Elliot J. Feldman, Senior Partner, Baker & Hostetler, LLP to Speak at KC’s The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): Fair Practices? Live Webcast

New York, NY, March 19, 2014 --(PR.com)-- The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series, the leading producer of regulatory focused webcasts, has announced today that Elliot J. Feldman, Senior Partner, Baker & Hostetler, LLP will speak at the Knowledge Congress’ webcast entitled: “The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): Fair Practices? LIVE Webcast.” This event is scheduled for Friday, May 2, 2014 @ 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM (ET).

For further details, please visit:
http://theknowledgegroup.org/event_name/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-fair-practices-live-webcast/

About Elliot J. Feldman

Elliot J. Feldman has been National Leader of BakerHostetler’s International Trade Practice for twelve years and is now Senior Partner in the Washington, D.C. office. He represents foreign governments, international organizations, corporations, trade associations, and individuals in international legal and trade disputes, and is recognized in Chambers and in Superlawyers as one of the world’s leading practitioners, valued especially for strategic and innovative solutions to unusually complicated legal problems. He is principal author of BakerHostetler’s Mergers & Acquisitions: A Practical Guide for Non-U.S. Buyers (Wolters Kluwer), published in English and Mandarin, and author or coauthor of seven other books. He graduated with honors from the University of Chicago (B.A.), M.I.T. (Ph.d.) and Harvard Law School. Former director of Harvard’s University Consortium for Research on North America, he contributes frequently now to the BakerHostetler blog on China-U.S. trade and trade policy (www.chinaustradelawblog.com).

About Baker & Hostetler LLP

One of the largest law firms in the United States, with14 offices coast to coast, BakerHostetler helps clients around the world to address their most complex and critical business and regulatory issues. The firm’s 900 lawyers often work in teams across offices to maximize a full range of skills and legal disciplines. BakerHostetler is perhaps most well known for its role as court-appointed counsel to the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) Trustee in the recovery of billions of dollars in principal lost in the Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Bernard L. Madoff. BakerHostetler is recognized as having one of the country’s top 10 tax practices and leading national and international practices in litigation, data privacy, intellectual property, and an industry-leading middle market business practice. For more information, visit www.bakerlaw.com.

Event Synopsis:

The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a pending international trade agreement among 12 nations bordering the Pacific. Negotiations by-and-large have been secret. Successful completion of the TPP is a cornerstone of President Obama’s “pivot” to Asia.

In November, 2013, a draft version of the TPP Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) chapter was published by WikiLeaks, revealing controversial clauses that have elicited protest from numerous groups about several issues ranging from intellectual property, currency, the Internet, fair trade, human rights, and public health to the environment. Organizations such as the United States Chamber of Commerce enthusiastically support the TPP negotiations, but many groups and organizations see the agreement as unfair and even dangerous for some U.S. businesses.

While the majority of reputable economists believe that free trade contributes to prosperity by creating jobs (maximizing comparative advantages), some believe that current US trade policy contributes to ever increasing income inequality in the United States. Hundreds of activist groups are protesting, demonstrating, and signing letters urging Congress to reject TPP. Their complaints include an under-mining of financial regulations, labor rights, public procurement, allowing corporate suit of foreign governments (‘investor-state’ provisions), restricting access to generic drugs, challenging food safety regulations, restricting Internet use, delaying action on climate change, and limiting exportation of oil, liquid natural gas, coal, and water.

A Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act introduced in January 2014, designed to grant the President ‘fast track’ negotiating authority to speed international trade agreements through Congress was denied a hearing by the Senate Majority Leader and probably will never reach the Senate Floor. Without its passage, the President faces formidable obstacles to ratify the TPP, provided the twelve countries agree to a text.

This webinar will bring together national and international experts to explain what has made the TPP so controversial, why it is important, and the obstacles it faces. They will suggest how businesses can best prepare for any changes the TPP could bring about. Specific issues to be addressed will include:

• Intellectual Property Rights
• Financial Regulations
• Investor-state Dispute Resolution
• Labor Disputes
• State-owned Enterprises and Competition
• Market Access and Trade – Drugs, Foods, Oil, and Gas
• Environmental Issues
• International Security

About The Knowledge Group, LLC/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series

The Knowledge Congress was established with the mission to produce unbiased, objective, and educational live webinars that examine industry trends and regulatory changes from a variety of different perspectives. The goal is to deliver a unique multilevel analysis of an important issue affecting business in a highly focused format. To contact or register to an event, please visit: http://theknowledgegroup.org/