(Nashville, Tennessee / June 2, 2016) Baker Donelson will host a summit in Italy between the Italian automotive industry and representatives from economic development agencies in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.
The summit, which will take place in Torino, Italy, on June 7, will be led by Baker Donelson attorney Christopher M. Caputo, a shareholder in the Firm's Nashville and Memphis offices and the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy's (AmCham) local representative in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee. Mr. Caputo, who is also a member of Baker Donelson's Global Business Team, notes that the event will be a unique opportunity to highlight the benefits that the Southeast offers for advanced manufacturing while connecting regional economic development representatives with leaders in the Italian automotive industry.
"The Southeast is a dynamic auto producing region. Southeastern states are actively seeking to promote auto production, and Italian companies are increasingly recognizing that they need to globalize to remain competitive," said Mr. Caputo. "Our goal in hosting this summit is to educate Italian automotive suppliers of the many opportunities that the Southeast offers, including the presence of various original equipment manufacturers, a beneficial labor market and infrastructure advantages."
Michael H. Johnson, a shareholder in Baker Donelson's Birmingham, Alabama, office and a member of the Firm's Global Business Team, is also participating in the summit.
The Baker Donelson team will deliver a presentation on regional advantages for advanced manufacturing in the Southeast and automotive industry trends in the region. The event will also include a roundtable discussion with various Italian automotive industry leaders on anticipated trends in internationalization of Italian automotive industry and a discussion of legal and tax considerations.
The summit is being co-hosted by Associazione Nazionale Filiera Industrie Automobilistiche (ANFIA), Aziende Mecchaniche Meccatroniche Associate (AMMA), the Unione Industriale di Torino, and AmCham.