Press Release - New Perimeter provides training on special economic zones in South Africa

New Perimeter, DLA Piper's nonprofit affiliate that provides long-term pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions around the world, recently conducted a week-long training on special economic zones at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

The course was held May 15-19 for graduate law students from across Africa who are earning a master's degree (LL.M.) in international trade and investment law in Africa. New Perimeter designed the course to train African law students on special economic zones as a tool for attracting foreign direct investment and increasing development. This marks the seventh year a global team of DLA Piper lawyers have delivered the course, which runs on alternative years at the University of Pretoria and the University of the Western Cape.

"We were gratified to have the opportunity to return to South Africa to present this course to Africa's future policy makers," said Suzanna Brickman, pro bono counsel for New Perimeter who managed the project. "This highly selective course draws a very talented group of emerging legal leaders from across the continent, and it has been an honor to help build their knowledge of the legal, policy and regulatory concepts of special economic zones."

The interactive course equips students with the tools and knowledge to critically review and analyze trade and investment options and policies, as well as to act as future trade and investment policy advisors in their respective countries. Students also apply their knowledge from the course in a group presentation about the prospects of implementing a special economic zone in four African countries.

Professor Daniel D. Bradlow, director of the LLM programme at the University of Pretoria, said: "The week our students spend with the DLA Piper team is an unrivaled opportunity. Not only do they get to learn the technical aspects of a complex area of international economic law from a superb group of lawyers, but they also have the opportunity to revise and apply the lessons learned in earlier sections of their course, as well as to engage with experienced international practitioners both about substantive areas of international economic law and international legal practice more generally. Based on the comments of our students, this week has been a highlight of their course. The students and our team of course administrators are all extremely impressed by and appreciative of the generosity that the DLA Piper team showed in coming to teach in our programme."

The DLA Piper team that participated in the training included partner Timothy Lohse (Silicon Valley), of counsel Enrique Chamorro (Madrid), counsel Grzegorz Godlewski (Warsaw) and senior associate Melissa Grinter (Brisbane). Krantz Fellow Olga Slobodyanyuk (Silicon Valley) assisted with the preparation of materials.

About DLA Piper

DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, positioning us to help clients with their legal needs around the world. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.

About New Perimeter

New Perimeter is a nonprofit organization established by global law firm DLA Piper to provide pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions around the world to support access to justice, social and economic development and sound legal institutions. Founded in 2005 as a result of our firm’s commitment to support legal advancement worldwide, New Perimeter’s vision is to harness the skills and talents DLA Piper lawyers to further a more just world for all.

Contacts

Josh Epstein, Media Relations, DLA Piper, T. 212.776.3838