GGI North American Regional Conference - News and Information for Members and Friends of GGI
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GGI North
News and
Information American
for Members
and Friends
Regional
of GGI Conference
Issue No. 95 | May 2018 in Denver
© 2018 - GGI Global Alliance
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 2018
2 CONTACT | EDITORIAL | CONTENTS
Editorial
Dear GGI Members,
Dear Friends,
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia es of a new law in France. Meanwhile,
will begin next month. With 32 nation- Types of Employee Stock Options is a
al teams involved in the tournament, fascinating topic, which Saul Jimenez,
it is a truly global event. A total of 64 Kutchins, Robbins & Diamond, Ltd.
matches will no doubt keep many of (IL, USA), has analysed for you. Hen-
us fascinated. However, rather than rique Wagner De Lima Dias and Pedro
reporting on football, we will instead Teixeira Leite Ackel, WFaria Advogados
share the latest news from our truly (Brazil), report on the challenges of
global alliance with you: being in compliance with eSocial Ob-
Discover more about the topics ligation, and Evgeny Rudakov, A.D.E.
Contact and key highlights at the recent GGI Professional Solutions (Russia) up-
European Regional Conference in Ber- dates the readership on Russian IP
GGI Geneva Group International AG lin, where almost 250 members from Sanctions. Finally, Željko Vlačić, Sajic,
Schaffhauserstrasse 550 across the globe met in a fantastic at- Bosnia & Herzegovina, informs read-
8052 Zurich mosphere. ers about a new bankruptcy law.
Switzerland The GGI North American Regional There is still time until the sum-
T: +41 44 256 18 18 Conference in Denver (CO), USA, is mer break comes, but make sure you
E: info@ggi.com approaching and, with its varied pro- reserve your space in (at least) one of
W: www.ggi.com gramme and charismatic keynote the Practice Group newsletters before-
W: www.ggiforum.com speakers, it promises to be a fascinat- hand! Don’t hesitate – do it right now!
ing event. The French Speaking Chap- In this issue you can read which news-
ter will take place in Brussels, Belgium, letters will be published in time for the
in July. World Conference in Buenos Aires.
This Insider issue also includes in- For the International Taxation Prac-
Disclaimer ternal news and success stories from tice Group, Roberto M. Cagnazzo, Stu-
GGI member firms. dio Tributario Cagnazzo (Italy) updates
The information provided in this Antonio A. Boccia, GCG member you on Permanent Establishments in
INSIDER came from reliable firm Baldi Finance S.p.A. (Italy), has Italy. You can also read the second part
sources and was prepared from contributed, just in time for the up- of Katharine Batista's 3-part series on
data assumed to be correct; how- coming World Cup, a very interesting Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.
ever, prior to making it the basis White Paper on Football & Finance. She has contributed this series for the
of a decision, it must be double André Henrique Gaspar de Oliveira Labour Law Practice Group. Raffaela
checked. Ratings and assess- and Luísa Zanini da Fontoura, Maciel Lödl, Kapp & Partners (Austria), has
ments reflect the personal opinion Auditores (Brazil), report on the role of presented an overview on the Austrian
of the respective author only. We audit on Construction Works in Brazil. purchase development Act during the
neither accept liability for, nor are Oliver Biernat, GGI member firm Bene- Real Estate Practice Group meeting in
we able to guarantee, the content. fitax (Germany), informs readers about Berlin. She and Mario Kapp have sum-
This publication is for GGI internal taxes of cryptocurrencies in Germany. marised the most important facts for
use only and intended solely and Michael Davidson, Haines Watts (UK), you in this INSIDER issue.
exclusively for GGI members. shares the results of a study conducted We wish you an enjoyable read and
by his team - A third of UK SME owners look forward to seeing you again at fu-
If you wish to be removed from consider their own management team ture GGI events.
the mailing list, send an email to a barrier to growth. Prof Robert An-
info@ggi.com. Alternatively, let thony and Alexane Palide, Anthony & Your GGI Team
us know what you think about Cie (France), analyse the consequenc-
INSIDER. We welcome your feed-
back.
Contents
3
Contents Diary
EDITORIAL, CONTACT, DISCLAIMER�������������������������������������������������������������� 02
CONTENTS / DIARY������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 03
➜ 21-24 June 2018
UPCOMING GGI EVENTS GGI North American
➜ GGI North American Regional Conference, Regional Conference
Denver, CO, USA | 21-24 June 2018��������������������������������������������������������������� 04 Denver, CO, USA
➜ GGI French-Speaking Chapter, Brussels, Belgium | 06-08 July 2018�����������06 ➜ 22-24 June 2018
REVIEW GGI EVENTS GCG M&A
➜ GGI European Regional Conference, Berlin, Germany | 19-22 April 2018��� 07 Dealmakers Meeting
➜ GCG M&A Dealmakers Meeting, Berlin, Germany, 20-21 April 2018�����������10 Denver, CO, USA
➜ 06-08 July 2018
GGI NEW MEMBER FIRMS�������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11 GGI French-Speaking Chapter
GGI INTERNAL NEWS Brussels, Belgium
➜ How to best present your GGI membership on LinkedIn����������������������������14 ➜ 07-09 September 2018
➜ New Cooperation between LegalBusinessWorld and GGI���������������������������� 15 GGI Nordic-Baltic Meeting
➜ Where Do Your Attorneys Learn Their Courtroom Skills? ��������������������������� 15 Copenhagen, Denmark
➜ Taylor English Decisions announces Earl Ehrhart as CEO����������������������������17 & Malmö, Sweden
➜ GGI member DALDEWOLF law firm opens a branch in Kinshasa, DR Congo����18 ➜ 20-22 September 2018
➜ Mowery & Schoenfeld named Number 24 on Best Places to Work in Chicago list�19 GGI Best Practices &
➜ The Lawyer European Awards 2018: Developing Leaders Conference
Maravela|Asociații winner of the Law Firm of the Year�������������������������������� 20 Québec City, QC, Canada
➜ Leslie A. Berkoff, Esq. Selected by American ➜ 17-18 October 2018
Arbitrators Association to serve on national roster of arbitrators����������������21 GGI Latin American
➜ Brian T. Grogan and James J. Vedder Regional Conference
elected to Moss & Barnett Board of Directors��������������������������������������������� 22 Buenos Aires, Argentina
➜ Tax seminar to build a bond���������������������������������������������������������������������������23 ➜ 18-21 October 2018
➜ Guzmán Ariza represents PAWA in first major bankruptcy GGI World Conference
proceeding in the Dominican Republic�������������������������������������������������������� 24 Buenos Aires, Argentina
➜ SMM Legal welcomes a new member�����������������������������������������������������������25 ➜ 02-04 November 2018
COMMON INTEREST GGI EasyMeet
➜ Football & Finance: Exploring the Capital Markets���������������������������������������25 Venice, Italy
➜ Analysing and Assessing Accountability: ➜ 09-11 November 2018
The role of audit on Construction Works in Brazil����������������������������������������27 GGI German Speaking Chapter
➜ Tax treatment of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoins in Germany ���������������� 28 Budapest, Hungary
➜ A third of UK SME owners consider their ➜ 29 November
own management team a barrier to growth������������������������������������������������� 30 – 02 December 2018
➜ French Parliamentary legislation has to conform GGI Asia-Pacific
with the Constitution. The law may not be the law…������������������������������������ 31 Regional Conference
➜ New Bankruptcy Law in Bosnia & Herzegovina��������������������������������������������33 Bali, Indonesia
➜ Types of Employee Stock Options�����������������������������������������������������������������34 ➜ 01-03 February 2019 (TBC)
