispõe sobre a Proteção da Propriedade Intelectual de Programas de Computador e sua Comercialização no País, e dá outras Providências. 16-V-1988.
•Translation of Law of Tax Exemption for Industrialized Products.  Published 12-VI-1991; translated by Foreign Tax Law, Inc.
COSTA  RICA
http://www.natlaw.com/cr/cr.htm
•Ley 7638 del Ministerio de Comercio Exterior y de la Promotora del Comercio Exterior.  30-X-1996.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
http://www.natlaw.com/domrep/domrep.htm
•Ley 1692 Código de Trabajo.  29-V-1992.
EL SALVADOR
http://www.natlaw.com/elsalv/elsav.htm
•Reglamento de la Ley de Fomento y Protección de la Propiedad Intelectual.  14-X-1994.
HONDURAS
http://www.natlaw.com/honduras/hondur.htm
•Decreto 80-92 Ley de Inversiones.12-VI-1992.
•Acuerdo 146-A-95 (sobre inversionistas extranjeras.)  03-II-1995.
MEXICO
http://www.natlaw.com/mexico.htm
•Segunda Resolución de modificaciones a la Resolución Miscelánea Fiscal para 1998.
TREATIES
http://www.natlaw.com/treaties.htm
•Translation of the Mercosur Treaty (Tratado de Asunción).  Translated by the Organization of American States.

—compiled by Marsha M. Quick

Recent Headlines from Inter-American Trade Report

BRAZIL
“Brazil's Move Toward Privatization,” by Noronha Advogados. 1998 promises to be a banner year for privatizations in Brazil.
MEXICO
“Mexican Trademark Law: Impact on Maquiladora Trade,” by Baker & McKenzie. Mexican Trademark Law has important consequences for maquiladora industry.
COLOMBIA
“Report on Colombia,” by Gómez Pinzón & Asociados. Latest trade and investment developments in Colombia.
FROM THE EDITOR
“The Mexican Banking Industry: More Troubles Ahead,” by José Felipe García.

Center’s Work Cited in Law Publications

The Center’s work has recently been mentioned in numerous law publications. Following is a list of selected articles referring to the Center that have been published in the last three years:

•“Recent Development: International Legal Education in the United States: Being Educated for Domestic Practice While Living in a Global Society,” by John Barrett, Jr., American University Journal of International Law & Policy, 1997.

•“Withered Giants: Mexican and U.S. Organized Labor and the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation,” by Frederick Englehart, Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, Spring 1997.

•“Bankruptcy in the Global Village: Symposium Article: The American Law Institute NAFTA Insolvency Project,” by Jay Lawrence Westbrook & Jacob S. Ziegel, Brooklyn Journal of International Law, 1997.

•“Integration of the Americas: A Latin Renaissance or a Prescription for  Disaster?” by Mark B. Baker, Temple International and Comparative Law Journal, Fall 1997.

•“XIII Annual International Law Symposium 'Negotiating the Free Trade Labyrinth: Your Map to the 21th Century': Introduction to the World Trading System and Trade Laws Protecting U.S. Business,” by Prof. David A. Gantz, Whittier Law Review, Winter 1997.

•“Is the UCC Dead, or Alive and Well? International Perspectives: Article 9 North of 49: The Canadian PPS Acts and the Quebec Civil Code,”by Ronald C.C. Cuming, Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, April 1996.

MEDIA COVERAGE

•“Contaminación en la Región Fronteriza de México y Estados Unidos,” by David W. Eaton, Esq., Journal Acción Jurídica para el Desarrollo Sostenible (Centro JURICI in Monterrey, Mexico), May 1998. The article addresses the evolution of environmental protection in the border region in recent years.
•“Law Center Offers Website,” by William Flannery, St. Louis Post Dispatch, May 4, p.13. The article reports on the Center website.

A complete list of media articles mentioning the Center is available on the Center’s Website at http://www.natlaw.com/media/media.htm.

NOVEDADES
VOL. 5, NO.6

EDITOR
Virginie Drujon-Kippelen
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Timothy Baker, Esq.; Kevin J. O'Shea, Esq.

NOVEDADES is published monthly by the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, a non-profit research and educational corporation whose purpose is to facilitate trade and investment in the Western Hemisphere.

To have your name added or removed from the NOVEDADES mailing list, and/or to receive the newsletter by e-mail, please contact Virginie Drujon-Kippelen at the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, 111 S. Church Ave., Suite 200, Tucson, AZ 85701-1629.
Tel: 520/ 622-1200; Fax: 520/622-0957;
e-mail: vkippelen@natlaw.com
Check past issues of NOVEDADES
at  http://www.natlaw.com/novedad.htm