As the past several years have borne out, the power for Twitter to transform international events is astonishing, as Forbe’s Jeff Bercovivi recently reminded us: “In 2009, Twitter inspired protesters in Moldova to demand political power. In 2010, the microblogging service channeled food, medical supplies and hope to the desperate victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Last year, that… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Random Thoughts and Observations
Subscribe to Random Thoughts and Observations RSS FeedJust a Click Away–The Largest Online Collection of International Business Laws & Regulations.
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsIt can be frustrating for entrepreneurs, business people and investors to find laws all over the word. Fortunately, the World Bank’s Doing Business division provides free access to the world’s largest online collection of business laws and regulations. Simply select the countries and laws you are interested in and you’re all set! While the collection is updated… Continue Reading
We Have an App for That: the International Business Law Advisor App for the iPhone
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsWe are thrilled with the level of interest that our iPhone App has received. If you are an iPhone user and have not downloaded it yet, be sure to visit the iTunes App Store. Simply enter the text “International Business Law Advisor” and you’re all set! The App is yet another way we can add… Continue Reading
2010′s Best Business Books on China. Good Stuff.
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsAs the year draws to a close, I’m seeing lots of “Best of” lists appear all over the place. I’m a big fan of these lists. They are an excellent way to take a look back at the year and focus on all the positive things the year has generated. I mention this because… Continue Reading
Corruption in Legal Systems Persist Around the World. And Will Continue.
Posted in Business Transactions, Corporate Governance, International Arbitration, International Banking, International Litigation, Random Thoughts and ObservationsAshby Jones of the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog, just published an article on the findings of a major global survey on corruption released today at the 2010 International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada. While it comes as no surprise that corruption persists in many jurisdictions around the world, many in… Continue Reading
Hey China Addicts–The Florida Bar Just Published a Special China Edition of the International Law Quarterly. Get Your China Fix Here.
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsBeing a Miami attorney, I am used to seeing articles and journals expounding on Latin America this and Latin America that. In a refreshing change of course, the Florida Bar just released its first ever China Edition of the International Law Quarterly. This is a milestone for the Bar. Congratulations to Alvin Lindsay and Mikki… Continue Reading
The IBLA Returns from Mid-Summer Break to Celebrate Year One.
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsAfter taking part of the summer off to spend time with my family, I’m happy to be back blogging to celebrate year one of this blog. Ok, so it’s technically still a few weeks away but I just couldn’t wait to get an early start on year two. Stepping away from my work-life for a… Continue Reading
BP is a British Corporation Funneling Profits Overseas, Right? Not Exactly.
Posted in Business Transactions, Random Thoughts and ObservationsThe New York Times published an interesting article this past Sunday on the growing displeasure in Britain over use of the name “British Petroleum” by top federal officials in the United States in referring to the company responsible for the gulf oil spill. It will be interesting to see whether President Obama will use the… Continue Reading
Singapore and Hong Kong Surpass U.S. As World’s Most Competitive Economies. This Year.
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsI‘m a big fan of annual surveys and lists that rank the U.S. economy and business environment in one way or another. They usually do a good job of capturing a moment in time in our nations’ economic history. It’s always interesting to look back and see how the U.S. ranks from one year to… Continue Reading
International Thoughts: 7 Essential Chinese Proverbs for Lawyers (and everyone else too).
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsI worked on an international securities matter a few years ago and had to travel to Hong Kong to meet with a client. While I was there, I bought a dusty old book of Chinese proverbs . I had long forgotten about it until I stumbled across it several months ago. I recently sat down and… Continue Reading
iPhone App for International Business Law: We’ve Got You Covered
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsWe launched the International Business Law Advisor App several months ago and are thrilled with the overwhelming response. We’d like to thank our readers for getting the word out and providing us with your feedback. The App is yet another way we can add exceptional value to our readers utilizing cutting edge technology. In addition… Continue Reading
What the U.S., Europe and China Can Learn from Japan 1990 – 2005.
Posted in Business Transactions, Random Thoughts and ObservationsThe folks over at BusinessInsider were kind enough to post the presentation from Nomura Chief Economist Richard Koo’s speech to George Soros’ Institute for New Economic Thinking this weekend. The presentation lays out in clear detail how the U.S. and Europe are in the midst of a balance sheet recession. Koo draws comparisons between the… Continue Reading
Top Ten International Economic Trends for 2010. It’s Good News.
Posted in International Investments, Random Thoughts and ObservationsAs an international business attorney, I’ve got to stay on top of global markets to provide my clients with the best possible service. But with things moving so fast these days, it can be hard to keep up. Thanks to a highly insightful presentation authored by Byron Wien, Senior Managing Director at The Blackstone… Continue Reading
Is Immigration the Answer to Stimulate the Economy?