➜ The challenges of being in compliance with eSocial Obligation����������������� 36 GGI PG Chairpersons meeting
➜ Russian IP Sanctions������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 36 Tel Aviv, Israel
➜ 14-17 February 2019 (TBC)
GGI PRACTICE GROUP PAGES GGI ITPG Global Tax Summit
➜ Publishing Opportunity����������������������������������������������������������������������������������38 Tel Aviv, Israel
INTERNATIONAL TAXATION (ITPG)
TBC = to be confirmed
➜ Italy: an updated definition of Permanent Establishment �����������������������38
LABOUR LAW
➜ How to Prevent and Remedy Sexual Harassment in the Workplace – Part Two40 Please refer to our website
REAL ESTATE for actualised information
➜ The Austrian Property Development Contract Act – an Overview ����������41 and additional events:
www.ggi.com > Events
BOOK REVIEW����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������43
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 2018
4 UPCOMING GGI EVENTS
Denver, CO, USA | 21-24 June 2018
GGI North American
Regional Conference
This year’s GGI North American ate high growth cultures, driving reve-
Regional Conference in Denver (CO) nue from all aspects of the practice.
will be kindly hosted by GGI member In her speech she will explore with
firm Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, the audience cutting-edge approaches
P.C. Not only all North American GGI of the best firms around the world and
members are kindly invited to this fas- how they are achieving high growth.
cinating city, but the event will also be The audience should be prepared to
valuable for all other GGI members leave with innovative ideas to propel
interested in conducting business and their growth and sustain their future.
intensifying contacts within this re- They will explore market conditions
gion. and strategic imperatives, developing
Gale Crosley will deliver the keynote growth leaders, technology’s role in
speech on Friday morning on ‘Creating growth, strategic directions of core ser-
a High Growth Firm’. Ms Crosley knows vices, innovation, and more.
what she talks about – her 35-year-plus Professor Marc Cohen, a global
career represents a unique combina- thought leader in the legal industry,
tion as a practicing CPA at Arthur An- Gale Crosley will present a speech on ‘The Changing
dersen, PwC, and a local CPA firm. She Legal Marketplace and what it means
has also held senior management roles ing. She has helped dozens of firms, for Professional Service Firms’. The
in business development and market- both domestic and international, cre- staid, precedent-bound legal guild is
morphing into something
entirely different. The con-
fluence of three powerful
developments has accel-
erated this process dur-
ing the past decade: the
financial crisis, remarkable
advances in technology,
and globalisation. Disag-
gregation – peeling away
‘legal’ tasks from law firms
and performing them from
other provider sources
– is reshaping the legal
landscape. Artificial intelli-
gence, blockchain, and new
technologies are trans-
forming many labour-in-
tensive tasks into products
and automating them. Le-
gal buyers are demanding
‘better, faster, cheaper’ le-
gal services and are open
to exploring new provider
Denver – Colorado State Capitol sources. This is the back-
Contents
5
Denver, Colorado
drop of challenge and opportunity that a focus on the buyer perspective and specialists from their area(s) of prac-
confronts professional service firms the importance of differentiation. tice.
engaging in or considering entry into Prof Cohen is presently the Chair of Denver is a fantastic city with much
the legal marketplace. The presenta- the Advisory Board and Chief Strategy to offer. GGI has put together a set
tion will examine the marketplace with Officer at Elevate; a Distinguished Fel- of optional sightseeing tours – all de-
low at Northwestern University Law tailed descriptions are available on
School; a regular contributor to Forbes GGI's website. If you would like to dis-
where he has a column on the global cover Denver on your own initiative,
legal marketplace; a sought-after key- you can find some useful tips on www.
note speaker; and CEO of LegalMosaic denver.org. You might even have time
(www.legalmosaic.com), a legal busi- before or after the Conference, to take
ness consultancy and repository for a day trip to Colorado’s No. 1 attrac-
his work. His LegalMosaic blog was tion, Rocky Mountain National Park. It
recently honored by the ABA as one offers an unforgettable experience in
of the 50 outstanding worldwide legal the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
blogs in their inaugural ‘Web 100’. It is not too late for GGI members
The usual Practice Group meetings who have not yet registered to do so.
and Workshops round off the Confer- Please use the online registration tool
ence programme, and allow all attend- available via our website, www.ggi.
ing GGI members to work intensively com (Login > GGI Events > Upcoming
in small groups, exchange information Events > Locate the Event > external
from their fields of expertise, and con- link). The Conference programme is
Prof Mark Cohen nect with like-minded international also available on the event website.
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 2018
6 UPCOMING GGI EVENTS Brussels, Belgium | 06-08 July 2018 GGI French-Speaking Chapter Following on from the terrific suc- cipal seat of the Belgian Royal Family, GGI members from French-speaking cess of the first French-speaking Chap- and capital of the European Union, is countries, or any other French-speak- ter (or ‘Sommet Francophone’) in Paris a remarkably small and easy-going city ing GGI members interested in this in July 2017, there will be another one for all its importance. Unlike beautiful ‘Sommet Francophone’, will have the this year, kindly hosted by GGI mem- Bruges and Ghent, with their hordes opportunity to exchange ideas, net- ber firms DALDEWOLF and DGST of tourists, Brussels is Belgium's main work and collaborate. The programme Réviseurs d’entreprises in Brussels, economic and educational hub, which itself will be finalised in the coming Belgium. gives the city a more workaday feel than days. Presentations will focus on vari- The meeting will be conducted in other towns. Here, you get a proper feel ous subjects linked to French speaking French and will be held at the Thon for Belgian life, especially its fantastic legal aspects, culture and conducting Hotel Bristol Stephanie on Brussel’s restaurant and café culture. Brussels business. most famous shopping street, Avenue capital has more than enough things to Registrations for the GGI Louise. It is a central location, Sablon do to keep visitors occupied for a cou- French-Speaking Chapter in Brussels Square with its chocolatiers and an- ple of days, with a clutch of world-class are now open, and the Early Bird Regis- tique market is in walking distance – museums and art galleries, as well as tration Deadline is 31 May 2018. Please this might be an opportunity to stock quirkier sights, such as the Atomium, go to www.ggi.com > Login > GGI up on Brussels' famous chocolate. and some wonderful remnants of old Events > Upcoming Events > Locate Brussels, capital of Belgium, prin- architecture in the old town quarter. the Event > external link. Brussels – Grand Place Contents
GGI EVENT REVIEW 7
Audience
Berlin, Germany, 19-22 April 2018
GGI European
Regional Conference
The 2018 GGI European Regional
Conference took place in the heart of
the city of Berlin, directly next to the
‘Brandenburg Gate’, in the majestic
Hotel Adlon Kempinski. Hosted by
GGI member firms AIOS GmbH, FPS
and Wendler Tremml Rechtsanwälte,
we were pleased to welcome over 230
delegates from GGI member firms
worldwide to this beautiful German
capital city, complete with warm tem-
peratures and sunshine.
