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Public: Recent News

NCBA delegation meets with Judicial Yuan In Taipei.

Home, Sweet Home
(Monday, June 5, 2006)
After a long weary flight, we are back on North Carolina terra firma. Though we are jet lagged, tired and bleary-eyed we still can't believe the incredible adventure to Taiwan. To a person I think we could say one of the most out standing memories will be the friendliness, hospitality and generosity of the Taiwanese people. Not just our Taiwanese hosts and colleagues, but down to friendly Taiwanese strangers on the street who came to our assistance without our even asking.

Looking back it was an incredible experience which I will remember for the friends I have made both with the Taiwanese and my fellow delegates, most of which did not know each other prior to the adventure.

The experience with the culture and the discussions with our Taiwanese colleagues lets us know that there is not a right way or a wrong way of doing things, but rather a different way to accomplish many things whether it is a meal or a prosecution of a civil case. Our two legal systems are different systems addressing the same issues of any society. They, like us are very interested in fairness, ADRs, legal professionalism and continuing legal education and both are looking for new ideas to address these issues.

The congeniality of the Taiwanese Bar was shown at their National convention where we we honored guests. Attorneys and Judges from all over Taiwan came together for a few days camaraderie and solidarity. The Taiwanese attorneys and the Taiwanese legal system are held in high esteem by the public, something to which US attorneys need to aspire.

The Taiwanese Exchange has created great enthusiasm among the Delegates for the Taiwanese return visit in May or June of 2007 as well as for the next outgoing Exchange in 2008 to another country still to be determined. We Delegates look forward to sharing our experiences with the NCBA, our colleagues and the people of North Carolina.
-- Bill Harazin


Kaohsiung
(Thursday, June 1, 2006)

Delegates gather with members of the Kaohsiung Bar Association.

Today (Day 10) we are exchanging stories of last night's meeting and dinner with the Kaohsiung Bar Association. The meeting started off very formal with a minute-by-minute agenda. The attorneys were extremely grateful for the influence of the American judicial system in introducing cross examination to their trials. They shared with us that they provide free legal services not only in criminal cases but also in civil cases. Gray Wilson explained the role of our N.C. Bar Association which appears to perform essentially the same functions as their mandatory bar association.

After the meeting came the dinner where we were asked many questions about the practice of law in North Carolina and compared their judicial system with ours. For example, they have a 20% divorce rate and fathers who are more well-off generally get custody of the children due to their better ability to provide for the children. They were quite surprised that women get half of the property and often get the children in a divorce. They were also shocked at the high divorce rate in the U.S.

After discussing the law, it was time to party and boy do they know how to party. The attorneys go from person to person making toasts to each other. They also toasted each one of us numerous times expecting that with each toast a glass of wine is emptied. A lot of wine was consumed and then they brought out the karaoke machine. No one seemed shy as they performed in front of the group. The Carolina delegation got up and did a rendition of "Carolina on My Mind" as well as a number of other songs. By the end of the evening we had all made good friends with the Kaohsiung Bar and look forward to some of them coming on the return trip to North Carolina.

Today we visited the Buddhist Monastery established in 1967 by the Venerable Master Hsing Yun which is located on Fou-Kuang Mountain. The monastery is generally not open to tours but we were given special permission to tour it. It is the largest monastery in Taiwan. We were greeted by a nun and a monk from Australia who took us to the various temples on the property and explained the various levels which monks try to achieve. We ended our visit with a wonderful vegetarian luncheon.

Due to the heavy rains, we skipped the visit to Cheng Ching Lake and instead went to the Kaohsing Harbor which is the sixth largest container harbor in the world. On the way to the harbor we stopped at Longevity Mountain and visited the Shrine for the Martyrs.  After that we took a ferry boat ride to Chi Jing Island. A good day was had by all.
-- Marilyn Feuchs-Marker

Dragon Boat Festival
(Wednesday, May 31, 2006)

Enjoying a good laugh at the Dragon Boat Festival.

