Author: Poblete Tamargo LLP

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Why Miami?

UnknownLate last year, Poblete Tamargo LLP established a presence Coral Gables, Florida to explore support clients in South Florida as well as Latin America and the Caribbean.  Coral Gables is in the heart of Miami-Dade County,Florida and is also home to 20 foreign consulates and over 140 multinational corporations. 

Poblete Tamargo will be offering general business and transactional legal advice as well as specialized work in matters that require guidance in these fields: compliance with U.S. export controls and economic sanctions; Customs; Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; business immigration, as well as local and federal government public policy work.

 “Why Miami?” Three reasons.

First, Miami is increasingly becoming an international city. Although people associate Miami with “the gateway to Latin America”, Miami is becoming more than just a gateway. Did you know that Switzerland,France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are ranked in the top 20 of major trading partners in Miami?  This ranking factors countries that import products to Miami and countries that Miami export products as well. Switzerland ranks third among aforementioned top 20.   Although not ranked in the top 20, China is ranked first among importing nations.

 

The second reason is that Miami is becoming an international banking center. Because international trade is a major component of Miami’s economy, attracting international banking commerce to Miami has become a major initiative for Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Jimenez.  Not only is this a focus on a county level, but in the city of Coral Gables itself, through the efforts of Mayor Jim Cason. A workforce that is not only bi-lingual, but also bi-cultural makes this an attractive area for an international bank or a multinational corporation to open up their respective businesses.

The third and final reason is that policy decisions on the Hill and in the White House have a direct impact on Miami.  Immigration, international relations and trade, and healthcare are major issues that are discussed in Washington. The policy decisions in Washington does not affect a specific economic sector in Miami, it affects all of Miami-Dade County.

As previously mentioned, international trade is a major component of Miami’s economy. Any adverse legislation that affects trade will have a direct and dire impact on Miami. Concerning healthcare, Mayor Jimenez is seeking to attract companies that specialize healthcare and life sciences.  It will be interesting to see how the Affordable Healthcare Act will impact Miami-Dade County’s effort to bring in such new business.  

This city needs a law firm that not only understands two languages but also bi-cultural. It needs a firm that can navigate the bureaucratic mazes of Washington.  Miami needs a firm that understands its entrepreneurial spirit and is able to work with its entrepreneurs. That is why we are in Miami. We are not only bi-lingual, bi-cultural, but we can help you navigate through the Washington bureaucracy in an efficient and effective manner.         

In conclusion, a big thank you to our clients and friends who have helped make this possible. Without your support, none of this would have been possible. We are very excited about being able to serve in clients in both of these cities and will report our progress in upcoming communications and newsletters.

The Poblete Tamargo Team

Making Your World Better, One Transaction at a Time

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Freyre Accepts Miami-Dade County Proclamation for the Bladder Cancer Foundation of Florida

(Miami, Florida) During a ceremony at the Miami-Dade County Government held this morning in the Commission chambers, Poblete Tamargo Attorney, Arthur Freyre accepted a proclamation from the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman, Rebeca Sosa, on behalf of Mrs. Carla Dean, President of the Bladder Cancer Foundation of Florida.

Web MD

Poblete Tamargo’s Arthur Freyre (left) accepts proclamation from Miami-Dade
Country Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa (right).

“On behalf Bladder Cancer Society of Florida, I would like to thank Commission chair Sosa, Vice Chair Comissioner Bell, and Mayor Gimenez for signing the proclamation,” Freyre said.

“Mrs. Carla Dean, President of the Bladder Cancer Society of Florida, Inc. has been a tireless advocate of this worthwhile cause. Much work remains to be done to raise awareness about this disease. We appreciate that Miami-Dade County has taken time to recognize and support the work of the Bladder Cancer Foundation of Florida,” added Freyre.

July is Bladder Cancer Awareness month in the state of Florida. Over half a million Americans are already diagnosed. There will be 73,000 people diagnosed each year. Bladder cancer has a recurrence rate of 50%-80%.  It is one of the least tested forms of cancer and the symptoms can be confused for many other diseases.

Visit the Bladder Cancer Foundation of Florida website to learn more about how you can help.

 

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Peruvian Members of Congress Visit with Poblete Tamargo

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Members of the Peruvian Congress from various political parties were in Washington, DC last week for meetings with public and private sector leaders to discuss the American political system. Poblete Tamargo Attorneys met with the group to discuss federal regulatory matters as well as the role of the U.S. Congress in that process.