On Thursday, as usual, a meet-
ing of the GGI Executive Committee
took place, as well as the meeting of
the International Taxation Practice
Group. Delegates who arrived early
but were not participating in either of
these meetings were able to take part
in the optional excursions, including a Welcome Dinner
Cold War tour, a Berlin orientation city
tour, and a walking tour of the old Jew- Welcome Reception and Dinner in the in the formal introductions of all new
ish quarter. In the evening, we held a hotel, with a full five-course meal to fit ...next page
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 2018
8 GGI EVENT REVIEW Welcome by GGI Chairman and Founder, Claudio G. Cocca, Keynote Speaker Prof Dr Gunnar Keynote Speaker Richard Claudio G. Cocca Heinsohn and Michael Reiss von Filski Tromans GGI and GCG members participating over the world exchanged technical often compared to Versailles, albeit a in the Conference. Everyone was also knowledge and visons as well as ex- smaller version. introduced to our attending sponsors plored opportunities for future joint After a very interactive day, member from Bank Alpinum and Virtual Vaults, business projects. delegates were invited in the evening and welcomed to Berlin by Kai Sturm- The Corporate, Commercial and IP to an informal dinner at the Restaurant fels from one of the host firms, Wend- Practice Group enjoyed rather high Nolle, featuring traditional Berlin food. ler Tremml Rechtsanwälte. attendance with the presentation on Marble, mirrors, leather furnishings The Conference officially kicked off blockchain by digital consultant and and Art Deco paintings help to re-cre- on Friday morning, with a Presidential Guest Speaker, Ade Molajo. Addi- ate the atmosphere of former 1920s Welcome by GGI Chairman and Found- tionally, the Business Development & style Berlin. To top of the evening, Mar- er, Claudio G. Cocca. Tilo Drebes, from Marketing Practice Group brought in a lene Dietrich made an appearance. Or AIOS GmbH, represented all the host Guest Speaker, Anthony Round, Man- perhaps, someone who looked very firms and welcomed everyone to their ager of Corporate Growth Europe for much like her. city once again. We were honoured APMP, to talk about how to take ad- On Saturday morning, there were to have two very engaging Keynote vantage of opportunities to present a some excellent workshops: Ingo Prang Speakers: Prof Dr Gunnar Heinsohn professional bid, even if on a limited (KPP Steuerberatungsgesellschaft and Richard Tromans, who provided budget. mbH, Germany) put together a fasci- everyone with much food for thought During the Conference, accompany- nating presentation on ‘Doing busi- in terms of the hot topics of migration ing persons enjoyed a visit to the clas- ness in a foreign country – chances of skilled workers and artificial intelli- sical city of Potsdam, residence of the and risks from a tax point of view’; V. gence respectively. Prussian kings and the German Kaiser Susanne Cook and Ana Maria Mieles In the afternoon two rounds of var- until 1918. They also visited the beauti- (Cohen & Grigsby, P.C., USA) talked ious Practice Group meetings took ful Sanssouci Castle, part of the largest about ‘US Trade Policies that Impact place, during which experts from all World Heritage Site in Germany and Europe: Tariffs, CFIUS, Mobility and GGI kindly thanked representatives of host firms during Gala Dinner Networking Contents
9
Gala Dinner at AXICA near the Brandenburg Gate Letting off steam after intense work
More’; and Anthony J. Soukenik & Nar-
cisa Przulj (Sandberg Phoenix & Von
Gontard P.C., USA) discussed a tool
they have in their company for ‘Univer-
sal Risk Analysis’.
In the afternoon, participants were
able to drive one of the cult East Ger-
man cars during an exciting ‘Trabi Safa-
ri’, exploring Berlin’s main attractions.
Delegates were also able to explore the
city on foot with a guided city walk. CCIP PG Meeting: Ade Molajo and Ady Nordman Jeffery L. Mowery
The conference finished on a high
note with a Gala Dinner at the nearby
AXICA, a stunning venue located only
two minutes walking distance between
the hotel and the Brandenburg Gate.
The evening featured closing speech-
es from GGI Global CEO Michael Re-
iss von Filski and Dr Robin Leon Fritz,
from the host firm FPS, as well as live
music and dancing.
Another successful GGI conference
came to an end, and we look forward to
next year’s GGI European Conference
in Prague. Focused work in small groups
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 2018
10 GGI EVENT REVIEW
Berlin, Germany, 20-21 April 2018
GCG M&A
Dealmakers Meeting
The Geneva Capital Group (GCG) is who is the Global Chair of the GGI M&A
quickly developing with some 20 mem- Practice Group and also a member of the
ber firms worldwide and a good pipeline GCG Strategic Committee. GCG dele- Claudio G. Cocca
of candidate firms from Europe, North gates were also invited to join GGI mem-
America and other regions. GCG is a bers that evening for the informal dinner
global network of M&A advisory firms at the Restaurant Nolle.
whose members can participate in the The main GCG Conferences session
GGI events and projects in order to fos- took place on Saturday morning, and
ter business-exchange opportunities and began with Welcome Speeches by both
deal-sourcing between GCG and GGI Claudio G. Cocca and Tim van der Meer.
members. There were around 60 participants, in-
Further to the successful meetings cluding also members of GGI with a
organised at GGI’s European and World strong interest in M&A.
