Presentation (Barnabas Nemeth - pdf); Presentation (Robert C. Knuepfer, Jr.)

A Luncheon Seminar featuring H.E. András Simonyi Ambassador of Hungary to the U.S. Barnabas Nemeth Trade Commissioner of Hungary Robert C. Knuepfer, Jr. Baker & McKenzie (former managing partner of the Budapest office) Also, remarks by Sherrie Schilleci, Export  Sales Coordinator with Reliagene Technologies, Inc.  (DNA analysis & services) on a Louisiana  company’s experience in Hungary. Note: The speakers will be available for individual consultations following the luncheon. Wednesday, November 17, 2004 12:00 Noon - 2:00 p.m. (11:30 a.m. networking reception  and Hungarian wine tasting) The luncheon will feature Hungarian cuisine. Plimsoll Club, 30th Floor, WTC (Free validated parking in the WTC Garage)

WHY HUNGARY?

Hungary is a strategic crossroads for trade in Europe, pivotally located within relative proximity to numerous consumable markets. It sits in the heart of the European Union – to the west the world’s economic super powers, and economically developing nations to the south and east.

Hungary is an export market itself and serves as a central distribution point for the region providing access to some 500 million consumers. As a result, the growth of bi-lateral trade between the U.S. and Hungary has been extremely dynamic and has grown tenfold in the past decade. In fact, Hungary is the only country in Central and Eastern Europe where the USA is the leading investor, making it one of the hottest markets for U.S. investment abroad.

For more information, visit The Hungarian Investment and Trade Development Agency (ITDH) website at www.itdh.hu

H.E. András Simonyi became the Ambassador of Hungary to the United States in 2002. From 2001 to 2002, he ran his own consulting company, Danison Ltd. From 1999 to 2001 he became the first Hungarian Permanent Representative on the NATO Council and represented Hungary on the NAC during the Kosovo campaign. From 1995 to 1999 Amb. Simonyi headed the Hungarian NATO Liaison Office in Brussels, where he was a key player in preparing Hungarian membership in NATO and was a member of the delegation to negotiate Hungary’s accession to the Alliance. From 1992 to 1995 Amb. Simonyi was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Mission of Hungary to the European Communities and NATO in Brussels. From 1991 to 1992 he was Deputy Chief of Mission in the Hague. In 1989 he joined the Foreign Ministry to work with the so-called Central European Initiative aka Pentagonale as a personal assistant to the present foreign minister László Kovács. He also headed the Nordic department of the Ministry. Ambassador Simonyi was also Hungary’s representative to the Western European Union Council for five years. He is also a frequent lecturer on security issues, trans-Atlantic relations, the problems of military reform, and NATO enlargement. He has published numerous articles on the accession process to NATO, trans-Atlantic relations and European security, and the war on terror.

Since 2001, Barnabas Nemeth has been the Commercial Counselor/Trade Commissioner to the U.S. in New York, member of the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary, and representative of the ITDH (The Hungarian Investment and Trade Development Agency). From 1996 to 2001, he was the Director for Coordination for the Hungarian Investment and Trade Development Agency (ITDH) in charge of creating business strategy and plan, system development of informatics in trade and investment development, and coordination with foreign institutions (e.g. WTO/ITC, UNIDO, TDA, OPIC, EXIM BANK, etc.). Mr. Nemeth was a Commercial Counselor for the Hungarian Embassy in Washington from 1991 to 1996. From 1982 to 1991, he was Deputy Director General for the Ministry of International Economic Relations, Division of Economics, Ministry of Trade, in charge of foreign trade analysis and strategy, and trade liberalization. Mr. Nemeth attended College for Foreign Trade and Economics and the Budapest University of Technical Sciences.

Robert C. Knuepfer, Jr. is a Partner and Attorney for the law firm of Baker & McKenzie. His practice focus is corporate and commercial transactions, specializing in mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance, with focus on international investment between the U.S. and Eastern Europe. He is past chair of the firm’s Europe & Middle East Practice Group. From 1992-1995, he was chairman of the Central Europe and CIS Practice Group and the managing partner of the Budapest office of Baker & McKenzie. Mr. Knuepfer serves on the Advisory Board of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Northwestern University), and is an adjunct assistant professor at Northwestern where he teaches project finance and international business transactions. He received his J.D. (law review) and MBA degrees from Northwestern University, and a B.A. degree from Denison University (Phi Beta Kappa).