Events
Free Webinar: Disclosing Beneficial Ownership to Prevent Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, From Bakersfield To Bologna
November 20 @ 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Free event! Self-study credit available
Note: Time: 18:00 – 19:30 (Milan Time) / 09:00 – 10:30 (Los Angeles Time)
The Anti-Money Laundering Directive in the European Union, the Corporate Transparency Act in the United States, and similar legislation in other developed economies are part of a multi-national effort to expose and seize illicit funds linked to drug trafficking, the arms trade, cyber-fraud and other serious crimes. These legislative efforts enlist corporations and other legal entities of all sizes in the fight against global money laundering and terrorist financing by requiring the disclosure of the “beneficial owners” of the entity and by facilitating the sharing of that information among law enforcement agencies and financial regulators in participating countries. This program will give attorneys background and perspective on the global application of beneficial ownership regulations and tools to ensure compliance.
Welcome Remarks
- Francesca Maria Zanasi, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Milan Bar Ass.
- Theresa Leets, Chair of the International Law and Immigration Section of the California Lawyers Association
Brief overview of EU and US legal frameworks
- William Gay (CLA)
- Claudio Cocuzza (Milan Bar)
Panel discussion and Q&A (Moderator: William Gay)
- Valeria Granata (CLA)
- Harumi Hata (CLA)
- Eliana Morandi
- Riccardo Cajola
Riccardo G. Cajola is managing partner at Cajola & Associati, a law firm based in Milan. Riccardo is currently officer of the International Relations Section of the Milan Bar Association and as well officer of the Bar Issues Commission of the International Bar Association. His practice is focused on transactional, tax and commercial work, in the area of distributorships, as well as M&A, private equity investments, corporate restructurings, and a variety of other general
corporate transactions. He currently serves as member of the supervisory boards and of the statutory auditor boards of several domestic corporations, mostly belonging to multinational groups. Riccardo Cajola is editor and co-author of several legal publications and he is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. He graduated at Università degli Studi di Milano and as LL.M. in International legal Studies in Washington D.C. at American University, Washington College of Law.
Avv. Claudio Cocuzza is member of the Milan Bar and senior partner of COCUZZA, with offices in Milan and Bologna. Claudio graduated in law cum laude at the University of Siena in 1985 and was adjunct professor of competition law at the University of Siena and Milano Bicocca. Thanks to a Fulbright Scholarship he earned in 1988 an LL.M. with the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is an active member of the AML Working Group of the Consiglio Nazionale Forense, the Italian National Bar, since its inception in 2006 and since the adoption of AML EU directives in Italy. In this capacity, he has extensively lectured to promote awareness of AML issues within the legal profession. He has been also in the front line of the preparation, negotiation and adoption of the so called “Technical Rules” in 2019 – aiming at clarifying AML rules within the legal profession in Italy. He was involved in the revision and update with the Italian FIU of the red flags to be applied to lawyers in Italy. He is Chair the Anti-Money Laundering Committee of CCBE since 2023. He wrote several articles on AML, with particular reference to STRs and the inherent tension with our professional secrecy. In 2020 he wrote a book entitled “AML – a guide for the legal professionals” addressed specifically to lawyers and notaries, edited by Giuffrè Editori. He assists banks and many other obliged entities in connection with AML matters, both as an advisor in their AML compliance protocols and in litigation. Claudio was chair of the AIJA (the Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats) in 2003; he is past-chair of the Real Estate Section of the IBA and a member of the board of the Penn Law European Society.
Valeria Granata represents established businesses and individuals in state, federal and appellate courts. Her practice focuses on the defense of claims related to general liability, business litigation, real estate litigation and cyber-security matters. Valeria has achieved certification in the firm’s rigorous National Mock Trial Program, through which our most successful trial lawyers impart their knowledge to those destined to join their ranks.
Valeria successfully defends clients in all stages of litigation. She negotiates early resolution of cases, and often obtains dismissals through dispositive law and motion work. Valeria further represents clients in connection with state and federal government investigations, as well as third-party claims arising out of cybersecurity incidents. She also advises clients on their legal rights and responsibilities under cybersecurity state and federal laws.
Harumi Hata is a lawyer licensed in the State of California. Harumi is a shareholder of Buchalter APC, with offices located in thirteen cities in the United States of America with over 500 lawyers. Harumi is a member of Buchalter’s Corporate Practice Group and also the Japan Practice Group. She represents clients, including companies based in the U.S., Europe, and Asia/Pacific Rim, including Japan, on corporate, business, and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions. She serves many of her clients as outside general counsel. As part of such role, she represents clients on matters involving business succession and related planning and also matters involving dispute resolutions.
Harumi serves on the Board of Representatives of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) and also on the Executive Committee of the CLA International Law and Immigration Section, previously serving as the Chair of the Section. Harumi is the Immediate Past President of the Japanese American Bar Association (JABA), having served as the President of JABA during the 2023 – 2024 year. In addition, Harumi is a Council Leader with U.S.-Japan Council. She also serves on the Board of Advisors of World Trade Center Los Angeles (WTCLA), on the Downtown Committee of Japanese Business Association of Southern California (JBA), and on the Advisory Committee of both the Hawaii Tax Institute (HTI) and the HTI Japan-U.S. Alliance Program.
Harumi was born in Kyoto, Japan, and grew up in Japan and the U.S. Harumi is a native Japanese and English speaker, and she represents clients utilizing her bilingual language skills.
William Tolin Gay has more than 30 years of experience as a business/corporate lawyer, culminating in his present transaction-focused practice, which includes corporate law, entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, licensing agreements and technology transfers. Bill has extensive experience working with domestic and foreign clients in securities, real estate, intellectual property and franchising. Among his many domestic and international clients are Japanese entities that operate in the United States.
Bill, who speaks and reads Japanese, practiced law in Tokyo for several years, where he represented U.S. companies in their Japanese operations as well as Japanese issuers and underwriters in Eurobond securities issues. He is a certified California Real Estate Broker and a California Certified Mediator. Bill was appointed by the International Law Section of the State Bar of California to serve as a member of the Executive Committee for 2015–2020.
Theresa Leets is an Assistant Chief Counsel in the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation’s Legal Division. She is responsible for supervising the Department’s programs under the Franchise Investment Law. Theresa speaks frequently on topics related to both franchise and securities law. Theresa is the Chair of the North American Securities Administrators Association’s (NASAA) Corporation Finance Franchise and Business Opportunities Project Group. She received the AAFD’s Total Quality Franchising Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Service To The Franchising Community in 2024.
Theresa is the Chair of the California Lawyer Association’s (CLA) International Law and Immigration Section (ILS). She also serves as the Senior Vice President for the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA). In addition, she has served as a LACBA Trustee for three years and is the recipient of LACBA’s Samuel L. Williams Outstanding Trustee Award in 2022. She is also a licensed California real estate broker with an inactive Mortgage Loan Origination (MLO) endorsement. Theresa is the first franchise regulator to earn a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation from the International Franchise Association (IFA).
Before joining the Department, Theresa worked at the U.S. Small Business Administration where she was trained in finance. She interned at the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Legal Adviser, Private International Law where she worked on The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption and the UNIDROIT Convention of International Financial Leasing.
We are committed to accessibility! Virtual events are equipped with closed captioning. To request an in-person accommodation, send us a note at accessibility@calawyers.org or contact us at 916-516-1760 for assistance.