ABA AND SSB ATTORNEYS TO PRESENT SEMINAR ON SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT IMMIGRATION

SSB's New York office lawyers Eric Bland and Protima Daryanani and SSB's affiliate attorney in Toronto Sergio Karas will present on August 2nd the program IMMIGRATION LAW 101: FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS AND ARTS LAWYER. The teleseminar is sponsored by the American Bar Association's Forum of Entertainment and Sports Industry.

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES RESEARCH CENTER IN CANADA: START OF A TREND?

IT Canada reports that US-based Microsoft Corporation announced that it will establish a research facility in Canada, employing between 300 to 400 people from around the world. The move is, undoubtedly, a reaction to the failure of US immigration reform plans, which would have increased the H-1B visa cap significantly. It may also be a move away from cost-cutting and outsourcing that has seen jobs exported to India and other low-labour cost destinations. However, given that Canadian labour costs are considerably higher than in developing nations, and productivity in Canada is sagging, it remains to be seen if this is the beginning of a trend to be followed by otter companies. Research and development has never been a strenght in the Canadian labour market, and save and except a few notable exceptions, it is not a hallmark of the Canadian economy. But having a research facility close to the US headquarters, in a country with similar work patterns, without language or cultural barriers, and even in the same timezone can be a definite advantage. Visalaw International lawyers Greg Siskind and Sergio Karas were interviewed for IT Canada on this issue.

CANADA: SERGIO KARAS APPOINTED VICE-CHAIR OF THE ABA CANADA COMMITTEE

Canadian lawyer Sergio Karas has been appointed Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Canada Committee of the Section of International Law. The Canada Committee actively promotes awareness and education concerning Canadian legal developments at the ABA and other lawyer organizations, and includes some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in Canada in its membership.

CANADA: SERGIO KARAS ELECTED CHAIR OF THE ONTARIO BAR ASSOCIATION CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SECTION

Visalaw International is pleased to announce that Canadian lawyer Sergio Karas has been elected Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Citizneship and Immigration Section for the upcoming 2007-2008 term. The Ontario Bar Association has over 30,000 members and is the largest lawyer professional group in Canada. Sergio Karas is the first to become Chair of the Section simultaneously with his current co-Chair functions at the International Bar Association Immgration and nationality Committee.

VISALAW INTERNATIONAL LAWYER SERGIO KARAS APPEARS ON CANADIAN TELEVISION

VISALAW INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS ATTEND ABA CONFERENCE

Visalaw International lawyers Sergio Karas ( Canada) and Saul Feilbogen ( Argentina) attended the recent American Bar Association International Section meeting in Washington, D.C. Sergio Karas was a speaker at the session "Trusted travelers or terrorists?". Seen in the photo are Sergio Karas ( left) and Saul Feilbogen ( right) at the US State Department.

CANADA; SERGIO KARAS WITES ABOUT BORDER SECURITY AND PRIVACY

Visalaw International lawyer Sergio Karas published an article entitled " Privacy at Risk: Can your laptop be searched at the border?" in the current issue of The national, the magazine of the Canadian Bar Association. The article disucsses recent cases from US courts which held that border security agents have wide latitude to search the data contained in laptop computers and electronic devices at a port of entry.