This was a strategy meeting of great importance for our network since the Board presented a strategy plan for the forthcoming years to improve cooperation between members, among other matters.

Group picture of the people who attended the April Pragma General Assembly Meeting in Monza

- Czech Republic: Advokátní Kancelář Pejchal, Nespala a Spol.

- New York: Cinotti & Buck LLP.

Dr. Aleš Pejchal (standing on the left) and Esq. Filippo Cinotti (standing on the right) introduced their offices during Pragma Annual General Meeting in Monza on 16th April 2010.

Pejchal, Nespala & associates law firm, Czech Republic

Our website: www.akpejchal.cz

The Pejchal, Nespala a spol. law firm was formed on 1st March 1991. Its founder, Dr. Aleš Pejchal, had then been in the profession for fifteen years. A few years later, the firm joined two Czech middle size law firms and had 15 lawyers. Currently, the firm has 3 partners: Dr. Aleš Pejchal, Dr. Marek Nespala and Mgr. Zdeněk Vaňátko.

The law firm provides a wide range of legal services. We have particular expertise in commercial law, civil law and human rights law. On the international level, our lawyers have a wealth of experience and expertise in litigation before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and have extensive experience of European law and litigation proceedings before the European Court of Justice.

Our clientele is very broad. Among our clients there are cities and towns, including several municipal districts of the capital city of Prague and of course, business corporations (e.g. in civil engineering, investment, waterway transport, etc.). All three partners are arbitrators.

Cinotti & Buck LLP, New York

Our website: www.cbattorney.com

Cinotti & Buck LLP is a law firm founded in New York by a group of former “blue-chip” law firm attorneys. It has currently 7 lawyers. Cinotti & Buck LLP is a boutique, sophisticated full-service law firm, holding to the values of a traditional law practice – broad knowledge, professional excellence and personal service.

Cinotti & Buck LLP currently has offices in New York. Our services include legal and tax advice on domestic and cross-border M&A, Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Business Immigration, Employment law, U.S. Tax Advice, and Debt Collection. The Firm also handles Litigation, SEC Reporting, Capital Markets, and Corporate Governance.

Our ability to assist businesses at the international level allows us to cover multiple legal issues in different jurisdictions and to resolve the more complex commercial, tax and financial transactions.

Our attorneys’ experience include the representation of Fortune 500 companies, US and European based financial institutions, including private equity and real estate funds, as well as major Italian industrial, manufacturing, food and fashion companies.

Services
- Corporate Law-M&A
- Commercial and Contract Law
- Litigation and Debt Recovery
- International Tax Law
- Intellectual Property
- Banking and Financial Law
- Capital Markets and Structured Finance
- SEC Reporting and Compliance
- Employment Law and Business Immigration
- Real Estate

The aim of this live broadcast was to discover 24 cities of the world in 24 hours and to provide practical information for companies looking for business in another country.

Wojciech Celichowski talked about Poznan and Poland. He provided information about how to set up a new business in Poland and the rules to know to succeed.

To see Wojciech Celichowski’s speech, click here.

This meeting was a good opportunity to forecast Pragma activities in 2010, with a special emphasis on the following matters:
- International development
- Standardisation of services between members
- Standardisation of the use of Pragma’s brand by members
- Marketing plan and strategy planning
- The General Meeting on 16th April 2010 in Monza and the annual conference in Brussels on 1st and 2nd October 2010.

During this meeting, the request of Juan José Ollé, Barcelona, Spain, to do a training course at RadcliffesLeBrasseur, London, UK in August 2010 was granted.

Group picture of Pragma Board meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
From left to right: Nathalie Facon (coordination), Carlos Manubens (Pragma Vice-Chairman), Juan José Ollé (Manubens y Asociados, Spain), Greg Wolton (Pragma Director), Cecilia Caria Mendes (Pragma Director), Michel Lacroix (Pragma Chairman) and Gilberto Gelosa (Pragma Secretary and Treasurer).
Gustavo Cuevas (Pragma Director in Chile) attended the meeting via Skype.

