Please join us that the ABA Section of International Law Spring 2015 Meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.  April 28-May 2, 2015

The India Committee is co-sponsoring or involved in three panel sessions.  Committee senior advisor Eric Wulff will moderate the first panel and will be accompanied on the panel by SILF President Lalit Bhasin.  Committee Co-Chair Shikhil Suri will speak at the second panel, and committee member Roland Tropewill be a speaker on the third panel:
Friday, May 1, 2015
8:00 AM—8:50 AM

THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE IN INDIA IS CHANGING FOR FOREIGN LAWYERS: WHAT IS COMING AND WHEN

The recent change in government in India has produced an official softening of the attitudes towards foreign lawyers establishing in India.  Recently, prominent members of the Indian Bar have started to discuss in important legal and business publications the opening of the Indian Legal system to foreign lawyers and the possible consequences to the Indian Bar.  While it appears likely that change is in the works, the nature and extent of the coming changes is still very much an open question. Also, the pace of that change still needs to be resolved.  This panel will include speakers from the Indian Bar, the ABA, and academia to discuss these issues and try to put them into perspective for both the Indian Bar and foreign lawyers interested in establishing in India.

MODERATOR:
Erik Wulff, DLA Piper LLP, Washington, DC

SPEAKERS:
Lalit Bhasin, Bhasin & Co, and President SILF, New Delhi India
James R. Silkenat (Invited) Sullivan & Worcester, New York NY
Friday, May 1, 2015
9:00 AM—10:30 AM

THE CHALLENGING JOB OF MANAGING LABOR ISSUES IN ASIA’S MOSAIC OF CULTURES AND JURISDICTIONS

In today’s multipolar world, companies hire employees to work in locations worldwide, with many being faraway outposts.  Even in a world where laws often tend to converge, nations continue to cultivate their idiosyncrasies.  This is true in particular for labor and employment matters, thus making managing employees globally a headache.  Oftentimes, labor and employment law is the reflection of a nation’s identity, its philosophy of labor and, more broadly, social relations.  A single uniform employment policy for employees working for an international employer in various jurisdictions, without taking into account national specificities, remains an elusive objective.  The discussion will include an introduction to the employment and labor issues in the U.S., China, India, Japan and Korea.  It will compare and contrast employment at will vs. term relationships, restrictive covenants and implementing them, wage and hour requirements, employment discrimination and unfair treatment, unions and collective action, labor dispute resolution and practical tips for avoiding or minimizing risks.

MODERATOR:
Philippe Shin, Shin & Kim, seoul, Republic of Korea

SPEAKERS:
Shikhil Suri, Suri & Suri Law Offices, Washington, DC
Hideki Thurgood Kano, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Tokyo, Japan
Robin Kaptzan, Haworth & Lexon, Shanghai, China
Baba M. Zipkin, IBM, Washington, DC
Friday, May 1, 2015
4:30 PM—6:00 PM

RECKONING WITH IRAN: TRANSACTIONS AMIDST THE TIGHTENING OR UNWINDING OF SANCTIONS

On November 24, 2013, the P5+1 countries (Germany, China, France, Russia, U.K. and the U.S. plus the EU) and Iran agreed to the Joint Plan of Action –an interim pact on a short term freeze by Iran of its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for a concurrent limited relaxation of economic sanctions on Iran.  Even if the parties reach a comprehensive agreement, sanctions will probably not abruptly cease, but be unwound in stages.  Our panel of experts will discuss the status of sanctions that target Iran, compliance issues that any change in the sanctions might create for U.S., companies and overseas counterparties, stresses that enforcement of sanctions generates for countries, like India, that have significant trade with Iran, scenarios that highlight the need for careful legal advice for U.S. and overseas companies seeking to engage in transactions without contravening the applicable regulations, and challenges for parties seeking access to blocked funds.

MODERATOR:
Harold Burman, U.S. Department of State. Washington, D

SPEAKERS
David J. Brummond, DLA Piper, LLP, Washington, DC
Sarah Jane Hughes, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington, IN
Roland Trope, Trope and Schramm LLP, New York NY