US Immigration Podcast

Interviews with Leaders in Immigration

Michael Gibson: Helping Immigration Attorneys And Their Clients Pick The Best EB-5 Investment (Ep. 21)

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In this episode we talk to Michael Gibson on how he helps immigration attorneys and their clients sort out and pick the best EB-5 investment

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Michael GibsonMichael Gibson has been the Managing Director of USAdvisors for almost 9 years. His firm provides due diligence, research and risk analysis on EB-5 visa projects for investors as well as assist developers raise funds through the EB-5 visa program. He has a degree in Economics and his previous work experience was with Citicorp where he worked in the Capital Markets and Investment Banking divisions as a, securities, foreign exchange, derivatives, money market, credit & debt analyst and portfolio risk manager.

 

Michael answers this listener submitted question:  “(what) advice for us as lawyers in helping clients choose among the many EB-5 Regional Centers out there.”

In this episode you will hear:

  • What an investor’s counsel can and cannot do.
  • The SEC’s take on giving advice on the Purchase of a security.
  • How an EB-5 Immigration success could still be an investment failure.
  • Which is better: Indirect or direct job creation.
  • Guidelines on how lawyers and investors can review projects themselves.

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

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

 

 

Natasha BellNatasha 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)

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

Carmenza GonzalezCZA 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

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

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

Guillermo WassermanGuillermo 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

Adel Elmankabady: Working with EB-5 Regional Centers (Ep. 13)

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In this episode we talk to Adel Elmankabadyon on the advantages of developing an EB-5 project within an established Regional Center.

 

Adel ElmankabadyAdel has twenty years of sales, managing, marketing, and real estate teaching experience in the USA and the Middle East markets.  He is a Real Estate Investment Specialist with unsurpassed level of marketplace knowledge in our local Atlanta Market.  He is also been part of six EB-5 Investment Projects in Georgia.

 

In this episode you will hear:

  • The increasing number of EB-5 Regional Centers
  • The four documents needed to create n EB-5 Regional Centers 
    • Private Placement Memorandum
    • Subscription Agreement
    • Limited Partnership Agreement
    • Escrow Agreement
  • The advantages of working with an established Regional Center for your EB-5 project
    • Leverage preexisting approval by USICS (saves time)
    • Leverage Marketing scope of the EB-5 Regional Centers
  • How to approach an EB-5 Regional Centers for your EB-5 program proposal
    • Experience of business owner
    • Personal Equity of business owner (and other domestic source of funds)
    • The EB-5 fund raise target
    • The total amount of project funding
    • Direct Job creation
  • Indirect Job creation by a third party (such as EB-5 Economist like Dr. Fernandez from Ep. 7)
  • The risks and pitfalls of EB-5 projects

Adel also shares with us:

  • The best advice he has ever received:  Do you homework and do the steps in order
  • His personal habits that attributes to his success: Exercise (give the brain a break and work out the body) 
  • Parting Thoughts:  Success does not come at a cheap price, you have to work hard for it.

Additional Resource:

We touched on the payback of EB-5 investors, but not how.  Here is a popular article I wrote last year on 10 Payback Strategies for EB-5 Investors