Conferences in 2017 (respectively in Brus- Various presentations took place dur-
sels and Vienna), as well as the meeting ing this session. Firstly, Dr Dirk Jungen
in Marbella in 2018 during the GGI ITPG (Corporate Finance Hannover, Germany)
Global Tax Summit, GCG members were provided an overview about the coopera-
able to get together once again at this tion opportunities between GCG and GGI Tim van der Meer
year’s GGI European Regional Confer- members, showing how members could
ence in Berlin. easily take advantage of the synergies be- and GGI members, and how experts
The programme started on Friday tween the two groups. Next, there was a from both groups can work together in a
with a private lunch scheduled for GCG panel discussion on ‘How to Successfully more efficient way.
members and candidate firms, featuring Pitch for a Deal’, moderated by Michael The presentations ended with one
a wine-tasting session. During this time, Reiss von Filski. The featured panelists by Marco Izzo, COO of GCG and GGI,
the participants also discussed GCG net- were Dr Josep Maria Romances (Closa who provided an overview of the de-
work developments, functioning and fu- Investment Bankers, Spain), Tim van der velopments within the GCG network,
ture plans. This private session provided Meer (Marktlink Fusies & Overnames new members, tools and features for
the participants with the chance to meet B.V., The Netherlands) and J. Lee Lloyd (J. members, future events and the private
with fellow members in a more intimate Lee Lloyd, LLC, USA). They talked freely Deal-Sharing Platform accessible at www.
environment and to discuss important about the topic and revealed many in- gcg.deals.
topics and aspects of GCG life. After sights regarding their different ‘pitching The final feature of the morning was
lunch, delegates were invited to join the strategies’. The panel discussion was fol- a speed-networking session with five
GGI M&A Practice Group session led lowed by a presentation by Douglas Nix minutes of one-to-one meetings with fel-
by Tim van der Meer (Marktlink Fusies (Stillwater Capital Corporation, Canada) low members, aimed to enable member
& Overnames B.V., The Netherlands), about fee-sharing policies between GCG firms to meet with one another and to
exchange deal-opportunities. This con-
tinued also through to lunch.
The rest of the programme fell in line
with the GGI European Regional Confer-
ence.
The next GCG meeting will take place
in Denver (CO) at the GGI North Amer-
ican Regional Conference (21-24 June
2018). GCG and GGI members are wel-
GCG M&A Dealmakers Meeting come to register for this event.
ContentsNEW MEMBER FIRMS 11
Brazil Ireland Italy
3PA Advisory Beauchamps FLA – Floresta Longo e Associati
Rua do Rocio, 288, 4th floor Riverside Two, Sir John Rogerson's Via De Caro 104
04552-000 Sao Paulo Quay, Dublin 2 95126 Catania
Brazil Dublin Italy
Ireland
T: +55 11 3181 8870 T: +353 1 418 0600 T: +39 095 7122020
E: nathan.mehlberg@3pa.com.br F: +353 1 418 0699 F: +39 095 495320
W: www.3pa.com.br E: j.white@beauchamps.ie E: fla@fla.it
W: www.beauchamps.ie W: www.fla.it/home/
Company languages: English, Por- Company language: English Company languages: English, Ital-
tuguese Contact person: John White ian
Contact person: Nathan Mehlberg Services: Law Firm Services Contact person: Prof Avv Antonino
Services: M&A Advisory, Corpo- Longo
rate Finance Services: Advisory, Auditing & Ac-
counting, Corporate Finance, Law
Firm Services, Tax
Nathan Mehlberg John White Prof Avv Antonino Longo
WE WISH TO EXTEND A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEW DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS.
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 201812 NEW MEMBER FIRMS
Japan Jordan Romania
K.K. Univis Tax Co. Arab Professionals Company A&I Consulting
Awaji-cho Tosei Building 5F, Queen Rania Street. Abu Al Hajj Str. Sarmisegetuza, Nr.21, ,UI.46
Kanda Awaji-cho, Chiyoda-ku Commercial Complex, Building No. Cluj-Napoca
101-0063 Tokyo 148. Second Floor. Office No. 209, Romania
Japan 210 and 211
Amman, Jordan
T: +81 0363162843 T: +962 6 5151125 T: +40 737 529790
F: +81 0342433339 F: +962 6 5151124 E: ioana.costea@aiconsulting.ro
E: t.susaki@univis.co.jp E: ibrahimh@apcjordan.com W: www.aiconsulting.ro/en/
W: www.univis-tax.com/en/ W: www.apcjordan.com
Company languages: English, Jap- Company languages: Arabic, Eng- Company languages: English, Ro-
anese lish manian
Contact person: Toshiaki Susaki Contact person: Ibrahim Hammou- Contact person: Ioana Costea
Services: Advisory, Auditing & Ac- deh Services: Auditing & Accounting,
counting, Corporate Finance, Tax Service: Advisory, Auditing & Ac- Tax
counting, Tax
Toshiaki Susaki Ibrahim Hammoudeh Ioana Costea
WE WISH TO EXTEND A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEW DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS.
Contents13
Turkey United States
Gazi Independent Audit Inc XLS Partners, Inc.
İncilipınar Mah. Prf. Muammer 770 Beacon St., Suite A,
Aksoy Bulvarı Dünya İş Merkezi West Dundee
Kat:3 No:21, Şehitkamil Chicago, IL, 60118
27090 Gaziantep USA
Turkey
T: +90 342 290 32 41 T: +1 847 836 7035
F: +90 342 290 32 41 F: +1 847 649 1765
E: muhammed E: bcontaldo@xlspartners.com
@gazidenetim.com.tr W: www.xlspartners.com
W: www.gazidenetim.com.tr/eng/
Company languages: English, Company language: English
Turkish Contact person: Robert J. Contaldo
Contact person: Muhammed Services: M&A Advisory, Corpo-
Ersöze rate Finance
Services: Auditing & Accounting,
Tax
Searching for
GGI member
firms all over
the world?
Visit ggi.com!
Muhammed Ersöze Robert J. Contaldo
WE WISH TO EXTEND A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEW DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS.
