Global Law and Business

Mexico – Hector Correa (Mexico)

In Episode #60, we are joined by Hector Correa, of Smart Strikes Consulting.

We discuss:

• Hector's jump from computer science to consulting.
• How a focus on tech solutions might distract from deeper inefficiencies.
• The advantages Mexico presents to foreign companies.
• Misconceptions concerning safety issues in Mexico.
• Mexico's creative industries.
• Listening, and watching recommendations from:
  • Hector
    • Are Your Lights On? by Gerald Weinberg
    • US-Mexico Business Association (AEM)
  • Fred
    • "The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan?," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, by Nicholas Wade
  • Jonathan
    • Disunited Nations: Succeeding in a World Where No One Gets Along by Peter Zeihan

We’ll see you next week for another exciting and informative episode when we sit down with Andrew House to discuss his experience working in Canada's national security establishment (and more).

Ireland – Joe McCall

In Episode #59, we are joined by Joe McCall, managing partner at Byrne & McCall, an Irish accountancy firm.

We discuss:

• Brexit's impact on Ireland, including efforts by companies to diversify from the large UK market.
• What makes Ireland attractive to companies setting up HQ or R&D facilities.
• Which US industries are heading to Ireland.
• An Irish counterpoint to US-led efforts to establish a global minimum tax rate.
• Why Ireland is heading into another Celtic Tiger era.
• How the Emerald Isle has weathered the COVID storm.
• Listening, and watching recommendations from:
  • Joe

    • Ireland and the EU Post Brexit, by Ray Bassett

    • Brexit: The Movie
  • Fred

    • "Bridging the Gulf: why Greece is making new friends in the Middle East," The Times

We’ll see you next week for another exciting and informative episode when we sit down with Hector Correa to talk about Mexico.

China, BRI, and Taiwan – Dr. Elizabeth Freund Larus

In Episode #58, we are joined by Dr. Elizabeth Freund Larus, chairman of the University of Mary Washington's Political Science and International Affairs Department and author of Politics and Society in Contemporary China.

We discuss:

• China relations at a time when we know the country "won't morph into a more liberal polity."
• The pragmatic origins of Dr. Larus' interest in China.
• Taiwan's foreign relations, and why America wants other countries to recognize Taipei (even if it doesn't officially do so itself).
• The Belt and Road Initiative's impact on Central and Eastern Europe, and why China and Russia don't see eye to eye on the subject.
• Why Dr. Larus expects China to get "stronger and stronger" … till demographics get in the way.
• Advice for those interested in foreign affairs, including unexpected paths such as hospitality.
• Listening, and watching recommendations from:
  • Dr. Larus
    • Her Politics and Society in Contemporary China
  • Jonathan
    • China 2021 Trends White Paper (China Skinny)
  • Fred
    • @relevantorgans

We’ll see you next week for another exciting and informative episode when we sit down with Joe McCall to discuss what's happening in the Emerald Isle!

Korea, Hong Kong, and More! – Moses Wanki Park

In Episode #57, we are joined by Moses Wanki Park, a barrister and international arbitration attorney at Hong Kong's Liberty Chambers.

We discuss:

• How Moses' service as an officer in the Korean Navy helped instill discipline and the ability to work under pressure.
• South Korean views of North Korea.
• Why Moses chose to study and work in Hong Kong.
• Wigs!
• How there is no such thing as a typical day at work for Moses.
• Some representative matters handled by Moses.
• What's happening in Korea these days, including its handling of the pandemic.
• The relationship between barristers and solicitors in Hong Kong.
• Listening, and watching recommendations from:
  • Moses
    • Billions (Netflix)
  • Jonathan
    • "China’s Digital Currency Threatens America’s Financial Dominance," The Federalist, by Helen Raleigh
  • Fred
    • "Is America Living in a 9/10 Moment," The Dispatch, by David French

We’ll see you next week for another exciting and informative episode when we sit down with Elizabeth Larus to discuss China, the Belt and Road Initiative, Taiwan, and more!

Poland, Eastern Europe, and the E.U. – Katarzyna Kuźma

In Episode #56, we are joined by Katarzyna Kuźma, a partner at Polish law firm DZP.

