Mossack Fonseca Group on BVI: Removed from French Non-Cooperative List

On December 21, 2015, the French Minister of Finance and Public Accounts announced that they had removed BVI from their list of non-cooperative jurisdictions. The French minister indicated that BVI had been very cooperative with France and positively responded to almost all recommended changes.

BVI Premier and Minister for Finance, Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE said, “The Government of the Virgin Islands is pleased with this positive step from France which demonstrates our commitment to exchange of information and also demonstrates our compliance with the international standards”.

The announcement comes after the progress made in BVI was also recognised by the Global Forum on Tax Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes in August 2015 which upgraded the Territory’s non-compliant rating to ‘largely compliant’.

Mossack Fonseca & Co.

Established in 1977, the Mossack Fonseca Group is a leading global company which provides comprehensive legal, trust and accounting services.

Mossack Fonseca on Jersey’s Change Programme: Effects on Firms & Entities

On November 23, 2015, the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC) released a white paper that outlines the way it will regulate firms in the future and how entities will interact with them going forward.

The JFSC’s Change Programme is their response to the rapid growth of global regulation, volatile financial markets, and increased competition from other financial centres, and the potential rewards for timely and effective innovation.

The JFSC’s stated objective is: “to deliver balanced, progressive, risk-based financial regulation for Jersey, built on insight, integrity and expertise”. They are targeting five areas in order to achieve their goals:

1. Improved risk awareness and management
2. Enhanced authorization and supervision
3. Better information management
4. E-enablement
5. An enhanced people strategy

The JFSC indicated that additional announcements will be made as the Change Programme is phased in over the coming months.

For details, please visit the JFSC website at: Jersey's Change Programme

Mossack Fonseca Panamá

Mossack Fonseca on Panama: Ship Mortgages in English

Monday November 16th, 2015

The Supreme Court of Panama has rules that it is constitutional to register ship mortgages in English.

According to the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), registering naval mortgages in Spanish (the official language of Panama) as well as incorporating the original documents in English will provide greater reliability and efficiency in the registration of ownership of ships.

The AMP reports that financial institutions can now view the original mortgage-related documents on their websites.

Hiring Guru: Mossack Fonseca - International HR

As I am so accustomed to interviewing entrepreneurs, I was interested in the path of a Human Resources professional for such an international corporation with over 500 employees. So, I'm happy to present an interview with Katia Solano the Director of Human Resources for Mossack Fonseca & Co (MF).

Established in 1977, Mossack Fonseca is a leading global company which provides comprehensive legal, trust and accounting services.

Katia's been at the company for more than 20 years. She's moved through many different positions, learning different skills along the way, from reception to filing and then as the personal assistant to one of the founders of the company.

"I worked with the founder when MF was a pretty small company; we were around 30 employees at that time. Later, I worked on accounts receivables and payables, and then I came to the human resources department."

Give me an overview of the work that is done in the human resources department.

"Human Resources is a company-wide department, so it has to do with the human resources policies for the entire MF group―the hiring process, candidate selection, training and development, performance evaluation, benefits and salaries, internal communications, leadership development, deployment, cascading goals, the company culture, and induction, amongst others. I work closely with the CEO and the management team. I deal with all the managers of the different offices around the world. I have a team of six employees."

To what degree do you keep your finger on the pulse of hiring?

"I meet at least once a week with the Recruitment and Selection Specialist―she reports directly to the Human Resources Coordinator―but I meet with her once a week because the recruitment process is a key process in any organization. However, I don't interview candidates unless we are going to hire someone for a key position, like for example a lawyer or a management team member―somebody of a high level―whether here in Panama or in any of the offices abroad. In Panama it is very difficult to hire good people because the labor market is so tight."

Katia, what do you do to recruit qualified employees, whether in Panama or abroad, when faced with a shortage of available talent?

"Well it is very helpful that we have a well-known, highly respected name here―so lawyers, in particular, want to work at MF; I'm always receiving resumes in my inbox or through LinkedIn. We usually advertise our positions online. Plus, we are involved with universities―we maintain close contact with them and they always refer people to us for internships. We do the same thing with high schools―we usually have maybe 15 interns that are about to graduate from high school, so they do their internships here―many times when they finish their degree programs they apply to work here. In addition, we try to be involved in all the job fairs."

