New members
In addition to the announcement of our newest member firm in Chicago, Illinois, Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP, that leads this issue, our capacity to serve our clients has grown with two new firms, one in Bangkok, Thailand and another in Riga, Latvia, as well as with branch offices opened by Morton Fraser in Glasgow, and Pepeliaev, Goltsblat & Partners in St. Petersburg. The search continues for a new member in Beijing and Shanghai in China, and Frankfurt, Germany.

Regional and Special Business Team Meetings
The recent regional meetings for the Americas in Miami hosted by Akerman Senterfitt and the European meeting in Madrid hosted by Gómez-Acebo & Pombo clearly show that Interlaw is an active and dynamic group. These regional meetings were enhanced by the North American Real Estate (NARE) Group Meeting in conjunction with the Americas Meeting in Miami, and the European Intellectual Property Group Meeting in conjunction with the European Meeting in Madrid. The success of the IP Meeting in Madrid has seen plans made for a further face to face meeting of this group in Europe later this year. The second annual Women Lawyers of Interlaw conference will take place in Los Angeles October 1&2. The new Trade Special Business Team is extremely active and has already begun sending documents and agreements to one another.

Annual Global Meeting and Shanghai In-House Counsel
There is considerable interest in the Annual General Meeting this year hosted by Stevenson, Wong & Company to be held in Guangzhou, China October 31-November 3. The Interlaw AGM is just one of the ways the firm is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2004. The Asia Pacific Interlaw members will host their Regional Meeting in conjunction with the Annual Global Meeting October 30.

The Secretariat has secured a real coup that affords Interlawyers an opportunity to sponsor and speak before approximately 100 Chinese in-house counsel and legal consumers in Guangzhou October 29. The Shanghai In-house Counsel has scheduled its Guangzhou forum to coincide with the Interlaw AGM.

New initiatives
A number of ideas for new initiatives came out of the regional meetings. In particular, there is considerable interest in putting together a team to draw on the expertise of the managing partners of our Interlaw firm to take advantage of the diversity and depth of law office management skills available within our member firms to assist members.

The Board encourages and the Secretariat is available to assist and support initiatives between member firms to seek out new work in addition to referrals which remain the life blood of our organization.

There is little doubt that member firms that actively participate in Interlaw activities can and do add real value to their practices, their firms and of course Interlaw.

back to top

Editor: Regina A. McConahay

Copyright 2004. Interlaw. All rights reserved.

Designed/Distributed By