THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1997
Cote St. Luc councillor part of Team Canada mission to Asia
By Joel Goldenberg
Suburban Staff
Cote St. Luc councillor Mitchell Brownstein is among the 400 business leaders on the Team Canada mission to Asia, which is seeking greater business opportunities for Canadian companies in the growing Asian market.
Prime Minister Jean Chretien and most premiers are leading the mission, which runs from Jan. 8-20, to South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand.
Mr. Brownstein is on the mission in his full-time role as managing partner of Brownstein, Brownstein and Associates, which specializes in Canadian civil and immigration law. The firm opened an Asian head office in Ahmedabad, India in 1994, in collaboration with an Indian law firm, for Asian business collaboration and immigration to Canada.
The firm also has an office in Manila. Mr. Brownstein will be in the Philippines during the mission and will conduct seminars there on Canadian business collaboration and Canadian business immigration "after hours."
Mr. Brownstein, who will be a young entrepreneur delegate during the trip, said that because of other Team Canada missions, his firm has taken "giant steps" in building up trade between Canada and several Asian countries. "The Team Canada missions have given our firm the opportunity to represent medium-sized Canadian companies who otherwise would not have been in a position to make the necessary contacts in Asia to increase their business through the sale of their technology, products and the creation of joint ventures," he said.
"I think there's great potential for many countries in Asia," Mr. Brownstein told The Suburban before flying to Manila. "It's a global economy that we're dealing with now and the Asian market is advancing in leaps and bounds and they're crying out for our technology. They're grasping our technology and implementing it into their society to progress quickly, which is exactly what they're doing..... The market is largely technology based.
"We in Canada are interested in purchasing goods, often at cheaper prices based on the fact that there;s cheaper labour in Asia," he added, "and in return, the businessmen in Asia are very interested in purchasing our technology for some other purpose that will promote their business in a way they could not do in the past." A guide to mission participants explains that Brownstein, Brownstein and Associates also represents many of Canada's largest banks in the business immigration investor program, and "assists large companies in transferring key employees to offices in other countries. The firm's lawyers advise on international trade import/export matters and collaboration and technology transfer agreements."
The guide also says the firm has a 'unique understanding of the protocol and cultural requirements expected by the Asian business and legal communities. The firm has associates and representatives from many Asian countries working at their head office in Montreal."
Brownstein, Brownstein & Associates also participated in last May's Team Canada mission to China and last January's mission to India.
