In The NewsLawrence Herman Comments on Resolution of AbitibiBowater's NAFTA ComplaintPublished: 08/25/2010 On August 24, 2010, International Trade lawyer Lawrence Herman was quoted in "Feds to Pay AbitibiBowater $130 Million," an article written by the Canadian Press. The article described the settlement reached by government of Canada with AbitibiBowater. As a result, the company agreed to drop its complaint filed under NAFTA after Newfoundland expropriated its timber and water rights when the insolvent firm decided to close its Grand-Falls-Windsor mill. "It seems unfair that the taxpayers of Canada have to contribute to pay a settlement which involved the actions, regulations and laws of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador," said Lawrence Herman. "It was the provincial action that caused the matter to be litigated," he stated in an interview. "There are no ... formal (NAFTA) arrangements that resolve this. So the question is whether the province is going to be paying part or all of the settlement." |