Portland Lawyer Returns from Successful Trade Mission to Estonia

Scott Schul says the Baltic Nation of Estonia Offers a Prime Investment Opportunity for Maine and New England Companies

PORTLAND, Maine (April 14, 2000)-- Scott E. Schul, an attorney with Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, has returned from a one-person trade mission to Estonia confident the region offers a prime investment opportunity for Maine and New England companies.

Schul met with a wide range of Estonian governmental officials and commercial leaders as well as the Honorable Melissa Wells, the U.S. Ambassador to Estonia, during his 10-day trip to the thriving Northern European country.

"This trip really confirmed my belief that Estonia is ripe for development and should be considered seriously by Maine companies looking for untapped trade potential," said Schul, a shareholder with Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, one of northern New England's largest law firms. "Estonia provides easy distribution access to more than 100 million consumers in the Baltic Sea region, and has many programs in place to attract and retain investors. I know now that the business opportunities there are real."

Schul traveled to Estonia intent on getting a firsthand view and fostering increased trade and economic relationships on behalf of the business community in Maine and throughout New England. Estonia offers a natural distribution link to Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe and western Russia. He envisions Maine companies setting up partnerships with counterparts in Estonia and funneling their exports through those companies, tapping into a market still largely untouched by U.S. competitors. Estonia also offers highly trained, low cost labor that is utilized by companies such as mobile phone giant Ericsson for value-added manufacturing.

Located on the Baltic Sea along the northern coast of Europe, Estonia has experienced rapid economic growth since regaining its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991 along with its Baltic neighbors, Latvia and Lithuania.

With a stable economy, democratically-elected government, flat tax rate and balanced budget, Estonia, which is similar in size to Massachusetts and in population to Maine, is attractive to foreign investors in search of business opportunities. With a deep water port and an efficient transportation system, Schul said, the country also provides a safe and effective distribution gateway into Russia. The Estonian government also is committed to building a high-technology economy, he said. Estonia is a world leader in the percentage of its population with Internet connections.

Estonia's anticipated admission into the European Union and NATO will provide even greater stability and security to the region, Schul said.

For more information about the country and its economic opportunities, Schul urged those interested to log on to www.estemb.org, Estonia's official web site in Washington D.C.

Schul is a member of Bernstein, Shur's growing International Law and Trade Practice Group. Attorneys in the group advise Maine companies on doing business overseas, and also are active in assisting foreign nationals in the purchase and development of businesses in the U.S. The firm recently translated its award-winning web site, www.mainelaw.com, into six languages.

Schul, a Portland resident, earned an L.L.M. in taxation from Boston University in 1997. He is a 1991 graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown, W. Va., and a 1988 graduate of Clarion University of Pennsylvania in Clarion, Pa.

Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson is one of northern New England's largest law firms with more than 60 attorneys in offices in Portland and Augusta. The firm provides legal services in all major subject areas, including corporate and commercial law, litigation and trials, municipal and governmental affairs, and tax and estate planning. In addition to international law, BSSN also has an active practice in health law, environmental law, technology and e-commerce, employment law, legislative law, intellectual property, electric utilities and other regulated industries. For more information, log on to the firm's web site at www.mainelaw.com.

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