Small law firm benefits from Asia trade mission
By Janice Arnold
Staff Reporter
MONTREAL - Participating in the Team Canada trade missions to Asia have been a boon to the small law firm Brownstein Brownstein & Associates, and joining Jean Chretien's latest tour extended its contacts in the Philippines, says managing partner Mitchell Brownstein.
Brownstein was on the mission only for its Philippine leg, giving seminars on Canadian business opportunities and immigration under the entrepreneurial class.
The firm was among the more than 400 companies, municipalities and educational institutions who joined the prime minister and provincial premiers on the trip, which also included Thailand and South Korea and clinched $2.1 billion in either form or prospective contracts.
Brownstein was selected as a "young entrepreneur," at 35 just making the cut-off for this new feature of the missions.
Although this was Brownstein's first trip to the region, Asia is an increasingly important area for the firm. In May 1994, it opened a representative office in India, by joining with a local law practice. In March 1995, the firm gave a series of Canadian business opportunities seminars before carious chambers of commerce in India, with the assistance of the Canadian trade commissioner.
Mitchell's brother and partner Herbert took part in the Team Canada mission, that included India, in January 1996. The firm was also represented in a Canadian government trade mission in China last year, led by Secretary of State Raymond Chan.
Brownstein officially represented three Montreal clients, medium-sized businesses that hope to sell their products in the Philippines. One is a manufacturer of rice crackers who would like to sell the equipment for their processing in the Philippines, where rice is a staple. Another has developed a process that gives low-grade wood, like birch, the look of mahogany, for example. The third is looking for licensees for a computerized process that can determine when machinery needs maintenance.
Brownstein didn't sign any deals for his customers, but he is satisfied he made useful contacts and gained an understanding of the business terrain.
He found the Philippines to be an attractive market because of its emerging middle class, which is eager for Western goods. "They're especially interested in food and clothing. Half the population of 70 million is under 25 and they are very fashion-oriented. You can find places like the Hard Rock Cade and Studebaker's," he said.
The fact that English is so widely spoken and American culture so ingrained are pluses for Canadian businesses.
As for immigration, over 150 people came to his talk and Brownstein is confident that over the next few months some will seek his firm's services, through its representative office in Manila.
The politicians were very accommodating and accessible, offering any help they could give in smoothing the way with local business, Brownstein found. "Even before we left, [Premier Lucien] Bouchard offered his help in any way he could."
Meeting the premier under these cordial circumstances struck Brownstein as somewhat ironic. He has been outspoken against separation and, as a Cote St. Luc city councillor, was one of the prime movers behind the adoption of a resolution that the suburb would hold its own referendum on staying in Canada if Quebec holds another sovereignty referendum.
Brownstein brought along letters to Chretien and Bouchard from the City of Cote St. Luc wishing them success on the mission.
Team Canada got together each morning over breakfast, and often again in the late afternoon, Brownstein said.
