Over the last several years the International Committee has become a dynamic organization within TIPS.   Among other activities, the International Committee sponsored a teleconference on global securities class actions and co-sponsored, with Temple University, a conference in Japan, which attracted over 130 Japanese lawyers  seeking to educate themselves as to the legal issues affecting non-US companies looking to do business in the US.  In 2009, we plan to co-sponsor similar programs, in Beijing, China and in Seoul Korea.  We are also planning a program in Philadelphia, targeting US lawyers, looking to do business outside of the US.  We have several other planned events in the works, focusing on international corporate law, political risks and insolvency proceedings.
Currently, the International Committee is focusing on 6 areas.  They are:

• Corporate Governance

• Maritime Issues

• Toxic Torts and Consumer Class Actions

• Enforcement of Judgments

• Jurisdictional Issues

• Climate Change

The areas are intended to give you tools to create an understanding of key global and jurisdictional issues, to help you better advise your clients on transactional tort litigation and insurance law issues impacting the U.S. and foreign tort trial and insurance law and practices.
We welcome new members and invite them to take an active role in this growing and challenging committee.   We also welcome ideas and proposals to create new opportunities to educate and enlighten our committee members as well as the TIPS Membership in general.  Have you already dealt with some of the issues you see in our newsletter?  Send us an article on your experiences. Or better yet, join the International Insurance Committee of TIPS!

Perry S. Granof

Chair 2008-2009