Global Law and Business

Spain – Sonia Gumpert

In Episode #30, we are joined by Sonia Gumpert, managing partner at Monereo Meyer Abogados, Harris Bricken's partner law firm in Spain. We discuss:

• How Sonia's firm accompanies foreign businesses on their "Spanish adventure."

• The experience of growing a leading business law firm from the ground up.

• Issues affecting women in the legal profession in Spain.

• The impact of COVID-19 on Spain and in particular its tourism sector.

• What Spain offers to foreign investors.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Sonia

    • Explore Spain!

  • Jonathan

    • Google Translate

  • Fred

    • YouTube Premium

    • "China's Man in Washington", by Mara Hvistendahl and Lee Fang (The Intercept)

Italy – Alberto Predieri

In Episode #29, we are joined by Alberto Predieri, an Italian attorney and partner at de Bedin & Lee studio legale associato. We discuss:

• Alberto's fascinating career track, from Olympic sailor to international business attorney.

• The impact of COVID-19 on Italy and especially Lombardy, with Alberto's first-hand perspective.

• What a typical day looks like for a lawyer in Milan.

• The importance of understanding different cultural perspectives.

• Why a business lawyer working in a Continental jurisdiction might envy his or her common-law counterparts.

• The genesis of Alberto's Milan law firm's partnership with Hong Kong's de Bedin & Lee.

• AC Milan or Inter? (Spoiler: It's Juve for Alberto.)

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Alberto

    • Fauda (Netflix) ... GLB's first repeat recommendation!

    • Enquanto Salazar dormia (Portuguese) , by Domingos Amaral

  • Jonathan – "Greece 'sets up soundwave guns on its borders with Turkey to stop illegal migrants'", by Sophie Tanno (Daily Mail)

  • Fred – Return to the caves of Shan-Gan-Ning border, by Koo Lap (Apple Daily)

International Impact of Women - Sonu Ratra

In Episode #28, we are joined by Sonu Ratra, Co-founder of Akraya and Founder of Women Back to Work. We discuss:

• Sonu's career path from India to the U.S. and working in a male-dominated technology environment.

• How a difficult business meeting after the birth of her daughter led to her founding Akraya and its Women Back to Work initiative that works to educate companies regarding the significant contributions of women who have taken a career break to care for children or other family members.

• The success story of one "returner" who is now a project manager at Cisco after a 19 year career gap.

• Barriers in the workplace for women of color, especially during and post-Covid.

• Sonu's involvement in an international "Peace through Business" program with The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, including her mentoring women entrepreneurs from Rwanda and Afghanistan.

• The worldwide contributions of women to society and women's rights as universal human rights.

• Advice for girls and women who want to have full participation and contribute to their work and world environments in meaningful ways.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Sonu

    • Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Brian Stevenson

    • No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks by Ed Viesturs, David Roberts, and Stephen Hoye

    • Hidden Brain podcast on NPR

  • Jonathan – World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji on Amazon Prime Video

  • Fred – Blind Spot: The Road to 9/11 podcast by NPR (hosted by Jim O'Grady)

International Trade - Andrea Holtan

In Episode #27, we are joined by Andrea Holtan, an international trade specialist and adjunct professor at Seattle University's Albers School of Business and Economics. We discuss:

• Andrea's career trajectory, including being the only female working for a Japanese company early in her career

• The role of licensed customs brokers

• The experience of working in South Africa and Kenya

• Section 301 tariffs: What they are, why they were imposed, and what they mean for Americans

• Antidumping and countervailing duty trends

• The scourge of forced labor

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Andrea – Kiss, Bow, Or Shake Hands, by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway

  • Jonathan – "Why China’s recovery is not what it seems" (Financial Times), by Michael Pettis

  • Fred – "Beijing Believes Trump Is Accelerating American Decline" (Foreign Policy), by Rush Doshi

Hong Kong and South Carolina - Mark McLawhorn

In Episode #26, we are joined by Mark McLawhorn. We discuss:

• Mark's law firm, McLawhorn Legal

• South Carolina's consolidation as a foreign investment hub

• The importance of judicial clerkships in the American legal system

• Mark's LLM studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

• The experience of being a Black man in Hong Kong

• Thoughts on our current national moment here in the United States

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Mark – The Social Dilemma (Netflix)

  • Fred – Rough Waters Ahead for Vietnam-China Relations, by Huong Le Thu (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

  • Jonathan – "This is the Asian Century: Seven reasons to be optimistic about it", by Nikkei staff writers (Nikkei Asian Review)

Japan - Adam Bigelow

In Episode #25, we are joined by Adam Bigelow. We discuss:

• Adam's background in patent translation and gemstone mining with an eye toward tying together the Japan and US markets.