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 201814 GGI INTERNAL NEWS How to best present your GGI membership on LinkedIn LinkedIn is lauded as the profes- or ask open questions in a social forum. proved description of GGI should fol- sional’s must-have social media The purpose of the group is to increase low. platform, but it can be confusing to engagement between members. In an effort to connect one’s Linke- navigate, both as individual profes- It is very important to uphold our dIn profile with GGI, we commonly sionals and as a member firm. At GGI, distinction as an association of indi- find some of our members list GGI as we leverage LinkedIn to inform our vidual member firms. Individual pro- an employer and under the job title members while maintaining a strong fessionals are not themselves mem- write ‘Independent Member’. This, digital presence that bolsters global bers - Independent firms are members. however, is an incorrect representa- awareness. To that end, we publish There has been considerable enthu- tion for two reasons: Firstly, employ- important announcements, INSIDER siasm and confusion around how to ees of GGI member firms are not news, interesting articles, and engage represent GGI membership as an in- employees of GGI. Secondly, it is the with our member firms. Our efforts, dividual. The remainder of this article firm, and not the individual, who is however, will bear minimal fruit with- will clearly outline how to correctly the member of GGI. out consistent engagement from our represent the GGI relationship from *There exists an exception for in- members. the individual’s LinkedIn profile so dividuals who hold positions within GGI members may follow our compa- that together, we may promote a con- GGI as Global Practice Group Chair, ny page and join our closed group. The sistent and clear digital presence. We ExCom member, Regional Advisory company page is public facing and we will reference the GGI Corporate De- Council Member. The correct repre- focus our content on announcements, sign Manual sections 4.8 - 4.10. sentation is presented in Section 4.10 conference news and updates, and ar- Note from the example below that of GGI's Corporate Design Manual. ticles contributed to the INSIDER and individuals must link to the GGI mem- This is Part I of a three part series GGI Forum. Our closed group is a pri- ber firm to which they are employed in leveraging LinkedIn for consistent vate space where members can post in- (not GGI). After a short description branding and better engagement with teresting articles, practice group news, of their role at their firm, the pre-ap- fellow GGI members. Example: Personal profile, mentioning the firm’s membership in GGI Contents
15
New Cooperation between
LegalBusinessWorld and GGI
LegalBusinessWorld™ is the first on the latest methods, techniques and LegalBusinessWorld very much en-
multi-faceted global and open online solutions to grow their business. The courages authors from the GGI mem-
platform on the Business of Law and focus areas are: Business Develop- bership to submit original and in-depth
the development of the Legal Profes- ment, Finance, Human Resource Man- contributions for publication.
sion with exposure in 32 countries agement (HRM), Marketing, Pricing,
and over 92,000 readers (2017). Key Sales, Strategy and Technology (Edu-
is the exchange of thoughts, ideas cation and Legal). Contributors to the
and opinions between Europe, North website include (managing) partners Please contact:
America and the Asia Pacific region. and directors of law firms, company Allard Winterink
With eMagazines, eBooks, Podcasts, lawyers and general counsel, academ- Co-Founder & COO
and articles LegalBusinessWorld offers ics, consultants and industry leaders - LegalBusinessWorld
transparency in a changing market and among which various thought leaders E: awinterink@legalbusinessworld.com
keeps legal professionals up-to-date and experts. T: +31 6 128 218 99
Where Do Your Attorneys
Learn Their Courtroom Skills?
GGI-Member Texas-Based Law Firm Director
and Shareholder Co-Chairs the TADC Trial Academy
for Young Defence Attorneys
By Joe Krug The 2018 Milton C. Colia TADC Tri- vance, personal schedules to be jug-
al Academy ran from 23-24 February in gled and coordinated, and the logistics
Every two years, somewhere in Tex- the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Build- of several breakout courtrooms, judg-
as, young attorneys gather to practice ing in downtown Fort Worth, TX. It in- es, lunches, and more to be managed.
courtroom skills that will someday cluded over 40 participants, featured Such an event doesn’t run smooth-
help them make a positive difference in dozens of volunteer attorneys with ly without dedicated TADC leadership
the lives or businesses of their clients. years of experience who served as fac- and members. When Chantel Crews,
Over a two-day span, the Texas Asso- ulty members and, for the first time in President of the TADC, contacted
ciation of Defense Counsel (TADC) Trial Academy history, there were cur- George Haratsis at GGI-member law
conducts a demanding Trial Academy rently sitting volunteer judges and jus- firm McDonald Sanders, PC, with the
designed to give those young attorneys tices present in each student breakout opportunity to co-chair the upcoming
across the state a valuable opportunity courtroom. Putting on the Academy is Academy, he jumped at the chance.
to practice those skills while engaging a significant undertaking that requires Along with co-chair Doug Rees, another
in a complex case problem. volunteers to be recruited well in ad- ...next page
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 201816 GGI INTERNAL NEWS
Faculty and Judges at TADC Trial Academy
TADC member from a different firm, niques, but the 2018 Trial Academy
George rallied volunteers from his con- gave students that chance. Of course,
tact list across the North Texas region a trial wouldn’t be complete without
from as far west as Amarillo and over witnesses, which George found at the
to Dallas/Fort Worth. George, recog- Fort Worth-area law schools and law
nising the value of giving every student firms.
participant the chance to hear critiques So where and from whom do the
from active judges, also reached out to attorneys your firm or business works
his contacts at the courthouse, eventu- with learn their courtroom skills? In
ally establishing judges in each break- the case of these 40+ young attorneys,
out session both days of the Academy. the answer is from an esteemed roster
It’s not often that an attorney gets to of faculty with years of litigation experi-
hear straight from the judge’s mouth ence, several sitting judges and justic-
how to improve their courtroom tech- es, and from ambitious peers, who test
each other during very real courtroom
settings over the course of two days.
Wherever your GGI-member company George Haratsis, Director & Shareholder
GGI member firm or firm is located, perhaps your own lo- McDonald Sanders, PC
McDonald Sanders, PC cal bar association or area lawyer group
Advisory, Law Firm Services is running a similar academy, teaching tion, energy, oil, gas, and public utility,
Fort Worth (TX), USA and improving the young attorneys so and labour & employment, as well as
T: +1 817 336 8651 they can better help you down the road litigation matters involving business
W: www.mcdonaldlaw.com when you need it most. and commercial interests, tort de-
Joe Krug George Haratsis of McDonald Sand- fence, and trusts and estates. He is an
E: jrk@mcdonaldlaw.com ers, PC runs a robust practice, focusing active TADC member and GGI event
on areas including appellate, educa- participant.
Students at TADC Trial Academy
Contents17
Taylor English Decisions
announces Earl Ehrhart as CEO
New Team Combines Deep Policy and Legal Experience
Earl Ehrhart, retiring influential fourteen year executive with The Coca-
Cobb County state representative, was Cola Company. During his tenure he
named as the Chief Executive Officer held various management roles in the
for Taylor English Decisions LLC, a public affairs arena, overseeing State
government strategies and business Government Relations for the US,
consulting firm that will provide clients Shareowner Affairs, and Issues Man-
with guidance on improved and inno- agement and Global Communications.
vative business operations. Trey Paris, He brings more than 30 years of ex-
Jonathan Crumly and Daraka Satcher perience in public affairs, government
have also joined the practice. relations, corporate communications,
Taylor English Decisions is an affili- shareholder relations and issue man-
ate of Taylor English Duma LLP. agement.
