Welcome, Cuevas y Villarreal Abogados

In order for Balms Group International to ensure the best possible service to its clients anywhere in the world, it continues its international expansion. In order to provide legal cover for our clients in as many countries as possible, on Thursday January 26, Juan Luis Balmaseda de Ahumada and Jorge Martín Losa had an institutional and professional meeting with Guillermo Villarreal Torres, from Cuevas Villarreal Abogados, a legal office in Mexico City. Following this meeting and other subsequent conversations, we can finally announce that Cuevas y Villarreal Abogados are members of Balms Group International. We have a representative office in Mexico! Welcome!

Cuevas y Villarreal was founded in 1985 in Mexico City by Pedro Cuevas Garza and Guillermo Villarreal Torres. The law firm has over twenty years of experience providing legal services in the areas of corporate, real estate, civil, commercial, tax, labour and administrative (including litigation), financial, securities and insurance law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finances, private capital formation, debt restructuring, foreign investments, testamentary planning, social security and international trade areas, as well as Commercial Notary Public services and other regulated areas, both domestic and international, providing their professional services mainly to clients from Mexico, the United States of America, Canada, Argentina and Spain.

Their lawyers and supporting professionals have accomplished postgraduate studies in the best educational institu­tions, both in Mexico and in the United State of America. Therefore, they have the knowledge and resources to advise and represent a broad range of clients, including individual entrepreneurs and corporate international clients of great importance.

We are delighted to welcome Cuevas y Villarreal Abogados to our BGI family, not only because it expands our family and provides services to our clients in more and more countries, but also because we have a member of a prestigious firm that offers a personalised service to their clients and that has an internationally oriented business attitude as Cuevas y Villarreal Abogados.

First quarterly conference of the 2012 of ALBRAE

ALBRAE, Alianza Brasileira de Advocacia Empresarial, held in the past 7, 8 and 9 March its first quarterly congress in 2012. ALBRAE was founded two years ago, in November 2009 and has 22 partners and offices around the country. Its president, Dr. Cid Marconi, noticed that more and more offices were opening subsidiaries in Fortaleza and it was becoming harder to compete with theses offices without expansion. That was when he saw the opportunity to expand his business without investing in staff and structure and to offer their customers a national legal support, creating a network of national offices.

He went and visited offices around the country during a whole year. His intention was to find law firms of medium size, in which direct contact with the customer continued to be a priority and had innovators and entrepreneurs lawyers and businessmen. ALBRAE currently has 300 lawyers in all Brazilian regions, providing advice to a clientele of about 1,500.

Since its founding, ALBRAE helds quarterly congresses where the methods of internal organization and action strategies are analyzed in order to maintain the service and to establish a new way to practice law in Brazil. The joint work between the existing offices is essential. ALBRAE, by the fact of having partners throughout the country, improves the level of care to its clients and also, all the lawyers have the opportunity to discuss, analyze and study topics of interest by sharing procedures, which contributes to a better quality of service.
Internationally, as being ALBRAE a member of BGI, provides advice to its clients on international legislative legal matters through the BGI partners, while providing legal advice to foreign clients that come through the intermediary of the partners of Balms Group International. Besides president of ALBRAE, Dr. Cid Marconi, is vice-president of Balms Group International.

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Julio Ernesto Granda Jimenez, married Miss Maria de los Angeles Barrios

Julio Ernesto Granda Jimenez, married Miss Maria de los Angeles Barrios, on February 29, 2012 at 20:30 in Holy Trinity Church of Our City of Asuncion. The Church is considered the cultural treasure of Seventh City of Assumption, was built in 1854 under the Italian design Alejandro Ravizza, during the term of the first constitutional president of Paraguay, Don Carlos Antonio Lopez.
The party of more than 600 people took place in Asuncion Golf Club, attended by friends and colleagues of the couple and colleagues of the Master of the University of New York. From our family of BGI were present Diego Martinez, Agustin Lopez and Martin Deccia.

You can see more pictures on: http://bit.ly/I9cQnZ

Results from the visit to China

Don Juan Luís Balmaseda de Ahumada and Díez (founding partner of Balms Abogados and president of Balms Group Internation) and Mr Jim Broberg (international project director of BGI), accompanied by their wives, travelled to China last February.