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsThomas L.Friedman makes a compelling argument in the New York Times op-ed piece, Start-Ups, Not Bailouts, for stimulating the economy through immigration: Here’s my fun fact for the day, provided courtesy of Robert Litan, who directs research at the Kauffman Foundation, which specializes in promoting innovation in America: “Between 1980 and 2005, virtually all net… Continue Reading
The BRICfast Club: A Series of Posts Dedicated to Brazil, Russia, India and China (Part II)
Posted in Business Transactions, International Investments, Random Thoughts and ObservationsIndia Needs Massive Investment in Physical Infrastructure to Catch China Growth This is the second in a series of posts dedicated to the BRIC countries. While the late John Hughes would have appreciated the titular tribute to his Breakfast Club classic, the series is meant to stimulate a robust discussion among those interested in the… Continue Reading
Strippers, Witches…and Bono: All Subject to the World’s Most BizarreTax Laws
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsGovernment’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. — Ronald Reagan While Halloween gets top billing as the scariest day of the year, it’s nothing compared to the shrieks and… Continue Reading
The International Business Law Advsior Goes to Washington to Lobby for Global Warming Legislation–or is it “Global Weirding?”
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsI traveled to Washington D.C. a few weeks ago and spent several whirlwind days on Capitol Hill meeting with an assortment of Cabinet Members, Senators and Congressmen on pending climate change legislation. Thanks to climate and energy advocate extraordinaire Susan Glickman for putting the trip together, Before anyone says anything–the irony of the snow falling… Continue Reading
Official World Holidays for 2010 (Cajun Nation Included)
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsBecause my international practice involves working with folks all over the world, I keep a keen eye on world holidays and do my best to schedule my work around them. This is one of the best ways I can show my respect for other cultures. The folks overseas always appreciate the extra attention to detail… Continue Reading
The Ultimate Hidden Fee: U.S. Based Multinational Companies Face $122 Billion Tax Burden Under Proposed Bill
Posted in Business Transactions, Corporate Governance, International Investments, Random Thoughts and ObservationsAnd Why Relocating to Switzerland May be the Best Corporate Strategy There’s nothing more annoying than finding hidden fees buried deep inside obtuse and mangled contract language. The only thing worse than finding hidden fees is learning about these punishing provisions from someone else—after you’ve signed the agreement. If you thought hidden fees provisions were… Continue Reading
The Great Firewall of China: How Lessons from the Apartheid Era Can Lift the Information Curtain
Posted in Corporate Governance, Random Thoughts and ObservationsCorporate Codes of Conduct Played a Major Role in the Collapse of Apartheid in South Africa and Are a Viable Means to End Digital Censorship in China. The remarks of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday that “we stand for a single Internet where all of humanity has equal access to knowledge and… Continue Reading
We Have an App for That: Introducing the International Business Law Advisor App for the iPhone
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsWe are thrilled to announce the latest addition to the iTunes App Store–the International Business Law Advisor App for the iPhone. The App is yet another way we can add exceptional value to our readers utilizing cutting edge technology. In addition to keeping our readers up to date, the App allows users to take advantage… Continue Reading
How European Union Anti-Trust Laws Impact the World Cup.
Posted in Business Transactions, Random Thoughts and ObservationsNothing is more interesting than the intersection of international business law and sports. Add Charlize Theron into the mix and things get, well, even more interesting. Over the weekend, Ms. Theron, representing the host country South Africa, announced the draw for World Cup 2010, the biggest sporting event on the planet. If you haven’t already,… Continue Reading
“Top 100 Global Thinkers” List Released: Some Names May Surprise You
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsForeign Policy just released its first annual list of 100 Top Global Thinkers. While the list included many of the world‘s leading intellectuals, one person stood out for me— No. 57, Baltasar Garzón, Judge for the National Court of Spain. Garzon indicted Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998 during the ex-president’s trip to London and… Continue Reading
The ABA International Law Section’s Annual Meeting and the Credit Crisis Explained
Posted in Random Thoughts and ObservationsI am back from attending the American Bar Association International Law Section’s Annual Conference in Miami. I had the pleasure of meeting the country’s leading legal bloggers including Dan Harris of the China Law Blog. I look forward to the Section’s Spring meeting in New York and the next annual meeting in Paris, France. I… Continue Reading
About Santiago A. Cueto
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Board Certified International Law Expert and Founding partner Santiago A. Cueto focuses his practice on international business law with an emphasis on international business litigation, arbitration and transactions. His practice is based in Miami, Florida.
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