Your internship program with students from high schools and universities sounds like a great way to evaluate talent.

"Definitely, because when they come to intern with us we really do make an effort to teach them as much as possible. I insist that all our managers make sure to give them as much training and experience as they can handle. There are many companies that simply have their interns do menial tasks; however, I insist that we don't do that with ours. At MF, the interns learn about the company, its mission, culture, and values, and usually they like it and they go back to school or university with a good impression. They share that information with their friends and we usually receive some resumes from other students of the same schools that want to do internships with us. Also, there are many professors who know that we really train their students and they refer candidates to us."

How important is it keep personally connected to the process of adding new personnel to the MF team?

"It is very important because our recruitment process is integral to the future of the company―so to me recruiting talented people is directly related to the strategy of the company because we offer our clients specialized services so we really need to have talented people to be able to provide our clients with excellent service. "

Do you have any hard-fast rules that are followed in your own selection of team members or those who will be working close to you?

"Selecting a new employee is kind of tricky because it is not only that you want to have the person with the perfect profile, but you need a combination of skills and attributes―you need somebody who has the capacity and desire to do the job they have applied for―somebody who has a clear vision of what they want in the short and long term―and they have to be a good fit with our company."

Do you have an anecdote or philosophy to share that comes to mind that would sum up your thoughts about hiring?

"To me, attitude is everything. You may have a good candidate with the perfect academic background and experience, but if the person does not really want to do the job they are applying for, then we are wasting our time. Usually I hire people with little to no experience and then we train them; they appreciate that and they tend to stay for a long time."

Katia's priorities and methodical approach align with Hiring Truth 1: Be diligent, not desperate from my book The Naked Interview: Hiring without Regret. She is ensuring the candidates are carefully selected and that they are cared for with training to help them stick.

"Now, I know that millennial are different. I have millennial on my team and you have to know how to manage them to keep them interested and motivated. One way I do that is by assigning them various projects―you needs to work differently with them."

"We keep them interested and motivated by offering them attractive benefits, continuous training and education―and the opportunity to move laterally (to work in a different department) and up―depending on the individual's skill set and our company needs. Another advantage of MF is our multicultural and international environment where they can work and interact with our colleagues and clients all over the world."

"Everything is different now. I mean the usual human resources process is different now because you cannot plan their careers anymore; they have their career already planned and they evaluate the company to see if the company meets or exceeds their expectations and in particular, what the company is going to give them, so everything has changed."

What is the best interview question you have ever used?

"I use a combination of questions. When you are going to interview a candidate, you have to be clear about what you or the manager needs, and of course, what the company needs. Sometimes you need to help the managers to identify what they need. When I am doing an interview I pay attention to everything and usually I write down everything they say, so I will ask questions like: How do you see yourself (as a professional) in two years? ― What do you want to do? ― Why? ― What kind of company are you looking for? ―What would be your ideal job? I ask about previous bosses and companies to get an idea of what type of boss and company culture they like―or dislike."

What has driven your personal success at Mossack Fonseca Group?

"I like to serve people. I am proud of being a member of MF and also of the human resources department. I feel that we support MF―its management and reputation. I tell my people every day that we are service providers. To me, it is critical to be willing to serve our internal and external customers, and to maintain the highest professional standards."

Interview by David Lee Jensen

Mossack Fonseca: Promotes Copyright Protection in Panama

The Intellectual Property Division of the Mossack Fonseca Group will take part in the first Blogger Influencer Week as a leading company promoting the importance of a blog’s content registration and copyright protection.

The organisers mainly seek to develop opportunities to enhance Panama as a tourist and business platform by promoting the talent of the most recognized, respected, and influential national and international bloggers.

“Panama City will once again play a leading role in an avant-garde event that is full of innovation with the first Blogger Influencer Week. As a leading company in our industry, we support these kinds of initiatives for the purpose of communicating and sharing the importance of copyright registration and protection,” stated the head of the Mossack Fonseca Intellectual Property Division, Ms Raquel Araúz.