The purpose of the trip was none other than laying the groundwork for opening a new Balms Abogados representative office in the mythical city of Beijing. They were greeted by those who have become new members of Balms and BGI, Mr. Fu Ming and Mr. Zhen Lixing.

The new China office is located in Room 17B, No. 1 Building, No. 11 Garden, Yu Yuan Tan South Road, Haidian District, 100036 Beijing. It is aimed at both Chinese and foreign clients who need legal advice and require our services for internalization, facilitating bonds between customers and international markets.

The opening of a new representative office in China is a big step for growth and expansion of the international network of law firms in BGI. One of the concepts on which Balms Group International bases itself is the determination to offer a comprehensive service to its clients worldwide, either working with member firms from different jurisdictions in the same case or referring the matter to a partner from another jurisdiction or country. With the continued economic growth of China and the importance of the country in the world economy, the act of opening a new office in Beijing became a priority. The Asian market is absolutely key to BGI and, within Asia, China appears to be the ideal country to begin this expansion. Thus BGI provides legal advice in the top four continents through more than fifty offices worldwide.

Following the presentation of all documentation for opening the new office, Mr Juan Luis Balmaseda de Ahumada and Mr. Jim Broberg, along with their new partners, held several workshops focused on office management and the planning of several possible investments for clients in Asia, but mainly in Spain, Gibraltar, South America and Eastern Europe.

The BGI office was looked after superbly, as usual, and was presented with the best treatment, professionally and gastronomically above all, confirming that Beijing is part of the Balms family. In addition to workshops and professional meetings, they were able to enjoy the city and visit famous landmarks such as the Summer Palace and participate in the well-known and traditional tea ritual.

The next visit to the Chinese office, lead by Mr. Zengh Lixing and Mr. Fu Ming (barring unforeseen circumstances), will be in late March and the official opening of the representative office of Balms Beijing will be held in late April.

Balms Beijing has confirmed they will attend the next International Congress of BGI which will take place on the 17th, 18th and 19th of May in the city of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil.

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Next Quarterly Congress of ALBRAE

In March will be held the quarterly conference of ALBRAE in the beautiful city of Maceio in Alagoas. The Conference will be held on 8, 9 and 10 of March at the Radisson Hotel in Maceio.

ALBRAE, Aliança Brasileira de Advocacia Empresarial brings together the expertise of over twenty local partner offices and more than 200 lawyers, present on the main cities of Brazil, which operate at national level an international level through Balms Group International.

The association holds a conference every quarterly in which the members of ALBRAE discuss over their point of view and talk about organizational matter of the association and hold meetings and conferences regarding judicial-legal matters.

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Newsflash January 2012, Balms Abogados Bulgaria

Balms Abogados Bulgaria is invited to participate in the V-th Annual International Business Partnership Matchmaking Forum «Russia - Europe: Cooperation without Frontiers» (http://www.ru-eu-cooperation-without-frontiers.com/) to be held in Moscow on 5-6 June 2012 at the premises of the Moscow City Government.

Long-Term Integrated Business Partnerships Matchmaking Programme "Russia-Europe: Cooperation without Frontiers" is targeted at assisting Russian industrial companies, inter alia SMEs, in production, R&D and services with business partnership proposals, including investment projects, to identify potential business partners in Europe. Likewise at assisting European companies, inter alia SMEs, to identify potential business partners in Russia.

Four international business matchmaking, have been held within the framework of the Programme (10 November 2009, 7 June and 10 November 2010, 18 April 2011). They brought together 393 Russian and 224 European companies and business support organizations which had 1,294 bilateral negotiations. An important number of "out-of-schedule" meetings were also held.

The manager of Balms Abogados Bulgaria and Vice president of the Bulgarian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Delian Grivichki, has been invited to be a lecturer in the international discussion on public-private partnership in municipalities, held under the auspices of the Vice-President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Margarita Popova.

