São Paulo – International business and legal safety amid the coronavirus pandemic will be the topic of an Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce webinar next Wednesday (20), featuring specialists from Brazil and elsewhere. The online event is designed to advise businesses on what to look for in entering into contracts with suppliers or clients in other countries. Simultaneous translation will be available into Brazilian Portuguese and English, and registration is open.
The webinar will feature featuring KPMG Brasil Head of Markets André Coutinho, law firm Veirano Advogados partner Fábio Amaral Figueira, law firm Baker & McKenzie Habib Al Mulla partners Tarek Saad and Pietro de Libera, Marriott Hotels – Brasil Sales and Marketing director Nina Mazziotti, and Arab Chamber Legal director William Adib Dib Jr., president Rubens Hannun and secretary-general Tamer Mansour.
This will be the Chamber’s sixth webinar since self-isolation measures were put in place in Brazil. Most iterations featured local and foreign speakers, mainly from Arab countries, and all were viewed by people in both regions. Representing the Arab countries in next Wednesday’s event will be Tarek Saad and Pietro de Libero, speaking from the UAE.
Arab Chamber Commercial manager Daniella Leite notes that some care must be taken when it comes to contracts right now. “We find it important to go over legal safety because we believe that despite the problems that the scenario poses, we must encourage the continuation and the increment of international deal-making by all means,” she told ANBA.
KPMG will discuss a recent study portraying the impact of the coronavirus crisis and how businesses are responding to it. “Suggestions on how to face up to this ‘new normal’ by being structured and competitive,” said Leite.
The law firm partners will discuss international contracts and the steps that must be taken regarding certain clauses in order to mitigate risks. Leite points out that there is no established framework in place yet, so there is no way of knowing how a contractual case will be tried, since the world hadn’t experienced a situation like the current in a long time. She argues that depending on the type of contract at hand and on negotiations, a force majeure or act of God clause could be interpreted differently.
The webinar is intended to provide guidance to corporate entities and point towards possible trends such as arbitrage or mediation. “Will those become much more prevalent in this scenario?”, inquires Leite.
Marriott Hotels’ executive will join in to provide a hotel industry perspective of the pandemic, including legal and contractual issues involving fines, no-shows and clientele safety. A tour operator and an import-export company are also expected to participate, asking questions and relating their experiences.
Hannun and Mansour will moderate the conversation and speak from the perspective of the Arab Chamber.
Quick facts
International business and legal safety: adaptations to the new scenario
May 20, 2020, Wednesday, 9 am-10:30 pm
Simultaneous translation into English and Brazilian Portuguese
free of charge
Registration open
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