The conference gave an updated image of the current economic, legal, social and political situation of Chile and Argentina and gave the opportunity to share the experience of Italian company managers working with these two countries.

On this occasion, Pragma’s Secretary and Treasurer and Chairman of ODCEC, Gilberto Gelosa invited Gustavo Cuevas and Enrique del Carril, Pragma’s members in Chile and Argentina, respectively to talk about the economic and legal aspects of both countries.

Pragma’s speakers during the conference
From left to right: Gustavos Cuevas (Cuevas Abogados, Chile), Gilberto Gelosa (Interconsulting, Italy) and Enrique Del Carril (Del Carril, Colombres, Vayo & Zavalía Lagos Abogados, Argentina).

Chile

After the introduction and welcome addresses of Gilberto Gelosa (ODCEC), Mario Barzaghi (Confindustria Monza and Brianza Vice-Chairman) and Mr Caliandro (Promos Monza and Brianza), the morning was devoted to Chile.

Jaime Contreras (Chile General Consul in Milan), Vittorio L. Macaluso (ProChile Italy) and Romina Di Lorenzo (InvestChile Corfo) detailed the existing investment aid structures set up by the Chilean government and the preferred economic and industrial sectors.

Then, Gustavo Cuevas (Cuevas Abogados, Chile) focused on 12 good reasons to invest in Chile. For instance, he insisted on the legal safety and political stability of the country, its large commercial opening and the similarity of its cultural values with Europe.

Eventually, Mr Scotti shared his Chile experience as manager of Ritrama S.p.A., a company member of the Ritrama international group specialized in adhesives, with 700 employees and 9 factories all over the world.

Some of the speakers about Chile along with Pragma members who attended the conference
From left to right: Vittorio L. Macaluso (ProChile Italy), Enrico Rossi (Studio Rossi-Gerosa Dottori Commercialisti, Lecco, Italy), Romina Di Lorenzo (InvestChile Corfo), Gustavo Cuevas (Cuevas Abogados, Chile), M.Scotti (Ritrama S.p.A., Italy), Jaime Contreras (Chile General Consul in Milan), Gilberto Gelosa (ODCEC and Interconsulting, Milan, Italy) and Saro Capozzoli (Jesa, China).

Argentina

After Gilberto Gelosa (ODCEC)’s introduction address, Gustavo A.Moreno (Ambassador, General Consul of the Argentinean Republic and Promotion Centre Director) presented the macroeconomic data of Argentina, recalled its export orientation and the relationships that have existed for a long time with Italy.

Then, Enrique del Carril (Del Carril, Colombres, Vayo & Zavalía Lagos Abogados, Argentina) explained the legal and tax aspects applicable to business relationships with Argentina, outlining its federal character, similar to the American model. Then he detailed the different possible types of cooperation with Argentinean companies and concluded his speech by stressing that the current crisis is a vector of opportunities.

Finally, Attilio Brambilla shared his experience of Argentina as Alfaparf Group manager, a group of 1,500 employees in 26 countries specialized in cosmetics.

The speakers about Argentina
From left to right: Attilio Brambilla (Alfaparf Group, Italy), Gustavo A.Moreno (Ambassador, General Consul of the Argentinean Republic and Promotion Centre Director), Gilberto Gelosa (ODCEC and Interconsulting, Milan, Italy) and Enrique Del Carril (Del Carril, Colombres, Vayo & Zavalía Lagos Abogados, Argentina).

The knowledge and expertise of all the speakers were very much appreciated and the conference was closed by the intervention of Amedeo Teti, Director General for International Policy of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Trade.

At the end of the day, one-to-one meetings were organized between attending people and speakers.

Please click on the titles below to open the corresponding PowerPoint presentations.