We hit our last bar stop on the trip, Kaohsiung, the second largest city (1.5 million) in Taiwan. A bustling port and ship-building center, Kaohsiung has historically been a major industrial center. The aborigines first gave it a name meaning “beating the dog,” but whatever that might suggest, the city is modern, well-planned and boasts a beautiful lake (Lotus Pond) surrounded by 15 Taoist and Buddhist temples just off the downtown area. The Hotel Holiday Garden is the most luxurious on the itinerary, open and airy, with a dim sum lounge and Cantonese restaurant off the lobby (bars are rare in Taiwanese hotels, so the delegation has been smuggling six packs in from a nearby 7-Eleven every night).

Today is a national holiday, the Dragon Boat Festival, along the Love River. It is an Oriental regatta with ornate narrow longboats crewed by 24 oars, racing in heats until only one team stands undefeated.  Along the riverbank one encounters everything from a midway with games for all ages to hip-hop groups, riders on horseback, local TV crews, street vendors, school children winding along as Chinese dragons and half the city on stroll. The weather is clear and hot, pushing into the nineties, but a late afternoon thunderstorm pushes in from the northwest over the Taiwan Strait.

That leaves the night-time dinner reception with the Kaohsiung Bar Association. Following a discussion of legal aid (they provide it now in civil and criminal cases), contingency fees (they have none) and cross-examination in the criminal courts (which they just pushed through with help from the United States, primarily the California Bar), a sumptuous spread awaits us once again. This time, the watchword for the evening is phonetically pronounced “Hatala,” which is loosely translated as “bottoms up.”  Reminiscent of the National Bar Association banquet, the NCBA delegation is hatalaed to death, or a state approaching same in terms of inebriation as we struggle to maintain face, good will and consciousness. 

After four plus hours, when it looks like things are winding down and we are almost home free, one of the local women attorneys wheels in a video screen and songbook chocked full of karaoke tunes, words and all. They sound pretty good warming up, but the NCBA needs a lot of practice at this past-time before taking it on the road. Albert Hwang from the NCBA delegation was the pick of the litter, but he sang a traditional Taiwanese song in the native tongue, so we could only guess what it was about and steel ourselves for the next hatala attack. The Taiwanese not only like singing in public, they actually do it well, and we were told that no lawyer makes it very far in this country with a poor set of pipes. Even the elderly Kaohsiung president ripped off an old standard toward the end, leaving no doubt about the source of his professional success.
-- Cheryl Wilson

Chamber of the Red Hair
(Wednesday, May 31, 2006)
No rain today. Yesterday it rained most of the day, very heavy at times. We experience typical Taiwan weather. Our guide tells us we have been lucky to date.

Yesterday we visit Confuscian temple located at the Chamber of the Red Hair. The emperor at the time this temple was built persecuted people who could read, write and were possessed of the learned arts. Those who could do so were killed, so this temple has no writings on the walls. At the top of the temple roof, we are told, are stone vases that contain scrolls, which in another era would have been made available to the public and engraved on the interior walls. The scrolls were hidden there to protect them from destruction, and the authors from a certain death.

We visit the Chamber of the Red Hair, so named for the Dutch colonialists who occupied Taiwan at the time. They were here until the 1600's, when the warlord Koxinga, of great power and fame, defeated the Dutch at this location in what is now called Tainan in Taiwan. The Temple was erected on the former site of the Dutch fortress and its administrative buildings. There is a gift shop here that has porcelain figures made by local artisans, considered to be of great beauty. I find a plate decorated with dragons, a sign of good fortune, and embossed with many symbols of good fortune, health and happiness.

Nearby we find several shops with ceramics and local art. The rains are torrential. We are soaked to the skin, and enter a shop operated by three generations of the same family. We are welcomed inside, offered tea and places to rest and good conversation and companionship. "Grandpa" was delighted to receive visitors, and sits with us for photos. Delegation members find china tea sets, porcelains and wall hangings; members of the family offer towels to dry our faces and hair and enjoy receiving visitors from afar. Our guide translates for us.

We see, for the first time, a motorcycle accident. Bill notes that the drivers seem to operate their bikes in an intricate waltz as traffic ebbs and flows en mass, weaving among the autos and buses that crowd the streets in a seamless web of movement.