We discuss:

• Katarzyna's multinational career path, which includes studies in Germany and several years working in Barcelona.
• Who are Katarzyna's client, and in which kind of matters does she represent them?
• Overseas expansion by Polish firms.
• The all-encompassing impact of EU law on Poland.
• Poland's resilient economy and its post-COVID prospects.
• China's growing influence in Central and Eastern Europe.
• Listening, and watching recommendations from:
  • Katarzyna
    • Berta Isla, by Javier Marías
    • Blackout, by Marc Elsberg
    • Olga Tokarczuk's work
  • Jonathan
    • "Navigating PPE Transactions During a Global Pandemic," International Law Quarterly, by Peter Quinter and Tucker Thoni
  • Fred
    • Simon Malinowski's Canna Law Blog articles on New York

Finance in Latin America – Eduardo Diaz Rivera

In Episode #55, we are joined by Eduardo Diaz Rivera, Founder of Alta Real Estate Fund.

We discuss:

• Eduardo's background in finance and investment banking with UBS and Credit Suisse.
• The investment banking community in Latin America compared to the U.S. and E.U.
• Opportunities for Mexico and greater Central America and South America.
• Political trends in Latin America and their potential effect on the business environment.
• Mexican cannabis legalization.
• Listening, and watching recommendations from:
  • Eduardo
    • Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    • El Enigma Spinoza, by Irvin D. Yalom
    • Visit Mexico!
  • Jonathan
    • The China Paradox Seminar Series, hosted by World Trade Center Utah
  • Fred
    • Indonesia, Spain mark 500 years since circumnavigation by Magellan-Elcano (The Jakarta Post)

China – Nadège Rolland

In Episode #54, we are joined by Nadège Rolland, Senior Fellow for Political and Security Affairs at the National Bureau of Asian Research.

We discuss:

• How the June 1989 Tiananmen Square protests helped spark Nadège's interest in China.

• Working in the French national security establishment, and how it differs from its U.S. counterpart.

• The March 2021 Anchorage meeting between Secretary of State Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang.

• China-Europe relations, and the tensions between European countries' values and their economic interests.

• Why China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) should be of concern to the rest of the world.

• The prospect of partial decoupling and the emergence of a subsystem where China is dominant.

• Listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Nadège

    • Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town, by Barbara Demick

  • Jonathan

    • Indialogue, by Aman Thakker

  • Fred

    • The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Netflix)

Arizona Cannabis – Ryan Hurley

In Episode #53, we are joined by Ryan Hurley, general counsel at Copperstate Farms.

We discuss:

• What's happening in Arizona following the approval of Proposition 207, which legalizes adult-use cannabis.

• The sea change in Arizonans' views on cannabis in recent years.

• Copperstate Farms, the largest medical cannabis grower in the Southwest.

• The intersection between cannabis and environmental issues, including renewable energy.

• What adult-use legalization in Mexico will mean to the cannabis industries in Arizona and the rest of North America.

• The overall economic climate in Arizona and why it's an attractive destination for those taking advantage of the remote work revolution.

• Harris Bricken's new Phoenix office.

• Listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Ryan:

    • King of the Hill (whose main character has some strong views on cannabis!)

  • Fred:

    • The Fall Of Hong Kong: China's Strategic Plan To Conquer Hong Kong And Purge It Of Its People, by Ching Cheong (MEMRI)

Vietnam – Esko Cate

In Episode #52, we are joined by Esko Cate, a Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)-based international transactional lawyer with Vietnam International Law Firm (VILAF).

We discuss:

• Life in Vietnam during this time of great dynamism in the country

• Vietnam's legal market and law firm culture

• The impact of U.S.-China tensions on Vietnam

• Contemporary Vietnamese attitudes toward Americans

• Vietnam's lauded response to COVID-19

• Differences between HCMC and Hanoi

• The role of Overseas Vietnamese (Viet Kieu) in Vietnam's renaissance

• Listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Esko:

    • Vietnam travel and Vietnamese food

  • Jonathan:

    • The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)

  • Fred:

    • Indigo Traveler

    • Bald and Bankrupt

China Market Intelligence – Kristina Koehler-Coluccia

In Episode #51, we are joined by Kristina Koehler-Coluccia, Shanghai-based head of business advisory services with Woodburn Accountants and Advisors.

We discuss:

• What is happening on the ground in China with foreign companies leaving or diversifying, retrenching, and enhancing their China presence.

• How to build a solid business network when seeking to enter the China market, including lawyers, accountants, headhunters, payroll companies, media agencies, PR professionals, logistics, and warehousing.

• China best business norms and practices, including why email never took off in China the way it has in the West.

• Why foreign companies fail in China.

• Why education and producing good content is key for your China strategy.

• Listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Kristina:

    • Wealth Without Borders Podcast by Howard Whiteson

    • Mosaic of China Podcast by Oscar Fuchs

  • Jonathan:

    • The Once-Classified Tale of Juanita Moody (Smithsonian Magazine)

  • Fred:

    • The White Tiger (Netflix)