Promos Monza e Brianza
by Mr Caliandro, Promos Monza and Brianza

Cile: Nuove opportunita’ di scambio, Nuove sfide…
by Vittorio L. Macaluso, ProChile Italy

Corfo, Opportunita’ d’Investimenti in Cile
by Romina Di Lorenzo, InvestChile Corfo

Chile: Oportunidades de negocio
Chile: Oportunidades de negocio, anexos
by Gustavo Cuevas, Cuevas Abogados, Chile

Argentina oggi: Un’opportunita’ per il commercio e gli investimenti
by Gustavo A.Moreno, Ambassador, General Consul of the Argentinean Republic and Promotion Centre Director

Aspectos normativos aplicables a los negocios en Argentina
by Enrique Del Carril, Del Carril, Colombres, Vayo & Zavalía Lagos Abogados, Argentina

The beauty of Burgundy’s landscapes as well as Burgundian gastronomy and wines were very much appreciated by all the people who attended this congress. People have also a pleasant recollection of the visit of Meursault Chateau’s cellars and the dinner and dance evening at Chassagne-Montrachet Chateau.

Special thanks to Joanna Znepolska and Kamen Tcholov (Braykov’s legal office, Sofia, Bulgaria), Jorge Vera, Carolina Vera and Marcela Afanador Burger (Vera Abogados Asociados, Bogotá, Colombia) who attended as new members.

Many thanks also to Pragma members coming from distant countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico.

Group picture of people who attended the conference in Beaune

Conference about Succession Planning for the Family Business

A conference about Succession Planning for the Family Business was held during this congress to get to know in details this matter in 5 countries in which Pragma is present: Spain, Italy, France, UK and Poland.

Many thanks to our speakers for the quality of their presentations: Carlos Manubens (Manubens y Asociados, Spain), Masimiliano Desalvi (Interconsulting, Italy), Benoît Raynaud (JCCP, France), Simon Goldring (RadcliffesLeBrasseur, UK) and Wojciech Celichowski (Celichowski, Szyndler i Partnerzy, Poland).

Please click on the titles below to open the corresponding PowerPoint presentations.

Introduction to the proceed of Family Protocol, a Spain perspective
by Carlos Manubens, Manubens y Asociados, Spain

The family protocols: How to guarantee the generational continuity in the Concern, an Italy perspective
by Massimiliano Desalvi, Interconsulting, Italy

Family agreements, a France perspective
by Benoît Raynaud, Jean-Claude Coulon Partenaires, France

Succession planning for the family business, a UK perspective
by Simon Goldring, RadcliffesLeBrasseur, UK

Family business in Poland
by Wojciech Celichowski, Celichowski, Szyndler i Partnerzy, Poland

Program of “Bourgogne 2009″:

This meeting was a good opportunity to do a follow up of the meetings of April in Chile and to recap the October annual conference planned in Burgundy.

The Board then reminded Pragma’s essential principles of operation:

• Quality rules:
  Principles of reciprocity, transparency, broadmindedness and compliance with the common quality rules are fundamental, as stated in our Quality Charter.
• Referred files:
  A request from a member of Pragma or from a client referred by a member of Pragma is and should remain our number one priority.

Pragma’s Board in front of Cecilia Caria Mendes’ office in Lisbon, Portugal.

From left to right: Michel Lacroix (Pragma Chairman, France), Cecilia Caria Mendes (Pragma Director, Portugal), Carlos Manubens (Pragma Vice-Chairman, Spain), Gustavo Cuevas (Pragma Director, Chile), Gilberto Gelosa (Pragma Secretary and Treasurer, Italy) and Greg Wolton (Pragma Director, UK).

Stephan Pahl

pahl@asp-anwaelte.de

Practice Areas:
Competition Law / Construction Law and Real Estate / Corporate Law / Equestrian Law / Internet and Media Law / Labour and Employment

Languages: German, English

Elisabeth Schwering

mail@asp-anwaelte.de

Practice Areas:
Business Law / Criminal Law / Tenancy Law / Traffic Law

Languages: German, English

Carina Cohausz

mail@asp-anwaelte.de

Practice Areas:
Competition Law / Internet and Media Law / Labour and Employment / Property Law

Languages: German, English

Bogotá

jvera@veraabogadossa.com

Spanish

Münster

mail@asp-anwaelte.de

German, English