The rains relent for a brief period; we journey out in the neighborhood, and find a wood carver's shop. On his wall is a framed newspaper article lauding his efforts and contributions in restoring ancient works of art. We are invited inside to watch and take photos. A younger man joins the older wood carver, who appears to be training him in the art of carving. Others in the shop add detail and participate in the completion of other pieces in progress.

We return to the bus, after venturing down several alley ways and side streets, including one that has fortune tellers; but language is a barrier here and we move on.

We visit a local museum that contains relics and works of art from Koxinga's period of rule, and some artifacts from more recent times. Included are displays of clothing worn by royal family members, military generals and high ranking civil servants. We see what appears to be children's shoes, only to learn that we have mistaken adult footwear for children's; the women's feet were bound from their early youth, small (tiny) feet being considered a sign of beauty. I think that these shoes are hardly the size of my children's baby shoes which are bronzed and preserved as a memento from their infancy.

I am beginning to understand why we are so welcomed in this country; the Taiwanese are a generous people, who enjoy visitors and giving (and receiving) gifts. The further the guest has traveled, the more important the visitor;  the further the distance traveled, the more respect is shown. Always we are asked where we have traveled from; if we are married and how many children we have, as family is very important and considered to be a form of wealth to the individual; local traditions reflect these beliefs. Age is respected, and grey hair is considered a thing of beauty (lucky for me.)

Some of us visit some local stores in the late afternoon, especially enjoying a visit to a "Three C" electronics store in downtown. Great values on all electronic gizmos; Marilyn gets a wonderful digital camera with all sorts of extras for a fraction of the US price.

All of that was yesterday; today we have traveled to Kaohsiung. It is a national holiday, and the Dragon Boat races take place today throughout the county. There is a festival along the river, and many boats and crews take part in the races, in which crews row the boats, which are decorated with dragon heads. Large drums are beaten to provide a rhythm for the oarsmen who race towards the finish, all accompanied by commentators urging them on over loudspeakers set up along the river. Many thousands of spectators line the riverside, with souvenir sellers, dancers, pavilions, horseback riders in teams, school children performing dragon dances and other entertainment. I hear fluent English, and meet about a dozen Canadians who are here on contract teaching English in the schools; also many French citizens, and those from other countries.

Earlier we visited the riverside before the race began, and found interesting souvenir shops with porcelains, carvings, painted fans, fortune telling machines that dispense written papers with your fortune on it; playgrounds for children, many temples and street vendors all preparing for the boat races. Linda finds beautiful painted porcelain hand puppets, carvings and the shop owner gives some of us pendants as gifts. I find a vendor selling magic tricks. People buy fake paper "money" which is burned and offered to deceased ancestors, so they have some spending "cash" in the afterlife. I make a mental note to make a  similar offering at the earliest opportunity.

At breakfast this morning, before we left Tainan, Grey tells us about a park he found where local residents go to exercise early in the morning. People were dancing, including square dancing, playing badminton, marital arts, dancing in traditional ways and meditating, listening to different types of music; he describes scenes of tranquility and beauty and harmony in the midst of the city, before it awakens for another day.

It is late; more later. Play it forward.
-- Richard Gabriel

Taichung to Tainan
(Monday, May 29, 2006)
Today was perhaps the most diverse day so far. We got to sleep a bit later for the first time, not leaving the hotel until 10:15. It was the nicest hotel by far, and we were sad to leave it behind. Taichung is the third largest city, and everyone liked its feel and size.

It only took a few minutes to get to another hotel in the city, where we were greeted at the door by several member of the Taichung Bar Association. After the traditional exchange of business cards “ceremony” at the door, we went to the second floor where we were greeted by a second receiving line and applause. As we entered the room there was a huge banner across the front reading “Welcome North Carolina Bar Association Visiting Taichung City.” Behind this were strings of tiny lights and rows of hanging concentric pink hearts and artificial flowers (I think there was a wedding scheduled for later in the day).

We were seated at tables of 10, with two N.C. attorneys at each table. There were individual introductions of each of us and of many of the local and national bar officials. We were advised that the Taichung bar was established in 1948, with 15 members. There are now 1,177 members, but only 234 are local. This is because you have to become a member of the bar to try cases in the Taichung district and so most of the members actually live in Taipei or Koahsiung. I also learned that of the resident members there were 4 female members in 1992 and now there are approximately 30.