 

(Washington, DC) A group of parliamentarians from Peru’s Congress were in Washington, DC last week on a trip sponsored by USAID and the International Republican Institute (IRI). Poblete Tamargo Attorney Jason Poblete met with the group to discuss legislative oversight and institutional reform.

In December 2012, attorneys from Poblete Tamargo traveled to Lima, Peru to participate in a conference at the Peruvian Congress co-hosted by IRI and the Second Vice-President of the Peruvian Congress, Congressman Juan Carlos Eguren. 

Poblete and IRI personnel met in Lima, Peru with Members of the Peruvian Congress and senior Peruvian Congressionla staff to discuss the importance of legislative oversight in the American federal system. Other topics included the importance of transparency and strong legislative processes in order to build confidence in regional markets and related matters. 

During last week’s visit to Washington, DC, the parlimentarians from various political parties in Peru met with a variety of U.S. Government and private sector leaders to better understand how the U.S. political system operates.

The delegation was comprised of the following Members of Congress:

  1. Hon. Marco Falconi, Peru Posible Party
  2. Hon. Humberto Lay, National Restoration Party
  3. Hon. Cecilia Tait, Peru Posible Party
  4. Hon. Ramon Kobashigawa, Fuerza Popular Party
  5. Hon. Vicente Zeballos, Solidaridad Nacional Party
  6. Hon. Rosa Mavila, Gana Peru Party
  7. Hon. Normal Lewis, Peru Posible Party

 

 

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Dr. Gomez: Preparing to do Business in a Future Cuba

 If you factor in the billions of dollars Cuba owes foreign lenders, as well as the confiscated property and related U.S.-Cuba claims, Cuba will have no choice but to work with foreign investors to start digging out of this problem. No matter the faction, all of them understand that a key element of success will require foreign economic assistance of various forms. This will be needed for many reasons, but most importantly, foreign capital will be needed to stabilize the Cuban economy.

While tourism and commodity exports are likely to represent the prominent source of Cuba’s monetary earnings during the early stages of an economic transformation, a major acceleration in economic growth and trade will require large inflows of foreign direct investment and services. Of course, American companies will have to wait until the economic embargo is lifted before they can participate in this process.

Cuba’s current and future leaders understand that their main economic support will come ninety miles to the north. Once a transition government is recognized under U.S. law, significant economic investment from the U.S. will most likely occur when investors are convinced of Cuba’s commitment to a more open society consistent with U.S. law and policy, free markets, the rule of law, as well as the protection of property rights and the enforcement of commercial contracts. These are just a few of the current underlying preclusions to the United State’s involvement with Cuban economic growth.

Investing in Cuba’s infrastructure will provide many lucrative investment and business opportunities. For example, Cuba does not have enough hotel rooms to accommodate tourists. New hotels will have to be built and so will the infrastructure to support that line of business in order to accommodate the expected large influx of new tourists that will visit the island. 

The island’s transportation system is in shambles, the electrical grid system is very outdated, roads and bridges are old, most of the country’s water supply is lost by leaks along its aged pipes, and the railway system is almost non-existent. The airports and seaports are also in need of repair and modernization. The list of critical infrastructure updates and repairs that need to occur to support a vibrant economy is much longer and more extensive.

One thing Cuba has in its favor is a very high literacy rate compared to most other countries in Latin America. This fact can and will make it very attractive for business looking to outsource work to send business to the island in many fields. The Cuban people are also extremely resourceful and hard-working. With the economic and political freedom, the transition process from a closed to open economy in Cuba should provide a fertile foundation for exponential growth that will surpass the successes of similar transition economies of Eastern Europe after the Cold War. 

At Poblete Tamargo, we are very well-prepared to help your company — no matter how big or small — to start developing a strategic plan for your business whether you seek improvements on the inner workings of your business or are looking to upgrade your company’s way of or potential interfacing with Cuba and its economy. We can also advise you on current U.S. law and regulations, as well as how Washington will play a pivotal role in Cuba transition matters.

Our understanding of the political, economic and social climate on Cuba in particular gives us the added advantage of improving your position for the future when US Cuba relations resume. The time to plan for this future is now. Give us a call so we can discuss your interests and start preparing your plan with you to enter the future free and democratic Cuban marketplace.