Law Commons^™

From Gats To Apec: The Impact Of Trade Agreements On Legal Services, Laurel S. Terry, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the treatment of legal services in the United States‘ international trade agreements. Although many individuals are now familiar with the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), far fewer realize that legal services are included in at least fifteen international trade agreements to which the United States is a party. This article begins by identifying those trade agreements and other developments including the 2009 Legal Services Initiative of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The article continues by explaining the structure of the GATS and comparing its provisions to the provisions found in …

The Revised Handbook About The Gats General Agreement On Trade In Services For International Bar Association Member Bars, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

The Gats And Legal Services In Limerick, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

One of the most significant regulatory developments for legal services is their inclusion in the 1994 General Agreement on Trade in Services or GATS. The GATS was the first world trade agreement to cover services rather than goods and it applies to legal services. The GATS in Limerick is a light-hearted but nonetheless serious effort to address the most important legal services-related GATS developments in the last twelve years. These verses cover the basic principles of the GATS, the ongoing market access negotiations and the efforts to develop disciplines on domestic regulation.

Materials Submitted To The Technical Subgroup (Tsg) Of The Expert Group On International Economic And Social Classifications, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This document is a collection of materials showing the different kinds of legal services classification systems. This material was presented to a United Nations committee studying classification issues. Laurel Terry appeared on behalf of the International Bar Association's GATS Task Force.

Lawyers, Gats, And The Wto Accountancy Disciplines: The History Of The Wto's Consultation, The Iba Gats Forum And The September 2003 Iba Resolutions, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This article addresses issues related to legal services and the General Agreement on Trade in Services or GATS. GATS Article VI:4 requires Member States to develop "any necessary disciplines." WTO Members currently are in the process of deciding whether to extend the WTO Accountancy Disciplines, S/L/64, to other service sectors, including legal services. In December 2002, the WTO sent the International Bar Association (IBA) (and other non-governmental organizations) a "consultation letter" requesting the IBA's views about changes it would like to see in the WTO Accountancy Disciplines. The IBA responded to the WTO consultation with the May 2003 IBA GATS …

But What Will The Wto Disciplines Apply To? Distinguishing Among Market Access, National Treatment And Article Vi:4 Measures When Applying The Gats To Legal Services, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

One of the issues currently facing World Trade Organization (WTO) Member States is whether to extend to the legal profession and other service providers the WTO Disciplines for Domestic Regulation in the Accountancy Sector [Accountancy Disciplines]. The Accountancy Disciplines document applies to regulatory measures that would be considered domestic regulations under Article VI:4 of the GATS, rather than market access or national treatment measures under Articles XVI or XVII of the GATS. This paper argues that in order to meaningfully discuss whether to extend the Accountancy Disciplines to the legal profession, U.S. policy-makers and stakeholders need to understand the type …

An Introduction To The Paris Forum On Transnational Practice For The Legal Profession, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This article focuses on the 1998 Paris Forum on Transnational Practice for the Legal Profession and introduces the papers contained in the Paris Forum Symposium. The Paris Forum was the first meeting of lawyers from around the world devoted solely to the topic of transnational legal practice. Before the Paris Forum, some bar organizations had set aside time during their meetings to discuss the transnational practice of law and issues related to transnational legal services also had been included as topics in general conferences. The multi-day Paris Forum, however, was the first multi-day conference devoted to this topic. This paper …