After the formalities we met out table mates. The bar had specially arranged for each of us to have a particularly interesting person to our background sitting next to us. I had a woman with a Duke law degree who practices finance and securities law (I went to Duke and have a similar practice); I learned this had been arranged several months ago to ensure she would be there. This is typical of the great care they have given in planning for our visits in each place. As in each location, gifts were exchanged. We were presented with a beautiful ceramic wall piece for the bar association, which they told us they would expect to see when they visited (the association will have to buy a new case for all the items that have been presented). They also gave to each delegation member a box of the special deserts for which Taichung is famous.

Lunch was another major, multi-course meal; 11 courses to be exact, consisting of:  (1) cold appetizers of jellyfish with celery and cucumbers, cold chicken slices, jellied pork and fish; (2) curried and spiced shrimp with spinach; (3) sweet and sour chicken and shrimp rolls; (4) small beef steak with broccoli (we actually got to each this with a knife and fork); (5) soup of fish and tofu; (6) Peking duck; (7) asparagus and sweet peppers; (8) soup of eastern melon on chicken (you always have at least 2 soups); (9) green bean cakes; (10) “frog egg” (really tapioca) berry cream; and finally (11) watermelon on tomatoes. This is served with orange juice and red wine. There was much toasting, and we are all getting very good at drinking with two hands in the glasses—which is required for the toasting process.

After lunch we made a quick change out of our suits and took off for Sun Moon Lake, a resort area in the mountains in central Taiwan. While it is famous for its beauty and as a honeymoon spot (an clearly for its first class hotels), it is trying to get into the Guinness Book of Records for having the most people swim across the lake at one time. They claim to have had 100,000 in 2004 but someone drowned so it can’t go into the Book; they will try again this year. They also have an international fireworks contest there each year.

The lake is 33 km in circumference and 35 m deep. It is lush and green all around. In the center is a tiny island (about 30 square feet) which is what remain of La Lu Island, the island honored by the local indigenous people for a reason that I didn’t fully understand. That island is now protected and only the indigenous people can go on it, and then only once a year. On the shores, in addition to spectacular hotels are two important temples. First is the only martial arts/Confucius temple in Taiwan. The second is the home of the first Buddhist monk in Taiwan. We are able to take a small boat out into the lake, but it was rainy and misty so our range of view was limited. Still, as clouds shifted we were able to see everything.

After leaving the lake we headed to Tainan, departing at around 6:00 p.m. It was about a 2½-hour drive, and we stopped at an interesting rest stop along the way with a large food court. No one was particularly hungry for the duck heads or other interesting offerings, but Marilyn did manage to find some bread, peanut butter and strawberry jelly. So, much to the amazement of our tour guide, we all had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. She did acknowledge that this was a first for her in over 20 years of being a guide.

We finally got to the hotel around 9 – nice lobby, horrible rooms (somewhat like a VERY run down Red Roof Inn with marble bathroom sinks). Some folks crashed and some went out for a walk. I went to find an ATM but true to past experience only around 20% of them actually work; since I only found 3 I didn’t get money tonight. On the plus side, the streets are very safe and there are no beggars or homeless – or at least none that the tourists are allowed to see.
-- Linda Markus Daniels



National Bar Association
(Sunday, May 28, 2006)
You haven’t lived until you attend, as an honored guest, a meeting of the National Bar Association of Taiwan in Hsin-Chu (“Windy”) City, population 500,000. At least not like the way lawyers live in the Republic of China. The first-ever foreign delegation from the North Carolina Bar Association blew in with a healthy dose of jet lag (12-hour time difference) at the annual convention of 600 Taiwanese attorneys who know how to have a good time. In a culture where members of the bar enjoy high social status and an income to match, attorneys in this country exhibit a dignified, professional and reserved demeanor in business and political affairs (alas, the president of Taiwan is also an attorney). But when they get together as a group, it’s party time.

