International Intellectual Property Issues (for non-IP lawyers)
Nobody can deny the importance of Intellectual Property in today's global economy. Because IP issues arise in many common business and legal transactions, most lawyers should have a grasp of the basics of Intellectual Property Law. This Program will provide you with a basic understanding of IP protection rights (trademarks, service marks, trade dress, design patents, patents, copyrights, etc.) this program will further give you the key concepts of the primary treaties that regulate IP rights at the international level, such as the Paris Convention, Madrid Protocol, the Patent Cooperation Treaty, etc. The program will also discuss how you can use U.S. IP laws against actions taking place abroad. Our goal is to help you identify international Intellectual Property Law issues and enable you to take the first steps to solve them. Come and join us, you may discover that the world of International Intellectual Property Law was not as "foreign" to your practice as you may have thought.

Trends, Opportunities and Challenges of Exporting to China
This program is a forum for speakers from China and the U.S. to engage in a round table discussion relating to the legal and practical aspects of exporting to the People's Republic of China.

Despite the continuing economic down-turn, companies serving an international customer base are flourishing. Driven, in part, by an effort to reduce the trade deficit between the two countries, the U.S. government is encouraging efforts by local enterprises to look to China as a huge market for their products and services, among other things by highlighting economic opportunities in China's growing second tier cities and identifying industry sectors experiencing large demand from China's business and consumer markets.

However, in order for your clients to take advantage of the opportunities offered by expanding their market share into China (now the third largest trading partner with the U.S. after Canada and Mexico), it is critical to gain an understanding of the legal issues and/or barriers involved.

This timely program, offered both to in-person attendees and over the Internet via webinar, features speakers from both the public and private sectors discussing:

What opportunities are available and ways the U.S. government can facilitate your client's entry into the China market.

What are the U.S. export control and China import licensing requirements of which you and your clients should be aware?

How to help your client protect its intellectual property rights.

Other practical and legal aspects of which you and your clients should be aware.

What registrations and other preventive measures should be taken in China? What particular concerns arise in exporting technology-based products and services? How to avoid or address dual-use product issues.

What Chinese custom issues does your client need to know?

Program Chair and Moderator: Qiang Bjornbak, Law Offices of Qiang Bjornbak

Employment Issues in the International Arena
This program will be presented live and will also be webcast live for those who would like to attend via the internet.

Employment practitioners and international attorneys from around the globe will discuss a variety of issues facing employers and employees in the global marketplace.

Topics will range from enforcement of non-compete agreements in foreign jurisdictions, overview of how employment laws and employment lawsuits work in the Middle East, overview of how wrongful termination lawsuits are handled in Europe, liability issues for employers and employees for overseas torts, how venue issues are determined for cross-border employment disputes, and the most important things an employer must remember when doing business in the Middle East.

If you represent employers or employees who work or have business operations outside of the United States, this seminar is for you and will provide an overview of important issues that you must be aware of in your practice.