CLG News

Cueto Law Group Launches iPhone App

International Business Attorney Launches App for iPhone

MIAMI, PR NEWSWIRE Taking advantage of the latest in social media technology, a Miami attorney launched an App for the iPhone today dedicated to providing the international business community with the latest developments and trends in international business law.

The App, a mobile version, of the International Business Law Advisor blog, provides its users with up to the minute posts covering emerging legal issues in China, Europe, Brazil and other regions.

The International Business Law Advisor is published by attorney Santiago A. Cueto of Miami-based Cueto Law Group, an international law firm. The International Business Law Advisor, which launched in August 2009, has gained wide acclaim as being on the cutting edge of emerging legal issues affecting global business.

"Our firm is very proud to have launched the App, which is yet another way we can add exceptional value to the business community utilizing cutting edge technology," stated Mr. Cueto.  "The App also allows users to take advantage of the latest social media tools and share each blog post with friends and colleagues through email and twitter. That way everyone gets the latest information."

The International Business Law Advisor App is available as a free download through the iTunes App Store. You can visit the blog at www.IntlBusinessLaw.com

Wall Street Journal Interviews Santiago Cueto

‘Will Work For Carbon Credits!’ says Florida Lawyer

We’re not sure that Florida lawyer Santiago Cueto’s idea will necessarily bring in business. Or do much to save the planet. But right off the bat, we’re willing to give him credit for innovative thinking in a field that sometimes wants to seem to turn the clock back to the William Howard Taft era.

Let us explain: Cueto, who runs a two-man litigation shop in Coral Gables, on Thursday announced that clients of the Cueto Law Group will have the “flexibility to pay up to 20 percent of their fees in carbon credits.” Of course, clients will still have to pay the full amount charged, but will simply have the option of earmarking 20 percent of the bill to go the purchase of carbon credits. Cueto has coined his idea the “CO Too” program.

Reads Cueto’s press release (link not available):

The current economic climate is a golden opportunity for the professional services industry to develop new ways to tackle global emissions. Carbon credits represent a paradigm shift in the way that business is transacted,” said attorney Santiago A. Cueto. “Our CO Too(TM) program is a way to help the environment, while at the same time providing an alternative way for clients to pay for professional services. We are proud to be leading the legal industry in this initiative and are optimistic that other industries will follow. . . .”

We called up Cueto to chat about the idea.

Santiago. Thanks for taking the time. So how’d the idea come up?
I read an article that cited a Stanford University study a couple years ago. The study predicted that carbon credits are going to be a widely used, new global currency. Ans I thought this was the right time — with Copenhagen going on — it’s the least I can do on my part.

Is anyone else doing this, as far as you know?
Not that I know of. I was actually pretty surprised, when I started looking into it, that it hadn’t been done before. It seems like an obvious way for my clients to help out the environment.

You can better believe that someone’s going to point out that there’s nothing stopping you from raising your rates 20 percent to the clients who choose the carbon-offset option. Is that part of the plan?
No. It’s not. Not at all. I’ll make this as transparent as possible. In fact, for this limited purpose, I’ll open up our books to anyone who wants to see them to show them that our rates are the same as last year’s.

Tell us a bit about your firm.
It’s an international law firm based down here in Coral Gables. It’s me, and I have an associate in Lima, Peru. We’re largely doing litigation — helping international clients with U.S. problems.

You’ve worked at other firms, right?
Right. Our firm’s been up and running since June. Prior to that, I worked at Marshall Dennehy and Herzfeld & Rubin, both in Miami.

Okay. And you haven’t tried this out on any clients yet, have you?
No. We just announced it today. And it will be optional for clients going forward.

Well, best of luck to you. Thanks for taking the time.
Thank you.

Cueto Law Group First Worldwide to Accept Carbon Credits as Payment for Legal Fees

Groundbreaking Initiative Aims to Reduce Carbon Emissions While Providing Clients with Fee Payment Alternative.

MIAMI, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the Copenhagen Climate Summit's call for innovative environmental solutions, a pioneering program was launched today to allow law firm clients to pay legal fees with carbon credits. Carbon credits are units that can offset a company's carbon footprint. One carbon credit is equal to one ton of carbon dioxide. The credits, which can be bought and sold in international markets, have gained significant traction as a legitimate currency to transact business.