Our eight-member delegation (two stayed behind at the hotel with an irritating sore throat likely related to local air pollution) arrived at the height of the night-time banquet, only to be immediately ushered to the front dais, introduced individually and loaded with gifts (scarves, neck ties and assorted oolong teas, a national staple). Our local ambassador, Helena, an Oriental beauty sporting a robin’s-egg blue pantsuit (a popular national color), explained our purpose in her country, after which delegation leader Bill Harazin presented a North Carolina picture book, map and copy of the U.S. Constitution to the president of the national bar. The president responded in turn, by announcing to the crowd, speaking only in Mandarin Chinese, that everyone should visit our table over the course of the evening to toast us until we were thoroughly drunk. He was dead serious, and they took him at his word, presenting their business cards and wine glasses at our table for the next three hours of food and follies. (They were drinking French wine at the banquet, but the rice wine produced there will knock your socks off.) Between toasts, we dined on a 10-course meal served from the largest lazy Susan in the world (referred to in my Mandarin dictionary as “communal chow”): pork, fish, prawns, beef, cabbage balls, wonton/seafood soup, and a local fruit appropriately dubbed “fire dragon.”

Then the games began. First up was a local female comedienne, the theme of whose stand-up routine was that wives should treat their husbands like kings, or else. Punctuating her remarks with an occasional high-pitched whine, she explained how women should suppress their anger when their men misbehaved, swallowing their pride for the good of the family, which counts for much in this part of Asia. It was all tongue-in-cheek, thank God, not far removed from what you used to hear from a Gallagher gig here in America.

Then came the chugging contest, with past presidents coming to the stage to down a glass of wine in unison. Then a young karaoke-singing woman lawyer began to taunt the president with a glass of red wine, a challenge which he took up with ardor, downing several in turn until he finally began to feel the effects and spilled the better part of a glass on the front of his shirt. Then his wife got into the act, storming to the dais to protest any further consumption of libations. The confrontation was resolved when the couple split the glass between them, after which the young woman gulped down her own glass and departed with great fanfare.

Then the karaoke wars began in earnest, with performances by a wave of attorneys young and old, good voice and not so good, with song selections ranging from “Moon River” to “I Can’t Live Without You.” There was a young male lawyer vocalist-cum-rock star who knew how to shake major bootie. There was also a local talk-show host, the only non-lawyer in the bunch, whose primary function was to run the raffle of door prizes, ranging from a Mr. Coffee machine won by NCBA delegate John Erwin (who later graciously donated it to our tour guide Teresa) to a blender and an MP3. During these proceedings, toddlers wandered on and off the stage at random intervals, oblivious to the drama, but at least they weren’t singing.

It occurs to this writer that no group of attorneys ever had this much fun at an NCBA annual meeting, what with political rectitude and packed schedules, but perhaps there is something to be said for letting it all hang out the way they do in the Taiwan bar. No one remembers much about how the evening ended, for reasons mentioned above, but a good time was had by all.
-- Gray Wilson

Day 1 in Taipei
(Friday, May 26, 2006)
Day 1 in Taipei was an extraordinary experience of legal and cultural exchange.

The day began with visits to the Judicial Yuan and the Ministry of Justice.

At the Judicial Yuan, which is comparable to our courts system and the Administrative Office of the Courts, we met with several Judges (both criminal and civil) as well as Administrative Judicial officials. We learned about the structure of their court system which includes lower and appellate courts. There is no trial by jury, and all cases are heard and decided by judges. On appeal, judges sit alone or in panels of 3 depending on the case. Taiwan's court system suffers the same problem of overburdened dockets as do NC courts. Judicial Yuan judges and officials expressed strong interest in implementing Alternative Dispute Mechanisms to assist in handling their ever-increasing work load. Our delegation was warmly received and treated honorably by the Judicial Yuan.

At the Ministry of Justice we were also welcomed warmly and discussed openly and exchanged many issues and debate regarding the death penalty, political corruption, prosecutor training and criminal process in Taiwan and NC. We met with the Vice Minister of the Ministry, as well as several prosecuting attorneys. The Clerk of Courts office appeared very similar to what you would expect to find in a clerk's office in N.C., except that it was located in the same building as the prosecuting attorney's office as opposed to the office of the Judicial Yuan. We were also taken on a tour of the Ministry of Justice Offices, including a typical courtroom where cases were heard, which was the highlight of our visit.