‘The addition of a Government Af- As a principal in Taylor English Deci-
fairs Practice to Taylor English Deci- sions, Crumly helps clients comply with
sions will equip our clients with a government policies and regulations
better understanding of the complex that affect their industries and bottom
and ever-changing world of govern- Earl Ehrhart lines. He is a practicing attorney who
ment policy and regulation’, said Marc offers the legislative legal experience
Taylor, a founding partner of Taylor cation Appropriations. Ehrhart also necessary to successfully navigate the
English. ‘We are thrilled that Earl has served as the national chair and a 15- ever changing political and regulatory
joined our team to lead this venture year board member for the American environment.
alongside our roster of talented profes- Legislative Exchange Council, where Prior to joining Taylor English De-
sionals, and know that the experience he helped provide legislative solutions cisions, Satcher was deputy assistant
of Trey, Jonathan and Daraka round out for complex business and economic is- secretary for legislative and intergov-
our service offerings.’ sues facing the state. ernmental affairs at the US Depart-
Ehrhart joins the firm as CEO of Tay- Previously announced in January, ment of Commerce. Additionally, he
lor English Decisions after serving for David Connell serves as a principal for spent nearly 10 years working in both
30 years as a member of the Georgia the Business Consulting Practice of the US Senate and US House of Rep-
House of Representatives on behalf of Taylor English Decisions. Connell pre- resentatives.
Cobb County. During his tenure in gov- viously served as chief executive officer Taylor English Decisions LLC is a
ernment, he chaired the House Rules and president of the Cobb Chamber of purpose-built business consulting and
Committee and oversaw Higher Edu- Commerce. He was involved with the government relations firm. On the busi-
Chamber for 15 years, first as a board ness consulting side, the firm works
member, then as chairman and later as with senior management to improve
president and CEO. Connell completed operating efficiencies. On the govern-
GGI member firm a forty-year career at Southern Com- ment affairs side, the firm assists its
Taylor English Duma LLP pany before joining the Chamber as its clients in understanding the complex
Law Firm Services president and CEO. and ever-changing nature of public
Atlanta (GA), USA Trey Paris will lead Taylor English policy. The firm’s goal is to better the
T: +1 770 434 6868 Decision's Government Affairs Prac- relationships between businesses and
W: www.taylorenglish.com tice. He joins from General Electric, governments on the federal, state and
Earl Ehrhart where he served as the US manager local level. More information can be
E: eehrhart@tedecisions.com of state government affairs and poli- found on the firm’s website at www.
cy functions. Prior to GE, Paris was a tedecisions.com.
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 201818 GGI INTERNAL NEWS
GGI member DALDEWOLF
law firm opens a branch
in Kinshasa, DR Congo
The Brussels based Law firm DAL-
DEWOLF has established a branch in
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Con-
go, headed by the brand new partner
Romain Battajon.
DALDEWOLF is a leading Belgian
business & litigation Law firm with
about 40 lawyers active in corporate
law, commercial law, public law, EU
law, real estate, IP/IT, arbitration, tax,
OHADA and DRC law, etc.
Patrick De Wolf, Managing Partner,
outlines DALDEWOLF’s global strate-
gy as follows:
‘Our various and complementary ar-
eas of competence, the young talents
we wish to promote, the in-depth expe-
rience gained by our teams through ex- Patrick De Wolf (left) and Romain Battajon
perience, academic work in universities
and through positions in US law firms, of international Bars: Brussels, New To satisfy the demands of our clients
as well as our valuable international York, Paris and Geneva. They are famil- globally, DALDEWOLF has established
background, particularly in Africa, are iar with the business world, in one or a network with professionals who are
key assets in providing our clients with more areas depending on their exper- experts in the fields of law and account-
the best services. tise and practical orientation. Our law- ancy and DALDEWOLF is a member
Indeed, DALDEWOLF's lawyers yers are multidisciplinary experts. They of GGI Geneva Group International
studied at top-ranking Belgian and Eu- interact personally with our clients and (www.ggi.com)’.
ropean universities. They are members work in teams. Romain Battajon is a French lawyer
DALDEWOLF’s global services are who has been permanently based in
made available on all markets where Kinshasa for several years. A former
we are active, including on the African member of the Bar of Paris (2005-
GGI member firm continent which, thanks to sustained 2017), Mr Battajon has been a member
DALDEWOLF growth, is characterised by the devel- of the Bar of Kinshasa/Matete since
Law Firm Services opment of a stronger competition legal 2007 and an associate member of the
Brussels, Belgium framework and by the rising number of French Bar of Brussels. He was edu-
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic investment disputes. cated in France where he got a Mas-
of Congo Both small and major companies are ter I and two Masters II Degrees (Law
T: +32 2 627 10 10 part of our client base. DALDEWOLF Schools of Rennes, Bordeaux and Paris
W: www.daldewolf.com/en/ has tailored exclusive services for their Panthéon-Sorbonne).
Prof Dr Patrick De Wolf clients. Next to the traditional services, Mr Battajon is also a guest profes-
E: pdw@daldewolf.com the firm offers an Italian Desk and an sor at the Law School of the Université
Romain Battajon African Desk. The firm has also devel- Libre de Kinshasa. He is a member of
E: rob@daldewolf.com oped a specific solution for innovative the French Business Club in Kinsha-
start-up companies ( www.startitup.be). sa. In addition, Mr Battajon chairs the
Contents19
ABLE Network / Club 54, a legal net- and tax procedure. Mr Battajon has a more modern vision of the business
work and think tank that focuses on participated since 2007 in the legal and and the legal profession. In this way
business law and investment climate tax structuring of various investments we provide international standards of
in Africa, which is present in over 40 in the DRC. He assists various multi- work to our client and our colleagues
African countries. nationals and SMEs, but also directors from several renowned law firms with
He regularly acts as a speaker at var- and expats on a daily basis in the DRC. the advantage to have a high-educated
ious seminars and conferences in this He also advises clients based in other team and manager in Kinshasa.
field and is one of the reference con- African countries, in particular in the For any investor or company inter-
tributors to the annual reports ‘Doing OHADA area. ested in doing business in Africa, the
Business’ of the World Bank for the For Mr Battajon, ‘DR Congo is ex- DR Congo is now known as being one
DRC. tremely important for international of the most important countries of
He deals with a variety of cases, firms taking part in mining transac- Central Africa. Having borders with
mainly in the DRC, regarding invest- tions and operations. We decide to be nine surrounding countries, it is in-
ment law, corporate law, contract law, present and merge our local knowl- deed a member of several economic
PPP law, banking law, insurance law, edge together with the international and legal regional communities like
new information technologies law, la- expertise. Large corporations value our OHADA, SADC, CEEAC and COMESA.
bour law, tax law, petroleum and min- experience to bridge Europe and Africa The DR Congo has a huge potential in
ing law, energy law, intellectual proper- based on a special historical, econom- extractive resources, energy, infrastruc-
ty law, succession law, civil procedure, ic and legal relationship between Bel- tures, agri-business, forestry, transpor-
criminal procedure, and commercial gium and the DR Congo, but also with tation, import-export, FMCG, etc.’.
