Cuba 2023 – Navigating Opportunities in the Current Business and Regulatory Environment

Winston & Strawn recently hosted a U.S.-Cuba relations policy-driven conference in Washington, D.C. that brought together legal officials, business operators, entrepreneurs, and investors in Cuba.

The program was filled with distinguished members of government, including the U.S. Department of State, officials from the Cuban Embassy, and prominent business executives operating inside and outside of Cuba. Panelists shared their personal experiences working with business counterparties in Cuba and discussed opportunities in a variety of industry areas including biotechnology, healthcare, renewable energy, environmental cleanup and sustainability, cattle ranching, and the arts.  

Conference attendees interested in cross-border trade between the U.S. and Cuba joined live in Washington, D.C. and virtually to engage in opportunistic and innovative discussions regarding Cuba's private sector. Among the speakers presenting at the conference was Dr. Thomas Schwaab, Chief of Strategy and Business Development of the Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York, who was Roswell’s business lead in establishing what many believe to be the most significant U.S.-Cuba joint venture to have been formed to date. This venture focuses on the development and commercialization of anti-lung cancer vaccines and other immunotherapy products.

“It was a tremendous pleasure to participate in this important conference on Cuba hosted by Winston & Strawn, especially at a time when groundbreaking Cuban biotechnology can be developed to benefit patients and save lives in the U.S. and worldwide,” said Dr. Schwaab.

Conference participants generally concurred that going forward more opportunities for future U.S.-Cuba collaboration exist in many of the areas discussed, notwithstanding today’s challenging regulatory landscape. It is hoped that some of the success stories discussed during the program and the results of further collaboration will contribute to a less restricted regulatory environment in the long run and play a positive role in the economic development of Cuba.

Cuba 2023 – Navigating Opportunities in the Current Business and Regulatory Environment was hosted by Winston partner Cari Stinebower.

Photos courtesy of Laurence L. Levin Photography