UGA School of Law hosts discussion on foreign investments

Writer: Christina Graff, 706/542-5172, lawprstu@uga.edu Contact: Andreas Kuntzsch, 404/433-5245, ak4usa@uga.edu Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia School of Law’s Dean Rusk Center and UGA’s German-American Law Society are sponsoring a panel discussion on the potential impacts of foreign investments in the United States. The lecture, titled America For Sale? Foreign Investments in the U.S., a German Perspective, will take place on Feb. 16 at 12:30 p.m. in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall, located on North Campus. Panelists will discuss their experiences working with investors such as WACKER, a German based company that recently bought land in Cleveland, Tenn., to build a plant dedicated to transforming sunlight into energy. They will also explore the role of international commercial law on the foreign investment process as well as various incentives states are providing to attract foreign companies. After closing a plant in Pennsylvania because it was not profitable, Volkswagen has announced intentions to build a factory in Chattanooga, Tenn., LL.M. student and panel coordinator Andreas Kuntzsch said. It is important, especially in today’s challenging economic climate, for us to examine the role of foreign investors in the U.S. economy and why one state may be more enticing than another and the potential impacts. Panelists include Dr. Peter Huber, visiting professor at Georgia Law from Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz; Martina Stegmeier, vice president and director of the German American Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta; Mona P. Maerz, special counsel at Duane Morris; and Teri A. Simmons, partner at Arnall Golden Gregory. The lecture is free and open to the public. A question and answer session will follow the discussion, and pizza and refreshments will be provided. #