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Natasha Bell: Special Immigration Concerns for Private Placement Memorandums (Ep. 20)

August 11, 2014 by Mark Deal 3 Comments

In this episode we talk to business attorney Natasha Bell about Special Immigration Concerns for Private Placement Memorandums.

Natasha is a graduate of Emory University and Duke University School of Law, Natasha is a partner of 360 Venture Law (Shmalo Turner), LLP, a specialized corporate law firm working with emerging growth companies, along with start-up and fast-growing entrepreneurial companies and their investors. Before joining 360 Venture Law, Natasha was the founding member of The Bell Firm, LLC and an attorney with Morris, Manning, and Martin. Prior to her legal career, Natasha was on the staff of a local government official.

In this episode you will hear:

What is a Private Placement Memorandum and why they are used?
What does it mean to offer a private security (either through debt or equity)?
Why do you need at least one exception to offer a debt or equity security privately?
What is a material disclosure?
Why are disclosures of risk factors important?
Various SEC 506 regulations relevant to Immigration:
- Regulation D: Domestic offer
- Regulation S: International offer
- Regulation C: Advertisement of offerings

Natasha also shares with us:

Best Business Advice: Just Start, you will figure out the rest as you go. “Leap and the net will appear”
Personal Success Habits: Big read, great listener
Tool: WiFi. Tech Savvy firm loves to be digitally connected
Parting Thoughts: If you are in the exciting place in your business development where you need funds, congratulations. She also offers her firm’s help.

Carmenza Gonzalez: Business Development Consulting for Immigrating Companies (Ep. 19)

August 5, 2014 by Mark Deal Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to business import consultant Carmenza Gonzalez on business development consulting for companies inbound to the US market

CZA Inc., a Global Business Development Consulting firm headquartered in Winter Park, Florida, specializing in assisting foreign companies interested in entering the USA market. Also helps Florida companies export their products and services globally. She is a Certified Export Trade Specialist, a graduate of Leadership Orlando Class 60. She received her Executive MBA Certificate a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs from Rollins College. She travels abroad promoting her services, resulting on current projects in different industries such as software development, life sciences, aviation, and simulation.

In this episode you will hear:

What is Business development consulting
Market Research inbound
Hand holding – invites
Points of failure, don’t execute before you engage
Team members for success
- Business Development Consultant
- Immigration Attorney
- Certified Public Accountant or International Taxation Attorney
- A Banker that understand import/export transactions

Rebecca also shares with us:

Best Business Advice: Always do the right thing. Be very honest, be clear and be specific.
Personal Success Habits: Love what you do. Be organized. Balance personal life.
Most Vital tool to business: Phone for personal conversations.
Parting Thoughts: Build a team before you start marching

Rebecca Black: I-9 Compliance (and Consequences) (Ep. 16)

July 18, 2014 by Mark Deal Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Rebecca Black about I-9 Compliance and how to avoid the costly consequences that could arise from an audit.

After 15 years in the restaurant business and 5 years doing outside sales for a light industrial temporary business, Rebecca realized she was destined to become an immigration attorney. With her MBA and business experience, she started working on business immigration cases and have since represented clients on family as well as business issues in front of the immigration service, prepared asylum cases and represented clients in deporation court.

In this episode you will hear:

The I-9 form can look deceptively simple
How a business employing legal workers still received a $40k fine
My own personal I-9 story
How I-9 enforcement has stepped up since 9/11/01
Types of verification documents accepted (A or B and C documents)
Common mistakes made on the I-9 form
Common I-9 audit ‘red flags’

Here are the government forms mentioned on this show.

Rebecca also shares with us:

Best Business Advice: Always check the most recent regulations
Personal Success Habits: Great work ethic coupled with a lot of energy
Parting Thoughts: She encourages support for Immigration reform and gives reasons why

Guillermo Wasserman: International Business Practice Opportunities, Best Practices and Legal Challenges (Ep. 15)

July 15, 2014 by Mark Deal Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Attorney Guillermo Wasserman International Business Practice Opportunities, Best Practices, and Legal Challenges.

Guillermo is a seasoned international lawyer, fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, trained in both civil and common law legal systems, with significant experience in international business transactions, particularly with respect to Latin American markets. He regularly assists his clients to bridge business, legal and cultural gaps in international business transactions involving a wide-range of industries and business sectors in the U.S., Latin America and beyond. He is admitted to practice law in Georgia, USA and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In this episode you will hear:

What is “International Business Practice”
How political boarders create opportunities
Best practices when researching, crafting and executing a cross boarder agreement
Legal challenges with enforcement and other unforeseen issues
How to strategically protect intellectual property

Guillermo also shares with us:

Best Business Advice: Due diligence, due diligence, due diligence
Personal Success Habits: Be thorough and exercise patience
Parting Thoughts: The world is full of opportunities… for those that prepare and are ready to work hard

Teri Simmons: E-2 Visa Requirements, Pitfalls, and Best Practices (Ep. 14)

July 10, 2014 by Mark Deal Leave a Comment

In this episode we talk to Immigration Attorney Teri Simmons about the E-2 Visa requirements, some pitfalls, and insightful best practices

Listen to this show using the web player below or your podcasting app of choice.

Teri Simmons is a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory in Atlanta, Georgia, where she has practiced for over 23 years. She directs the International and Immigration Practice Group as well as serving as Co-Chair of the German Business Practice. She has represented companies as large as the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, for which she managed visa processing for thousands, as well as middle-sized companies and individual Investors. Teri focuses her practice on the management of legal services supporting foreign-owned business entities and individuals investing in the United States in the areas of corporate, employment and immigration law. She manages companies’ global immigration needs, as well as both U.S. immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for businesses and families (temporary work visas and green cards) and the immigration consequences of mergers and acquisitions. Active in the international community, and fluent in both spoken and written German, Teri serves as AILA’s CBP liaison for Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, the Mayoral appointed Chair of the Atlanta Sister Cities Commission, the Chair of the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, and on the Boards of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeastern U.S., the German American Cultural Foundation and the German School of Atlanta.

In this episode you will hear:

Basic E-2 Requirements
Some countries that are NOT eligible for the E-2 visa
What a ‘substantial’ investment really means
What constitutes a ‘commitment’ of funds
Spouse work authorization for E-2 visa holders
The difficulty of tracing E-2 top level ownership
Why some E-2 visas only get approval for a year or two
What independent sources of documents help build the strongest petition possible
International tax advantages of E-2 visa holders
Paths to other visas

Teri also shares with us:

Personal Success Habits: Multitask orientated, but with a strong sense of urgency and priority
Parting Thoughts: Feel free to reach out to Teri (and she thanks me for the work I have done in this space)