Global Philadelphia Press Release

Global Philadelphia Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mylin Batipps

mbatipps@devinepartners.com

856-520-6266

 

GLOBAL PHILADELPHIA ASSOCIATION TO HOST PHILADELPHIA’S 5TH ANNUAL 

WORLD HERITAGE CITY CELEBRATION WITH STAR-STUDDED VIRTUAL BENEFIT ON SEPT. 10

Event is Free to Watch & Honors Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Headliners Include Bacon Brothers, Lang Lang & Amanda Gorman, U.S. Youth Poet Laureate 

 

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 28, 2020) – International superstars, both established and new, and a series of local leaders will gather with the Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) and hundreds of viewers for a virtual evening of joy on Thursday, Sept. 10 for the 2020 Philadelphia World Heritage City Celebration.  The event’s luminaries will commemorate five years of Philadelphia’s World Heritage City project, which highlights the global heritage and impact of the region, and give a special tribute to honoree Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a native of Canada and music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra.  

 

The event will be free to watch on Vimeo beginning at 6 p.m. on Sept. 10.  Interested viewers should register here for the link to the premiere. 

 

Among those scheduled to appear and/or perform are Philadelphia’s own Kevin and Michael Bacon, together known as the Bacon Brothers band; internationally renowned classical pianist Lang Lang; the inaugural U.S. Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman; Philadelphia native and Grammy Award-winning, soul-jazz and hip-hop/funk innovator Jeff Bradshaw; Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney; National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Jonathan Lovitz; Stephen Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Global Affairs Canada; Nadine Girault, Quebec Minister of International Relations; Lee Minaidis, Acting Secretary General, Organization of World Heritage Cities; MSNBC’s Ali Velshi; 98.1 WOGL’s Marilyn Russell; and NBC10’s Vai Sikahema, who will emcee the event.

 

“Our World Heritage City Celebration is about showcasing the diversity of our region, celebrating our differences, and highlighting the importance of our global connections,” said Robert J. McNeill, Global Philadelphia Board Chair and Greater Philadelphia Managing Partner for Deloitte. “Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin embodies that spirit.  He was hailed as a ‘wunderkind’ when named Philadelphia Orchestra music director in 2010 at age 35, and he has brought all of the charisma of that moniker to the city while building on the legacy of the Fabulous Philadelphians around the world and bringing international artists here, as well.” 

 

According to Zabeth Teelucksingh, executive director, Global Philadelphia Association, “Under normal circumstances, our World Heritage City Celebration has been the highly anticipated season opener to Philadelphia’s fall fundraising circuit with hundreds of guests gathered together for an evening gala.  For obvious reasons, we’ve reimagined our celebration this year, and the silver lining has been the generosity and excitement to participate that we’ve heard from so many of our special guest artists and speakers.  They understand how significant Philadelphia’s role is on the world stage, a point that is underscored by the incomparable Yannick Nézet-Séguin,” she said.

 

Teelucksingh added that viewers will be encouraged to donate to Global Philadelphia Association during the event in support of GPA’s initiatives, such as the organization’s work in this region toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals aimed at the issues of poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.  Donors who give at various levels will be entered to win items such as Air Canada tickets, a trip to Greece, a two-night stay at The Westin Hotel Philadelphia, and an exclusive experience with The Philadelphia Orchestra.

 

For more information and to register for GPA’s 2020 Philadelphia World Heritage City Celebration, visit  https://globalphiladelphia.org/world-heritage-city-celebration.  

 

About Global Philadelphia Association

The Global Philadelphia Association consists of more than 200 internationally involved organizations, businesses, and individuals in Greater Philadelphia. It was created to assist – and to encourage greater interaction among – the many organizations and people who are engaged in international activity in the Greater Philadelphia Region, to promote the development of an international consciousness within the area, and to enhance Philadelphia’s global profile. For more information, visit our website at globalphiladelphia.org. 

 

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Philly Legal: These Sectors Are on the Right Side of the Law

by Yolanda Rivas

2 min read SEPTEMBER 2019 — Over the last few years, Philadelphia’s legal sector has seen a steady flow of law firms entering the market as well as local firms expanding in and outside the region. As the market gets more concentrated, many firms are betting on key growth areas to expand their practices. 

According to Invest: interviews with leading legal voices in the Philly area, health and life sciences, technology, real estate and finance are some of the sectors keeping attorneys busy. With a diverse business ecosystem in Philadelphia, firms like Zarwin Baum DeVito Kaplan Schaer Toddy, P.C. are experiencing high demand in commercial business, especially in the areas of banking, leasing, real estate financing and real estate development.

