From Sam Witten, President, Washington Foreign Law Society:
Happy New Year from the Board of Governors of the Washington Foreign Law Society! We hope you have had a wonderful holiday season. This message provides you an update on the Society’s activities in 2012. We are looking forward to an equally successful 2013, beginning with our first program, next Wednesday, January 9, featuring State Department Legal Adviser Harold Koh. This program will be co-sponsored with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Details here.
Thanks to your support in 2012, we began the year with 1,100 subscribers on our mailing list and ended with over 2,000, a dramatic increase. We have members from the U.S. and other governments, the private sector, area law schools, and international organizations. (For those of you who have not yet become WFLS members and are interested in joining, click here.)
Highlights of our year included our Gala Dinner at Union Station in May honoring former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell for his outstanding career of leadership and diplomacy. The Head of the Northern Ireland Bureau and the UK’s Deputy Chief of Mission attended and thanked Sen. Mitchell for his success in the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
In November, the Washington Foreign Law Society and State Department Legal Adviser Harold Koh together honored Mexico for its partnership with the United States, in a special event in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the State Department. Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan accepted the honors in a keynote address to over 350 people in attendance.
Our monthly series of topical programs continued and expanded, with fabulous speakers on issues including:
- Increased Enforcement of the Lacey Act outlawing illegally sourced wildlife, plants and plant products
- China’s Restrictions on the Internet
- Money-Laundering and Asset Recovery
- Special Breakfast Program on CFIUS
- Roundtable with the Departments of State and Treasury on Implementation of the Latest Sanctions on Iran
- The European Sovereign Debt Crisis: A Political and Economic Guide
- Accountability and Legal Protections for Victims of Human Trafficking
- Alien Tort Statute Discussion with Counsel in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum
- Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations
- New Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking in Federal Contracts and Subcontracts
- International Aspects of Derivatives Regulation Under Dodd-Frank
We also held two extremely successful happy hours this year and held our annual membership Garden Party in June.
We’re looking forward to seeing you in 2013. You may sign up for membership now by visiting our homepage (www.wfls.org) or clicking on the link below.
Best wishes,
Sam Witten
Arnold & Porter LLP
WFLS President
