International event in Chile

The 2009 Annual General Meeting of Pragma was held for the first time outside Europe, on Tuesday 7th April in Valparaíso, Chile. On this occasion, our network organised a client focused 3-day Investors Forum.

Some words from Gustavo Cuevas

Invitation of 31st March 2009

Dear Friends,

You are about to start a long journey into the southern hemisphere, to the country at the end of the world. For some of you, it will be the first journey to South America and very probably the first time that you land in Chile.

The effort is enormous but the objective is clear, we are sending a strong message: Pragma is a network capable of mobilizing many lawyers, of integrating new prestigious law offices of important Latin American countries and of becoming a global reference in professional matters and investments. Indeed, several investors from various countries will attend our forum, that has aroused a lot of interest from local authorities. They will participate by financing the investors’ stay and by organizing important and busy made to measure business agendas.

The above mentioned matters are a clear sign of the excellent position of Pragma – our network of European culture – in the countries where we are present, as a worldwide organization of lawyers, law advisers and first-rate professionals.

Nothing would have been possible without the vision of the founders and the work of all of us. Many thanks to our Chairman for his leadership and his permanent support, to Nathalie and Liliana who both worked in coordination and did a very good job and to all of you who are the heart of our organisation, its nucleus, and who are ready to go to the end of the world to be part of this historic moment of our association.

Finally, this event will also give us the opportunity to tighten our personal links. All things considered, this is what is essential.

Chile is expecting you.
www.pragmachile2009.com

Investors Forum

The Chilean Minister of Economy Hugo Lavados inaugurated Pragma’s Investors’ Forum on Monday 6th April 2009 which gathered an audience of 140 representatives from 23 countries interested in investing in Chile and in using this country as a business platform to Latin America.

The meeting was organized by the law office Cuevas Abogados and received the support of Corfo’s InvestChile and ProChile.

Through to this Forum, Cuevas Abogados wanted to generate a meeting point between foreign investors, businessmen and Chilean companies wishing to export products and services.

Ten foreign investors attended the Investors Forum and made the most of the made to measure business agendas prepared and financed by Corfo and InvestChile.

Other speakers who attended were: Ricardo Escobar, Chilean Tax Service Commissioner, Mario Castillo, Head of Development and Investment Department at Corfo, Liliana Machiavello, Executive Vice-Chairman of Chilean Foreign Investment Comity, Alejandro Alarcón, General Manager of Banking and Financial Institutions Association, Scott Sun, Pragma Member in China and Mongolia, Gabriel Hidalgo, General Manager of Octantis, Jean-Marc Besnier, Vice-Chairman of the Franco-Chilean Chamber of Commerce, Patrick Floret, Manager of various companies in Europe, Leonel Vivallos, Head of Department of Public Works and other managers of Chilean companies.

Group picture of the people who attended Pragma’s Annual General Meeting in Valparaiso on 7th April 2009

From left to right:

Back row: Gustavo Cuevas (Cuevas Abogados, Chile), Benoît Raynaud (Juristes Associés du Centre, France), Cecilia Caria Mendes (Cecilia Caria Mendes Advogados, Portugal), Gilberto Gelosa (Interconsulting, Italy), Charles Schlub (Unijuris, France), Brigitte Marchal (Juristes Associés Midi-Pyrénées, France), Marisol Vicens (Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez, Dominican Republic), Claude Martin (Jean-Claude Coulon Partenaires, France), Yves Morrier (Juristes Asociés d’Ile-de-France, France), Gonzalo M.Vayo (Del Carril, Colombres, Vayo & Zavalía Lagos, Argentina), Laurent Diatta (Juristes Associés Midi-Pyrénées, France), Michel Lacroix (Juristes Associés du Centre, France), Greg Wolton (RadcliffesLeBrasseur, United Kingdom), Sara Sanchez (GrowAssociates, Brazil), Izaura Santana (GrowAssociates, Brazil), Scott Sun (Jesa, China), Benjamin Dupré (Juristes Associés du Nord, France), Saro Capozzoli (Jesa, China), Liliana Parada (Cuevas Abogados, Chile) and Jorge Vera (Vera Abogados, Colombia)

Front row: Enrique del Carril (Del Carril, Colombres, Vayo & Zavalía Lagos, Argentina), Alvaro Ramirez (Cuevas Abogados, Chile), Rolando Candanedo (Bufete Candanedo, Panama), Herman Alvarez (Alvarez Valenzuela Abogados, Mexico), Carolina Vera (Vera Abogados, Colombia) and Nathalie Facon (Pragma coordination).