LAW PRACTICE

Three practice areas:

• International business transactions and intellectual property law, with an emphasis on international sales, agency, distribution, license, and joint venture agreements.
• Real estate acquisition, title insurance, finance and development, with an emphasis on international real estate acquisitions in Panama and Mexico.
• Foreign fact finding and due diligence in all industries.

MAJOR TRANSACTIONS:

• Negotiated the Calvin Klein® jeanswear license for Panama Free Trade Zone company for Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
• Managed the Calvin Klein® anti-counterfeiting program for Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador on behalf of the Calvin Klein® jeanswear licensee.
• Represented the licensees for Calvin Klein® jeanswear for Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Chile in the conversion from license to distribution agreements with Warnaco, Inc., which acquired Designer Holdings, Ltd.
• Represented Panama Free Zone company in joint venture negotiations with Maxell Corporation of America for most of Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Represented Panama Free Zone athletic footwear company in the acquisition of a footwear trademark for Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Represented Panama Free Zone company in joint venture negotiations with Manzanillo International Terminal, S.A., a subsidiary of Stevedoring Services of America, for the creation of the Colon Container Freight Services facility in the Colon Free Trade Zone of Panama.
• Represented Panama Free Zone radio equipment distributor for Latin America in breach of contract litigation against manufacturer.
• Represented the Bank of Southern California (acquired by First National Bank) as special counsel to its International Division. I helped to develop a number of cross-border secured lending programs for the bank, such as the lease discount financing program for the maquiladora (in-bond manufacturing) industry (this involved lending to the lessor against its future stream of lease payments on Mexican real estate), the cross-border inventory financing program (this involved lending against Mexican made goods bound for the U.S.A.), and other cross-border secured lending programs secured by personal and real property in California and Mexico and cross-border personal guarantees.
• Represented many U.S. companies, such as Bush Industries, with their direct foreign investments in Mexico. This work required an in-depth knowledge of The North America Free Trade Agreement, Mexico’s foreign investment, commercial, corporate, labor, tax and trust laws and applicable U.S. Customs, commercial, corporate, labor and tax laws. Clients included real estate developers, service providers, sellers of all types of products, franchisers and manufacturers.
• Advised companies on U.S. export financing programs, with an emphasis on U.S. Export-Import Bank programs, such as the Export Credit Insurance Program, the Working Capital Guarantee Program, Exim Bank Guarantees of Commercial Loans, and Exim Bank loans. Also, advised companies on the availability of political risk insurance provided by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for their foreign direct investments.