Tom Bolt, Managing Attorney of the St. Thomas law firm of Tom Bolt & Associates, P.C. and President of the American Counsel Association met Thurday evening in Paris with representatives of the Association of European Attorneys (AEA) at the opening dinner of the AEA’s Annual Meeting. 

"It was unbelievable the diversity in the room," Bolt said.  "At my table alone there were attorneys from Belgium, Cyprus, France, Japan, Lebanon and Spain.  Our Belgian dinner partner, Dominique Grissay, has been an active member of the legal team at the trial of former Iraqi President Sadaam Hussein.  It is evident to all that lawyers throughout the world need to speak out in favor of the rule of law.  No one is above the law, not Sadaam Hussein…nor George W. Bush.  Lawyers are our last hope for advocacy in favor of rule of law"Continue Reading St. Thomas Attorney Meets with European Bar

As an unincorporated territory of the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands does not conduct its own foreign affairs. The United States Congress is the only body that has the authority to engage in international agreements and treaties on behalf of the Territory.  

Not many U.S. treaties are applicable to the United States Virgin Islands and those that are applicable have for the most part, only been informally confirmed as applicable to the Territory. For example, these include the bilateral investment treaties and treaties of friendship, commerce and navigation and other international conventions dealing with international commerce. Their application to the United States Virgin Islands has been confirmed through informal correspondence between officials of the U.S. State Department and members of the Virgin Islands Bar. This informal practice raises uncertainties among global corporations, which are reluctant to do business in the U.S. Virgin Islands and would rather do business in a foreign country where the rules are clear and, potentially, more beneficial.Continue Reading Foreign Investment in the Islands