The groundbreaking initiative was launched by the Cueto Law Group law firm based in Miami, Florida. The initiative is the first of its kind in the professional services industry. Under the firm's "CO Too(TM)" program, clients will have the flexibility to pay up to 20% of their legal fees with carbon credits. Carbon credits are a proven and effective way to reduce carbon emissions. The global carbon credit market was worth $126 Billion in 2008. The World Bank estimates that the market could grow up to $150 billion by the end of this year.

"The current economic climate is a golden opportunity for the professional services industry to develop new ways to tackle global emissions. Carbon credits represent a paradigm shift in the way that business is transacted," said attorney Santiago A. Cueto. "Our CO Too(TM) program is a way to help the environment, while at the same time providing an alternative way for clients to pay for professional services. We are proud to be leading the legal industry in this initiative and are optimistic that other industries will follow," added Mr. Cueto.

Cueto Law Group files Class Action Against Domain Name Industry

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Domain Name Provider

MIAMI, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- A class action lawsuit was filed today in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court on behalf of lead Plaintiff Carlos A. Cueto and others who participated in online auctions for domain names. In the lawsuit, Mr. Cueto alleges that an executive of the company conducting the auctions acted as a shill bidder to manipulate bids. The domain names were auctioned online by Oversee.Net, Inc. subsidiary SnapNames.Com, Inc.

According to the class action complaint, a former vice-president of SnapNames.Com secretly bid on tens of thousands of domain name auctions over the past four years, driving up costs for other bidders. It is alleged that the company executive set up an account on the Defendants' system under a false name and, under the name, bid in online domain auctions run by SnapNames.Com, Inc. and Oversee.Net. As a result of the internal employee bidding, the suit alleges the prices to purchase a domain name were falsely inflated, leading to higher costs to buyers and greater profit for the defendants.

The class action lawsuit, brought by the Cueto Law Group law firm, is the first nationwide to allege that a domain name provider used a shill bidder to manipulate auctions. "The domain name industry is the wild west of intellectual property because it remains unregulated. The online community has been up in arms over what they feel has been an opaque system that just begs for transparency. It is impossible to know whether you are bidding against someone that isn't working or affiliated with the company conducting the auction," said attorney Santiago A. Cueto.

"Domain names are the last frontier for the average person to stake their claim on some very valuable property. The Defendants' conduct has made it harder for people to do so and we intend to put a stop to this practice, which we perceive as being a major concern in the industry," added attorney Santiago A. Cueto.

Cueto Law Group Forecasts Surge of Activity in Singapore Banking Sector

MIAMI, FL - Cueto Law Group Forecasts Surge of Activity in Singapore Banking Sector

On August 3, 2009, UBS reached a deal with U.S. authorities to turn over the names of 5,000 U.S clients holding secret Swiss bank accounts. Although this amounts to a mere 10 percent of the names Washington was after, the controversy surrounding Switzerland and UBS will continue to swell. The pressure on Switzerland and UBS to stop shielding the wealthy from paying their dues will likely increase as U.S. authorities step up their efforts to stem the tide of illicit capital flight entering the offshore banking world.

Swiss officials have downplayed the deal, asserting that the settlement plan would do nothing to impart Swiss banking secrecy.  From this Washington Post article:

“The proposed resolution to a U.S. government demand for information about thousands of Americans suspected of using Swiss accounts to evade taxes would leave Swiss bank secrecy intact, a top Swiss official has said.”

Notwithstanding this assertion, Swiss banks will be subject to much greater scrutiny now – at least as far as their Swiss operations go. Many Swiss institutions are setting up operations in Singapore, which is growing quickly as a rival to Switzerland as a banking haven. By cutting personal income taxes to 20% and tightening account privacy, Singapore is quickly becoming a go-to haven for Asia’s growing number of millionaires.

In advising a client on the placement of funds offshore, Singapore may hold more sway in comparison to Switzerland. The deal reached between UBS and the U.S. all but eviscerates the competitive advantage long held by Swiss banks.

Cueto Law Group appointed executive

Palm Beach, FL-- Cueto Law Group appointed executive counsel for global industrial supply corporation.

Cueto Law Group has been appointed executive counsel to one of the fastest growing industrial supply corporations in the region. The firm will advise the corporation on all aspects of its business including asset acquisition, capitalization and strategic planning.

Santiago A. Cueto appointed Chair

MIAMI, FL - Santiago A. Cueto was appointed

Chair of the Willem Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot of the Florida Bar's International Law Section.

Santiago A. Cueto arbitrates

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Santiago A. Cueto invited to arbitrate on three rounds of the Willem Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. For all of 2009 and said the unemployment rate could approach 10 percent