“We also have seen growth in our employment practices area, in part due to the #MeToo movement, which is generating many more workplace claims. Commercial litigation is also a growth area for us,” Mitchell Kaplan, managing shareholder at Zarwin Baum, told Invest:. “But we are currently seeing the most growth in our data privacy and cyber-liability department. That department gets involved in the training of businesses to prevent data leaks and breaches. We provide training, prevention and breach response,” Kaplan said. 

Similarly, St. Louis-based Armstrong Teasdale LLP is growing its intellectual property presence in Philadelphia as a result of the increasing demand in technology litigation around the country. “Intellectual property services, whether it be trademark, patents or copyrights, are required by any business. We support our clients with many trademark and retail issues. For example, in the science, healthcare and pharmaceutical fields, we do a lot of patents and protection of intellectual property. There is high demand for intellectual property services in Philly,” Armstrong Teasdale’s Eastern U.S. Partner and Leader Richard Scheff said in an interview with Invest:. 

According to an article from The Legal Intelligencer, Pennsylvania-based firms saw demand growth of 2.6 percent last year, slightly above the industry average of 2.3 percent. One of the benefits of Philadelphia’s legal sector is the presence of 20 Fortune 500 companies and over 75 Fortune 1000 companies. 

Besides technology and intellectual property services, financial institutions and real estate companies are particularly robust areas for Philadelphia’s legal sector. “Blank Rome’s Real Estate and Financial Services practices are very strong, particularly in Philadelphia. Both continue to be core areas of our law firm with a strong national presence,” Alan J. Hoffman, chairman at Blank Rome LLP, told Invest:.

Finance and technology also form part of Duane Morris LLP’s Top 5 sectors in terms of revenue and areas of focus. “About 85% of our revenue is in the following industries: financial institutions, health and life sciences, technology and telecommunications, infrastructure (including construction and energy) and finally, retail and consumer products. Those areas are our focus across the firm and in Philadelphia, which is our largest office with over 200 lawyers,” Matthew Taylor, chairman & CEO at Duane Morris LLP, told Invest: 

Citi Private Bank Law Firm Group’s Q2 2019 report projects a good year in 2019 relative to earlier post-recession years, although it will be a challenge for the industry to see a repeat of 2018’s strong performance.

 

 

 

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

Zarwin Baum DeVito Kaplan Schaer Toddy, P.C.: https://www.zarwin.com/ 

Armstrong Teasdale LLP: https://www.armstrongteasdale.com/ 

Blank Rome LLP: https://www.blankrome.com/ 

Duane Morris LLP: https://www.duanemorris.com/ 

Spotlight on: William Burns, Tax Office Managing Partner, BDO

By Yolanda Rivas

2 min read JULY 2019 — Accountants and financial professionals play an important role in the global economy and business model, taking on an array of roles within organizations in all industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. 

Accountants can bring a significant perspective of the economy and industries growth. Our ‘Spotlight on’ for this week brings a perspective of what are the industries looking for in regards to advisory and how the local accounting companies impact the labor pool.

BDO offers a wide range of services including advisory, audit/assurance and tax services. Which are most in demand in Philadelphia?  

The core services that we provide in Philadelphia are audit and tax, which is where we are seeing the most demand. Our recent acquisition of AC Lordi will allow us to bolster what we can do regarding advisory and scale us up to the next level. We have seen an increase in demand for our services from healthcare, life sciences, and manufacturing and distribution. In addition, we have seen an influx of people reaching out for advice regarding maximizing the benefits of tax reform. We expect to see an increased demand for advisory services related to tax reform, especially surrounding Opportunity Zones.

What are BDO’s efforts to recruit talent from the local pool?

Six years ago, BDO merged a select group of geographically close practices, retiring a number of partners and ushering in a new class. We now find ourselves in a position where we can grow exponentially in one of the largest markets in the country. Our focus on targeted growth means we are constantly adding talent as we look to expanding our tax specialties.

There is always a hunt for qualified talent. To combat that, we try to over-hire at the entry level. Turnover in our industry is relatively high and by attracting more students at the front end we have more opportunity to offer them higher positions when people decide to leave. We have partnerships with local universities and we recruit on a regional and national level. We also have a program to identify and attract students to the region from all over the nation.

What Impact does technology have on the accounting and financial sectors?

Technology has a huge impact on how we operate, since most of what we do is software driven. Data analytics is making us more efficient and many firms are using it as a tool within their audit and tax practices. Those firms that aren’t focused on using and developing technology are going to lag behind.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

https://www.bdo.com/about/us-locations/philadelphia-office 

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