After these visits we returned to the hotel to change cloths for site seeing. We toured first the Martyrs Shrine which is the memorial to all those who have given their life in winning independence from mainland China. Words can not do the visual experience justice and many pictures were taken so that the beauty of the Martyrs Shrine can be understood by others more fully.

We next visited the Chang Kai Shek Memorial which was an extraordinary place within Taipei. It was constructed in recent history from marble quarried from Italy and resembled a Pyramid structure. The whole memorial is located on at least 30 acres of land right in the heart of urban Taipei where property values are extraordinarily high (a 1,200-square foot apartment in a high-rise building can fetch over $1million). The reverence for Chang Kai Shek is on full display at the memorial through the grand structures, plush gardens, large plazas and stately atmosphere. It was truly a sight to behold. Pictures a plenty were taken and can be enjoyed for years to come.

The day was still not over and included a meeting with the Taipei Bar Association. We met with the President of the Taiwan Bar Association which is similar to a local bar association such as the Wake County Bar Association. We are attending the national Taiwan Bar Association meeting later in the week. We also met with several members of the Taipei Bar Association including sole practitioners, members of small and large Taipei firms, and attorneys practicing for large worldwide law firms such as Jones Day and Baker & McKenzie. Our discussions revealed the need and desire of Taipei Bar members to implement alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to help the overburdened court systems in Taipei.

After our meeting we dined at a fine Chinese restaurant named Su Hang. Food was excellent, drink was plenty, and the hosts tremendously generous and kind. We all left the restaurant fully satisfied from our wonderful meal and amazed at the full day of cultural and legal exchange that we had experienced. It was a day to remember for all. Pictures of the day's events will be provided upon our return. 
-- Ben Kuhn

Arriving in Taipei
(Thursday, May 25, 2006)
We arrived at the Taiwan hotel after traveling over 30 hours, including 16 hours, 20 minutes in one flight from N.Y. City to Hong Kong. I wasn’t able to sleep any on the plane, nor did most of the group. We checked in to the hotel at 1:15 a.m., and had our first meetings with the Judicial Yuan and Ministry of Justice at 9:30 a.m. the same morning.

We did some light sightseeing and then met with the Taiwan Bar Association for two hours late afternoon. The Taiwan Bar took us to dinner at a nice restaurant, where we feasted on jelly fish, eel, baked sea bass, shrimp with the heads on (deep fried in a Cajun type sauce), some rather interesting dumplings, several types of pork prepared in a spicy sauce, and a local beer and wine that were certainly different from anything I have tried before. 

There were several other dishes that I never was quite sure about, but that Taiwan beer will wash anything down. All kidding aside, the food was quite good. The desserts were typical of what you can find at any restaurant, cake, cobblers, pies, lots of fruit. The one thing I have not seen is any type of cheese. Much of the food is really the same as we are accustomed to eating, especially for breakfast. Eggs, pancakes, rolls, sausage, fruit juice and fresh fruits are served, along with a lot of seafood items.

This place makes New York City look sparsely populated. The most popular form of transportation seems to be small motorcycles, the little wheel jobs that are becoming popular in the States now. Next to the motorcycles are taxis; “schools of yellow taxi fishes” is a good description. The weather is hot, humid, and cloudy.

We are treated with great respect and have had some very interesting and in-depth conversations with the Judicial Yuan (our court system equivalent is probably the AOC, but much more in control of lawyers and the courts, and heavily involved in legislative activities.) The Ministry of Justice is somewhat analogous to our Attorney General’s office, but again very different. There is no trial by jury. Lawyers basically are involved in litigation; much of what we do in an office practice is carried out by non-lawyers, especially CPAs and other experts in the layman aspect of the matter. They have a real interest in how we handle legal matters in our courts. It is customary to give small gifts to visitors, and they are very generous to us.

Since I have slept about five hours in the last 48, I’m going to call it a day (or night or whatever it is.) We are 12 hours ahead on the clock, and it is Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. here.