• The current Japanese business environment, compared to its Asian neighbors.

• How Shinzo Abe's departure and Yoshihide Suga taking the prime minister role will affect the way Japan does business internally and internationally.

• Japan's prospects as a country as it continues to grapple with its aging population.

• Japanese skill in automatization compared to its prospects for innovation.

• Japan's response to China's rise.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Adam

    • NHK World Broadcasts

    • Murakami Haruki's novels

  • Fred – Making Sense podcast by Sam Harris, Episode 217 - The New Religion of Anti-Racism

  • Jonathan – Hamilton musical on Disney+

Cyberwarfare - Eric Talbot Jensen

In Episode #24, we are joined by Professor Eric Talbot Jensen, of Brigham Young University Law School. We discuss:

• How public international law resembles and differs from national bodies of law.

• The law of warfare as it applies to cyberwarfare, and how sovereign powers diverge in their views on the subject.

• Cyberwarfare's likely impact on future conflicts.

• Where are the world's best hackers?

• What rampant IP theft by China reveals about its geopolitical self-perception.

• The dangers of cyber-enabled election intervention by foreign powers in the 2020 U.S. elections compared to the 2016 elections.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Eric

    • Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War, by Paul Scharre

    • Articles of War (Lieber Institute West Point)

  • Fred – Intelligence Matters (CBS News)

  • Jonathan – CounterPoint

Global Human Resources - Nathan Sheranian

In Episode #23, we are joined by Nathan Sheranian, Senior Director of HR at Freshworks. We discuss:

• The differences and similarities in companies and employees from Africa, Asia, and North America.

• Freshworks' expansion from its roots in India to Silicon Valley and beyond.

• Covid-19's impact on the work environment and whether multinational companies will fare differently than domestic companies.

• Corporate initiatives to address gender disparities in mid- and upper-level management in technology companies.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Nathan

    • The Story of Human Language, an Audible Great Course by John McWhorter

    • Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

    • The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson

  • Fred – Cádiz are Finally Back, But Not in the Way That They Dreamed Of (The Guardian)

  • Jonathan – The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

Cannabis in Asia - Glenn Davies

In Episode #22, we are joined by Glenn Davies, CEO of CannAcubed, a cannabis technology company based in Singapore. We discuss:

• Why cannabis is an attractive crop for countries in Asia, even where legalization for domestic consumption may not be on the horizon for many years.

• How the UN's sustainability goals dovetail with cannabis growth, including Life on Land, Responsible Production, Poverty Alleviation, and Climate Action.

• Which countries in Asia are rising stars in the cannabis space.

• Why Asian cannabis is more sustainable than the North American cannabis model.

• The launch of the Asia Industrial Hemp Association and what it is doing for governments and companies in Asia.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Glenn

    • Biofuels in Asia - An Analysis of Sustainability Options (USAID)

    • Sustainable Development: Building a Case for Hemp by Pauline Sullivan, Catherine Chan-Halbrendt, and Tun Lin (Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management)

  • Fred - This Land podcast by Rebecca Nagel

  • Jonathan - Hong Kong Security Law Sparks Race for Asia's Next Financial Capital (Nikkei Asian Review)

Israel - Ofir Angel

In Episode #21, we are joined by Ofir Angel, chairman of AUREN Israel and an expert on advanced technologies and international taxation. We discuss:

• How Ofir grew a family business into a global consulting firm.

• Israel’s consolidation as an attractive investment destination over the last two decades and why Israeli businesspersons focus on international opportunities.

• How US companies in particular can benefit from Israel’s massive investments in infrastructure projects and the country’s advantages in life sciences.

• The critical importance of tax considerations when doing business abroad.

• Israel’s recent signing of a peace deal with the United Arab Emirates and which countries may follow the UAE.

• Reading, listening, and watching recommendations from:

  • Ofir

    • AUREN’s blog

    • Mind Time: How ten mindful minutes can enhance your work, health and happiness, by Michael Chaskalson and Dr Megan Reitz

  • Fred

    • Fauda (Netflix)

  • Jonathan

    • “The Israel-UAE deal is good news for a troubled region” (The Economist)