Ms. Araúz added that they have expanded their suite of services, aka Multiple Intellectual Property Services (MIPS), to guarantee the complete protection of trademarks, patents, and copyrights―thereby avoiding the counterfeiting and imitation of their clients’ products and services, both nationally and internationally.

The first Blogger Influencer Week will take place from 27th February to 5th March 2016 with various events to be held in the Republic of Panama. For more information regarding MIPS, please follow @mossfonmips in twitter using hashtag #CuidaTusIdeas.

Mossack Fonseca: Sindicato de Industriales de Panamá – SIP

(Mossack Fonseca) - Con éxito culminó la Primera Jornada de Comunicación Interna y su impacto en la empresa, organizada por el Sindicato de Industriales de Panamá (SIP), el pasado martes 17 de noviembre del presente año, con el objetivo de contribuir a gestionar las estrategias que han sido pensadas para alcanzar los objetivos comunicacionales internas en las organizaciones.

Meir Ezra: Need Security?

We need security for our money, our jobs and our assets. We want security for our families, our marriages and our friendships.

We want to be free from danger, attack or risk. We do not like fear, anxiety or doubt.

We want to feel safe.

Security is a big business in this world. For example, consider the billions spent on national security, Internet security, financial security, health insurance security and retirement security.

But what truly gives us security? Money? Expertise? Armed forces?

No, because wealthy people, experts and people with weapons feel just as insecure as everyone else.

The security we all want is the ability to determine our course in life. We just want to enjoy a safe, peaceful, prosperous future.

How can we get this kind of security?

"Self-confidence alone is security. Your ability is your security. There is no security but you." -- L. Ron Hubbard

For example, if you are confident you will be safe in your home, you have security. If you are confident you will earn enough money for all of your expenses, you have financial security. If you are sure you will always be a valuable worker, you have job security.

So why do we feel insecure?

"INSECURITY EXISTS IN THE ABSENCE OF KNOWLEDGE." "All security derives from knowledge." -- L. Ron Hubbard

For example, if you had the knowledge that you would always have plenty of money for your needs, you would feel secure. If you had the knowledge of how to make your marriage go well, you would have a secure marriage.

KNOWING you will be okay is security.

So how do you reach this level of security?

By increasing your knowledge about work, business, finances, computers, marriage and, of course, successful living.

Read more about Meir Ezra – Entrepreneur with years of experience across a wide range of fields and an inventor with many patents registered to his name.

Meir Ezra: Orderly Progress = Power

Many of those who wish to succeed find relief and an improved attitude from this quote:

"THE TOTALITY OF POWER IS ORDERLY PROGRESS." — L. Ron Hubbard

Discouragement and frustration from not making your goals quickly enough are resolved through orderly progress.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? If so, orderly progress becomes even more important. Confronting huge amounts of work is not overwhelming when you see yourself making orderly progress, even in small amounts, toward your goals.

Do you ever feel like you are losing ground or failing? If you map out your actual goal and move one inch closer on a regular basis, you have new power.

Do you ever feel like you are treading water and going nowhere? It is time for you to focus on some orderly progress.

How do you eat an elephant? How do you move a mountain? How to you reach huge goals? One mouthful, one rock and one step at a time.

Examples: giving a positive impression to one more person; learning one more new skill; lessening one bad habit, investing a few more dollars in savings. Daily progress in a specific direction creates long-term power when the progress is constant and orderly.

If you have been dissatisfied with your progress in life, or if you feel discouraged, overwhelmed or frustrated, make a list of orderly steps you can take every day and every week. Calm, direct, orderly steps.

Once you have your strategy worked out there is no need to worry about the past or the future—just concentrate on the present; on the steps of this plan. By putting order into your progress, nothing and nobody can stop you.

A mountain creek is more powerful than a granite boulder when the creek slowly and surely wears the boulder down. Orderly progress toward your goals starts with small, positive steps.

You can generate new power from this week forward. Deciding to have orderly progress is the first step.

Related Article:

Meir Ezra And "Good People"

Meir Ezra Genius Tour - The Power of Intention

"If you intend something to happen, it happens, if you intend it to happen. Verbalization* is not the intention. The intention is the carrier wave which takes the verbalization along with it." -- L. Ron Hubbard(*verbalization: expressing oneself in words.)