The topic of the lecture of Mr. Grivichki is Chinese practices in public-private partnerships. Other lecturers include the Vice-president of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Margarita Popova, the Minister of EU funds management, Mr. Tomislav Donchev, the deputy Minister of regional development and works, the deputy chairman of the Sofia Municipal Council, the Chief architect of Sofia municipality, the Chairman of the Bulgarian-Austrian management forum and others. Guests of the event are ministers, members of the National Assembly of Bulgaria, prominent members of the business society, and representatives of foreign investors. The discussion is going to take place on February 27th, 2012 in Sofia.

Currently, Balms Abogados Bulgaria is consulting major Israel, Czech and German investors on the acquisition of 75 MW solar energy projects in Bulgaria. The expected investment is estimated to be over EUR 100 000 000 (one hundred million Euro).

Balms Abogados Bulgaria provides consultancy services to a Spanish Construction Company for the participation of the latter in the tender for infrastructure improvements at Kapitan Andreevo Border Checkpoint, financed by the World Bank.

Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint is the Bulgarian side of the border checkpoint built in the border of Bulgaria and Turkey. This border crossing at Kapitan Andreevo is an important point of entrance to the European Union.

Balms Abogados Bulgaria provides consultancy services to the construction company for the participation of the latter in the procedure for the assignment of a procurement with the following subject: "selection of a contractor for construction of Highway E-80, section: Ciflik-Pirot (east), Lot 1: Road and bridges from Ciflik to Stanicenje", announced by Koridori Srbije d.o.o. Beograd in partnership with a Serbian party, financed by the European Investment Bank.

Balms Abogados Bulgaria is negotiating the delivery of e-cars and LED lights from major Chinese producers.

Balms Abogados Bulgaria initiated through its partners in Russia business negotiations for the investment and the development of an oil well in Russia.

Mr. Grivichki attended the celebrations, marking the Chinese New Year on invitation by the Chinese embassy at the Republic of Bulgaria, held at the premises of the Chinese embassy on January 30th, 2012.

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Third Anniversary of the Institute for Research and Administrative Tax Process (INEPPAT)

On February 16, it was celebrated the third anniversary of INEPPAT. The Institute for Research and Administrative Tax Process (INEPPAT - Instituto de Estudos e Pesquisas de Processos Administrativos Tributários) is a non-profit association whose objective is to create a great forum for discussion of relevant issues on taxation and creating a large database of national legislation to allow a systematic view of the Tax Law.

The scope of the projects is a tax education program and, therefore, citizens more aware of their duties and obligations.


The INEPPAT is a pioneering project reference which encourages the increase of intellectual capital in academia and is aimed at training a new generation of tax lawyers in the State of Ceará.

To this end, the president of INEPPAT, Dr. Cid Marconi, received a series of personalities who contributed with lectures and speeches to the anniversary of the institute. Among them were: Dr. João Marcos Maia (Deputy Minister of Finance of the State of Ceará), Dr. Andrade Valdetário Miller (President of the Bar Association of Brazil, Ceará delegation), Dr. Ali Cassius Regis Bunny (Chairman of Regional State Ceará), Dr. Luiz Bittencourt Gaston (President of the Federation of Commerce of the State of Ceará), Dr. Francis Davis Lamp (CDL-President of Chamber of Commerce), Dr. Antonia Torquato de Oliveira Mourao (CONAT President), Dr . Barroso Pimentel (Senator of the republic), Anthony Balmas (Congressman), Dr. Denise Lucena (National Treasury Solicitor) and Dr. Helenus Taveira Torres (Lawyer).

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Visit to China

On February 19th until February 24th, Mr. Juan Luis Balmaseda de Ahumada, president of Balms Group International and Mr. Jim Broberg, International Project Manager, have organized a business trip to China, where, among other things, will hold several meetings with Mr. Fu Ming and Mr. Zheng Li Xin on purpose of opening the new representative office of Balms Abogados and Balms Group International in Beijing and will start the protocol to open a new office in Shanghai.

They will also take the opportunity to meet with various public and private institutions for business developments and international collaboration between BGI and Chinese companies and institutions.

This year in China is the year of the Dragon, a busy year that will bring many changes. It is a time to try new things and strong commitment and so will do Balms Abogados, which this year will open two new offices in China.

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