Mowery & Schoenfeld
named Number 24 on Best
Places to Work in Chicago list
Lincolnshire (IL) based CPA Firm
Mowery & Schoenfeld, LLC (M&S) is
excited to announce that they have
been named number 24 (out of 100)
on the Crain’s Chicago Business 2018
Best Places to Work in Chicago list!
This award is based on employer
and employee responses to a survey
issued by the independent workplace
excellence research firm, Best Com-
panies Group. With the employee’s
responses making up 75% of the total
score, Mowery & Schoenfeld proudly
attributes the recognition to its team
members.
‘We know our most important as-
set is our people,’ said Jeffery Mowery,
managing partner at M&S. ‘If we have
...next page Mowery & Schoenfeld cares JAY
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 201820 GGI INTERNAL NEWS a great team in place, our clients will With perks including tuition reim- the Daily Herald Business Ledger as be taken care of.’ bursement, regular in house training, one of the recipients of the 2018 Annu- To be considered for participation, mentoring and leadership develop- al Award for Business Excellence and companies had to: ment, a collaborative and team orient- by Interactive Health as one of the 2018 Be a publicly or privately held busi- ed environment, a remote working pol- Healthiest Companies in America. ness; icy, work hours devoted to volunteering Be a for-profit or not-for-profit busi- in the summer, and a flexible schedule ness, or government entity; among many others, M&S believes it’s Have a facility in the Chicago area employee-centric approach is why it GGI member firm (including the counties of Cook, Du- has been named one of Crain’s 2018 Mowery & Schoenfeld, LLC Page, Kane, Lake in Illinois, Lake in Best Places to Work in Chicago. Auditing & Accounting, Tax Indiana, McHenry and Will); ‘Five of our eleven partners started Chicago (IL), USA Have a minimum of 25 full-time or their accounting careers at M&S. They T: +1 847 247 89 59 part-time employees working in Chi- have all come up through the ranks,’ W: www.msllc.com cago; said Jeff, a fact that the Firm takes Jeffery L. Mowery Have been in business for a mini- great pride in. E: jmowery@msllc.com mum of one year. M&S was also recently honoured by The Lawyer European Awards 2018: Maravela|Asociaţii winner of the Law Firm of the Year On Thursday, 15 March, during a year: Romania. special night in London that celebrated Judges have paid attention to firms success in the European legal world, able to demonstrate that they have had Maravela|Asociații was designated win- an exceptional year, managing the pres- ner of the Law Firm of the Year: Eastern sures of the economic environment Europe and The Balkans Award, during while maintaining high levels of client The Lawyer European Awards 2018. service. They were equally looking for Furthermore, Maravela|Asociații has firms that can clearly articulate their been designated as Highly Commend- strategy and vision for the future, both ed Firm (runner up) in the European in terms of significant developments in Law Firm of the Year category. An offi- the past year and planned investment. cial article of The Lawyer, released after The judging panel was formed by the event, states: ‘Highly commended partners of top international business in the overall law firm of the year cat- law firms and in-house top manage- egory was Romanian firm Maravela, ment representatives of multination- which won Eastern European/Balkans al companies. The list includes big firm prize for the second year running. names such as: Airbnb, Barclays, Bare Despite its small size – it was only set Escentuals (Shiseido Group), Dixons up five years ago – the judges said it Managing Partner Gelu Maravela at the Carphone, Hohan Lovells, Mills & had “reaped the rewards of its niche” Awards ceremony Reeve, Mischcon De Reya, Navigators and praised its focus on talent nurtur- Insurance, Northrop Grumman, Or- ing.’ nised by the judging committee of The well Group, Osborne Clarke, PayPal, It is the fourth year in a row that Lawyer European Awards and last year Shoosmiths, Societe Generale, TLT, Maravela|Asociații has been recog- the firm was designated Law firm of the Travers Smith, TSYS International, Contents
21
Weightmans, Wolseley, Womble Bond Maravela|Asociații, said ‘What a great the rest of the industry.
Dickinson and WS Atkins. night in London at The Lawyer Europe- Further details about The Lawyer Eu-
The Eastern Europe and The Balkans an Awards 2018! We are happy, proud ropean Awards as well as this edition’s
category was only open to independent and have so many thanks to give to an jury can be found on the official web-
firms headquartered in Albania, Bosnia incredible jury, as well as to our clients, site at www.thelawyereuropeanevent.
& Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cy- our business partners, our friends and com.
prus, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, our OUTSTANDING TEAM! Thank you
Serbia and Slovenia. Danish firm Kro- all! We are grateful for your trust and
mann Reumert was crowned European support and remain committed to a
Law Firm of the Year. continued service of great quality, loy- GGI member firm
Shortlisted firms had to prove their alty and success!’ Maravela|Asociaţii
capability to operate in the global Currently at their ninth edition and Law Firm Services
economy, possessing strategic initia- structured in 24 categories (by country, Bucharest, Romania
tives aimed at growing cross-border region, types of deals, referral work but T: +40 21 310 17 17
and referral work, both inbound and also recognising the managing part- W: www.maravela.ro
outbound. ner of the year and holding a distinct Gelu Maravela
Gelu Maravela and Alina global in-house category), the awards E: gelu.maravela@maravela.ro
Popescu, Managing Partners of showcase the achievements of firms to
Leslie A. Berkoff, Esq. Selected
by American Arbitrators
Association to serve on
national roster of arbitrators
Leslie A. Berkoff, a Partner of the cess with fairness and skill, with an eye
firm and Chair of the firm's Creditors' towards time- and cost-efficiency. The
Rights and Bankruptcy practice group, AAA is a not-for-profit organisation in
was recently selected by the American the field of alternative dispute resolu-
Arbitrators Association (AAA) to serve tion, providing services to individuals
on its National Roster of Arbitrators. and organisations who wish to resolve
The AAA National Roster consists conflicts.
of highly accomplished and respected Leslie A. Berkoff concentrates her
experts from the legal and business practice in the area of bankruptcy and
communities, including: former fed- restructuring litigation and corporate
eral and state judges, attorneys with workouts, and she represents a variety
exceptional subject-matter expertise, of corporate debtors, trustees, credi-
and business owners who understand tors and creditor committees both
the essence of the dispute. All are re- nationally and locally. Her practice
quired to complete continuing educa- also includes an emphasis on equip-
tional programmes and to focus on ment leasing and healthcare law. Ms
managing the dispute resolution pro- ...next page Leslie A. Berkoff
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 201822 GGI INTERNAL NEWS
Berkoff is also an experienced litigator County. Ms Berkoff has also served
and handles corporate transactions as a court appointed examiner and
both locally and nationally. In addi- guardian ad litem in several bankrupt-
tion, Ms Berkoff has an active alter- cy cases.