See you later on the other side of the globe.
-- Richard Gabriel

The Journey Begins(Tuesday, May 23, 2006)
History is in the making today as a delegation representing the North Carolina Bar Association makes its way to the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The NCBA’s first cultural exchange program with Taiwan, two years in the making, continues through June 4. The 10-member traveling party is currently en route from New York City to Hong Kong and will arrive in Taipei on Thursday.           

The attorney exchange has been coordinated by the NCBA International Law and Practice Section. A delegation of attorneys from Taiwan will complete the exchange process when they visit North Carolina in 2007.

William D. “Bill” Harazin of Raleigh is serving as the delegation leader. A principal in a law firm that bears his name, Harazin is also an adjunct professor in the School of Textiles at N.C. State University.     

Comprising the remainder of the delegation is:

Linda Markus Daniels, a founder and principal in the Research Triangle Park firm of Daniels Daniels Verdonik. Daniels is also an officer and director of the N.C. Technology Association;           

Jonathan S. Dills, who operates a Winston-Salem firm which bears his name in addition to a landholdings company, Dills Properties, LLC. He is currently a candidate for the District Court bench in District 21;

John R. Erwin, a partner in the law firm of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein who practices in Raleigh. Erwin has previously participated in two N.C. Department of Commerce European Missions and service on the International Law Section council;

Marilyn Feuchs-Marker, a partner in Smith Moore LLP whose office is in Greensboro. Feuchs-Marker was serving as chair of the International Law Section when the Taiwan cultural exchange was first proposed by then-NCBA President G. Gray Wilson;

Richard W. Gabriel, managing partner for Gabriel, Berry & Weston, L.L.P., in Greensboro. A former visiting lecturer at Guilford College and Guilford Technical Community College, Gabriel has co-authored several CLE courses on personal injury and business planning;          

Albert C. Hwang is an associate in the Raleigh office of Troutman Sanders LLP. Hwang earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy and international studies with a focus on East Asia and political science and has visited Taiwan on numerous occasions for work and study;      

Benjamin R. Kuhn, founder of the Kuhn Law Firm, PLLC, in Raleigh. Kuhn focuses his practice on real estate, business, land use, zoning, administrative and regulatory matters and litigation; and         

G. Gray Wilson, senior partner in Wilson & Coffey, LLP, in Winston-Salem, and his wife, Cheryl M. Wilson. The Wilsons have traveled extensively, especially in 2004-05 in conjunction with his tenure as president of the NCBA.       

It was also during that time that the seeds for this excursion were planted. Near the outset of his term in 2004, Wilson asked the International Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, with the assistance of U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, to initiate contact with the Taiwan and Taipei Bar Associations to propose a legal-cultural exchange of delegations to share information about their respective legal systems.

The endeavor resulted in a first-ever foreign invitation to a lawyer delegation from North Carolina to attend Taiwan’s national bar association convention, which is taking place during this trip. The invitation also included meetings with Taiwan’s highest-ranking judicial officials and a host of local bar associations around the island.      

As noted above, Feuchs-Marker was serving as chair of the International Law Section at this time. She called on Harazin, a veteran of a Rotary International Scholars excursion to Japan and China, to lead the attorney exchange.         

“I’ve been working on it ever since,” said Harazin, who convened several meetings of the delegation over the past few months. “Everyone has gotten together two or three times, so we know each other.”        

Flights will originate from Raleigh and Greensboro. After hooking up in New York City, the 10-member traveling party headed out on a 16-hour flight that will carry them over the North Pole to Hong Kong, then on to Taiwan.         

“The plan is to send a delegation on even-numbered years and receive a delegation on odd-numbered years,” Harazin added. “We are in the process right now of forming two committees, one to receive the Taiwan delegation in June of next year and one to select the destination and plan the 2008 trip.”        

Hosting of the NCBA delegation will be shared by the national bar of Taiwan and four local bar associations in the cities of Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

Hsinchu, Harazin noted, is a sister city of Cary, home of the N.C. Bar Center. In regard to that relationship, the NCBA delegation has been provided with gifts to present to the mayor of Hsinchu, which in turn is hosting a luncheon for the delegation.    

Contacted the day before departing, Harazin compared his excitement to that of the family on the television commercial that is going to Disney World the next day.

“I’m too excited to sleep,” Harazin said. “Maybe that’s how we all feel.”