Cuba-Havana-Coco-TaxiIn the wake of a historic thawing in U.S. – Cuban relations in recent months, Canadian law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP is launching a Cuba initiative to support Canadian and European businesses interested in entering the market.  Observers have remarked that a building boom has begun to prepare for a flood of U.S. tourists, who will need new hotels, roads and other infrastructure.

Last December’s diplomatic talks follow a series of market-based economic reforms in recent years by Cuban President Raul Castro. However, it is expected to take years before the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba lifts.

According to Canadian news source The Globe and Mail, “the law firm’s initiative involves well-known long-time Conservative fundraiser Ralph Lean, a lawyer who had been working with clients interested in Cuba for several years while he was at his previous firms, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP and Heenan Blaikie LLP.”

Foreign law firms are not allowed to practice law in Cuba, but Gowlings – under the banner Gowlings Consulting Inc. – says it will be partnering with a local law firm, and its staff will continue travelling frequently to the island.

As quoted in the law firm’s press release, “Cuba’s current trade climate offers a unique window of opportunity for Canadian and international companies to strategically position themselves in an emerging economy,” said Scott Jolliffe, Gowlings chair and CEO. “Through our Cuba Initiative, we look forward to helping our clients take full advantage of Cuba’s expected rapid economic growth.”

Led by partners Paul Fornazzari and Stuart Olley, and undertaken through Gowlings Consulting Inc., firm has already been retained by several significant Canadian companies looking to enter Cuba, demonstrating a rising interest in this emerging market.

The initiative will draw on the expertise of numerous Gowlings professionals, including Lean and Olley, who collectively bring a wealth of experience in helping clients with their Cuba-related business activities across a range of key industries, such as energy, infrastructure, real estate, telecommunications and tourism.

In addition, Gowlings recently welcomed leading Spanish-speaking transactional lawyer France Tenaille, whose Latin American background will be a strong asset to the initiative.

The firm is also working with Gregory Biniowsky, a Canadian lawyer based in Havana whose on-the-ground experience as a consultant to foreign businesses operating in Cuba spans two decades. Biniowsky will utilize his extensive local knowledge and experience to help Gowlings explore the ways in which it can best deliver service to clients through its Cuba Initiative.