nate dispute resolution practice and She currently serves as the Chair
frequently serves as a mediator, and is of the Mediation Sub-Committee of GGI member firm
also a trained arbitrator. Chapter 11 Lawyers and Judges Advi- Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP
She is on the Mediation Panels for sory Committee for the United States Law Firm Services
the Eastern, Southern and Northern Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District Garden City (NY), New York (NY),
Districts of the United States Bank- of New York and is a Member of the USA
ruptcy Courts in New York and the Dispute Resolution Section Advisory T: +1 516 873-2000
United States Bankruptcy Courts in Council of the American Bar Associa- W: www.moritthock.com
Delaware and the Eastern District tion (ABA) of the Business Law Sec- Leslie A. Berkoff
of Pennsylvania, as well as the Com- tion. Ms Berkoff earned her J.D. from E: lberkoff@moritthock.com
mercial Mediation Panel for Nassau Hofstra University School of Law.
Brian T. Grogan and
James J. Vedder
elected to
Moss & Barnett
Board of Directors
Brian T. Grogan
Brian T. Grogan and James J. Ved- as members of the Board of Directors
der were elected to three-year terms of the law firm of Moss & Barnett, a
Professional Association.
Grogan serves as the firm’s presi-
dent, chairs the firm’s communica-
GGI member firm tions and technology practice areas,
Moss & Barnett and is a member of the firm’s regu-
Law Firm Services lated industries; business law; and
Minneapolis (MN), USA mergers, acquisitions, and corporate
T: +1 612 877 5340 finance teams. Vedder is a member of
W: www.lawmoss.com the firm’s family law team.
Brian T. Grogan Grogan and Vedder will each contin-
E: brian.grogan@lawmoss.com ue practicing law on a full-time basis James J. Vedder
James J. Vedder in addition to handling their manage-
E: jim.vedder@lawmoss.com ment responsibilities. They are joined Busch, Jana Aune Deach, Timothy L.
on the board by co-directors, Kevin M. Gustin and Thomas J. Shroyer.
Contents23
Tax seminar to build a bond
Our esteemed GGI member, R. N. every business, especially for the man-
Marwah & Co LLP Chartered Account- ufacturing industry. The gathering was
ants, New Delhi, India organized a tax comprised of many business heads from
event ‘Tax for the moment and impact manufacturing industry who thanked us
on business, Masterclass’ on Friday 9 for arranging a discussion on ‘optimiza-
March, 2018 (at Lalit Hotel, Barakhamba tion of conversion cost’.
Road, New Delhi, India). The tax event Considering the recent changes in
comprised a formal two hour delibera- the tax world, the UAE seems to have
tion on amendments introduced in the turned a new leaf. Given the higher cost
Indian Union Budget 2018 and its im- of operations on account of VAT, mainte-
pact on businesses, followed by an infor- nance of regular books of accounts and
mal discussion over cocktail and snacks. the UAE’s government sharing the infor-
The tax event was attended by GGI mem- mation with India on its bank accounts
bers, the professional community, repre- since this year, some new guidance on
sentatives of corporate houses, various doing business in the Emirates was the
businessmen and other taxpayer classes. need of the hour for the gathering of the
The tax session commenced with an Raghu Marwah potential investors and businessmen.
introduction speech by Mr U.N. Mar- Some light was thrown on various as-
wah, senior partner of R.N. Marwah & other international tax matters, he took pects including incorporating a compa-
Co LLP Chartered Accountants. Mr Mar- attendees through many interesting ny or registering as an agent in the Emir-
wah gave interesting practical insight developments on the direct tax front. ates by our esteemed guest speaker Mr
on various issues such as tax benefits He captivated the audience’s attention Shankar Bharathan, Government Officer
to start-ups and insolvent companies, through his usual pearls of wisdom on of Emirate Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
subsidised tax rates to Micro Small and various hyped tax controversies. He As the saying goes, ‘all work and no
Medium Enterprises, tax neutrality to in- spoke on the hyped withdrawal of the play makes Jack a dull boy’. One of our es-
tragroup transfer by parent to its wholly long term capital gain exemption on teemed GGI members discussed ‘sharp-
owned subsidiary, and the legality of Bit- certain instruments and its impact on ening the axe of life skills’ through an
coin in India. Attendees gained a better the Indian stock market as well as on interactive and fun session. This helped
perspective from Mr Marwah’s 40 years foreign investors. His eloquence further the gathering relax after the technical ses-
of rich experience in the field of direct enchanted the audience while he took sions while pondering over the achieve-
taxation. them through the intention behind the ment of various life and business goals.
This was followed by deliberation tak- amendments on the Dividend Distribu- Overall, the tax seminar organised
en up by Mr Raghu Marwah, Managing tion Tax. He enlightened the business- by GGI Member R. N. Marwah & Co
Partner of R.N. Marwah & Co LLP Char- men present while he elaborated on the LLP Chartered Accountants New Delhi
tered Accountants, New Delhi. Consid- interplay between various provisions and proved to be a great success. Through
ering his vast expertise in the field of its impact on them. He further spoke on the medium of this tax seminar, a new
cross-border mergers & acquisition and the international tax developments like business development platform con-
amendments widening the scope of necting GGI members with a profession-
‘business connection’ to align the Indi- al / business community could be built.
an tax provisions with the Multilateral It was more of a win-win situation. On
GGI member firm Instrument. one hand, it helped industrialist commu-
R.N. Marwah & Co LLP His discussion was followed by Mr nities, corporate houses and tax payers
Chartered Accountants Nitish Sharma, GST Head R.N. Marwah resolve their practical tax issues through
Advisory, Auditing & Accounting, & Co LLP Chartered Accountants, New expertise & experience of the GGI mem-
Corporate Finance, Tax Delhi. Mr Sharma took the audience bers and gain awareness on new tax
New Delhi, Bangalore, India through an interactive and brain storm- developments and its impact on their
T: +91 114 319 20 00 ing session on the Goods and Service businesses. On the other hand, GGI
W: www.rnm.in Tax. members could also gain the opportuni-
Raghu Marwah In light of the recent changes in indi- ty for new business development. In to-
E: raghu.m@rnm.in rect taxes in India, the competitive pric- tality, this tax event cemented a mutually
ing of products can pose a challenge for ...next page
GGI INSIDER | No. 95 | May 2018You can also read