When you use the correct level of intention in your communication, people pay attention to you.

For example, you are in a busy clothing store and need a clerk's help. With poor intention, you might wait all day. But with strong intention, you look at the clerk, his head whips around and he asks if he can help you.

When you add firm intention to your communication, you get better results.

For example, if you tell your children to clean up their rooms with weak intention, they continue to play around. If you tell them to clean their rooms with strong intention, they clean their rooms.

Intention at Work

Your job is easier when you use the correct amount of intention.

For example, a coworker named Chris likes to complain to you. Chris says, "I hate this crappy chair." "This weather is horrible." "Oh no, here comes Mr. Big again."

Tolerating or avoiding Chris resolves nothing. Your workplace remains stressful.

Yet if you look Chris in the eye and say, "Chris, stop complaining," you enjoy some wonderful results - if your intention is strong enough. It does not matter how loudly or softly you speak as verbalization has nothing to do with it. Your intention powers your statement.

A salesperson, with a strong intention to sell, gets more sales. A service representative, with a strong intention to make customers happy, makes customers happy. A job applicant, with a strong intention to land the job, gets the job.

A manager with poor intention gets little cooperation and eventually fails. However, a manager with strong intention, finds that his or her employees usually do what they were hired to do.

Exercise

1. Write down something that is difficult for you to get someone to do.

For example, your coworker Joe borrows your stapler and always forgets to bring it back. You need your stapler back, but it's always a hassle.

2. Practice asking for the thing you wrote in step #1. You can use a coach or friend, or even just talk to an object.

For our example, pretend to ask Joe to return your stapler, but use little or no intention. Really be weak.

You say, "Joe, return my stapler when you are done with it." However, in your mind, say, "Hi Joe, hey if you don't mind could you please return my stapler if you have nothing else to do please?"

Even though this seems silly, practice using very weak intention until you can do it easily.

3. Now practice use more intention than is necessary!

In this exercise step, you verbally say, "Joe, return my stapler when you are done with it" as you did in the step above, but now your intention is "JOE, BRING BACK MY STAPLER RIGHT NOW!"

Do this step a few times until you can do it easily.

For More Exercise

1. Next, use the correct amount of intention.

You still say, "Joe, return my stapler when you are done with it," and your intention is very clear: "Joe, return my stapler when you are done with it."

Your intention is not too weak and it is not too strong. It is just right.

Repeat this step a few times until it is comfortable for you.

2. When you are ready, go use your intention to get what you want. Get someone to do something that has been difficult for you to ask in the past. Get them to do what you ask.

If you use the correct amount of intention, the results will be amazing!

3. Repeat with anything that is difficult for you to get others to do.

You now have more power.

Commercial Real Estate

In the last 20 years, Canada's major surges both in population and economic activity have translated into exponential growth in all aspects of real estate, whether in municipal infrastructure and institutional requirements, commercial and consumer needs in homebuilding, industrial development or community, commercial and retail services. From development, construction and land-use planning to commercial leasing and property management, our property development and real estate lawyers are proactive, deal-oriented advisors who understand the cyclical nature of the business and can anticipate and respond to the market and its players.

Our clients include public sector clients such as cities, municipal districts and provincial and federal ministries as well as developers, investors, portfolio managers, landlords, tenants, retailers, real estate professionals and financial institutions. According to need, we have negotiated and advised on land use assemblies and properties of virtually every type, including office properties, resort facilities, residential developments, retail and mixed-use commercial centres, industrial and manufacturing sites, gaming complexes, and other leisure and recreational buildings. We also bring particular expertise to energy-related land use, providing zoning, environmental and construction-related advice to multi-year, multi-phase projects ranging from oil sands extraction facilities to refining and upgrading sites.

One of our hallmark practices is our work with real estate portfolio managers, pension funds and real estate investment trusts (REITs). We have structured and led the financing of REITs and have advised owners and fund managers on complex commercial real estate developments, acquisitions, syndications, financings and dispositions. Working with our restructuring counsel, we have also been involved in significant national realization proceedings and Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act restructurings of large real estate loans and credit facilities.

Commercial Real Estate – Development, Construction, Land-use Planning, Leasing and Property Management Lawyers

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