FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arizona Town Hall Seeks to Strengthen Arizona-Mexico Regional Cooperation

PHOENIX, Ariz. (May 18, 2017) – Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C., in partnership with Arizona Town Hall, is pleased to host the inaugural Community Town Hall on May 25-26, 2017 at the Hotel Lucerna in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.

The Community Town Hall event in Hermosillo was one of the recommendations issued from the 108th Arizona Town Hall. Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, a long-time supporter of Arizona Town Hall, is the premier sponsor of the event.

“The objective of the event is to bring diverse perspectives from both sides of the border to constructively discuss how to strengthen economic partnerships and cooperation between Arizona and Sonora for the betterment of the region as a whole,” states Patrick F Welch, an attorney at Jennings, Strouss & Salmon who, through his relationships and contacts in Hermosillo, has been instrumentalin arranging the Community Town Hall.

The event will also include remarks from key leaders helping to shape state and national policy impacting this important relationship, including:

  • Rafael Fernandez de Castro, Department Head of International Studies at the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico
  • Karen Ogle, Consul General of the United States of America, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
  • Flor Ayala, Local Deputy, Congress of the State of Sonora
  • Ruben Gallego, Representative, Arizona District 7, U.S. House of Representatives.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, American goods and services trade with Mexico totaled an estimated $579.7 billion in 2016. Mexico is currently the United States’ third largest goods trading partner with $525.1 billion in (two way) goods trade during 2016. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been one of the main drivers for this economic growth as demonstrated by this substantial growth as compared to pre-NAFTA statistics. Arizona, because it borders Mexico, has been identified as one of the states that has benefitted the most from NAFTA.

According to the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, Mexico is Arizona’s number one trade partner, accounting for about 30% of all Arizona’s exports to foreign markets and 37% of all Arizona’s imports from foreign markets. Arizona exports to Mexico in 2016 totaled $8.32 billion, and primarily include manufacturing products and agricultural goods.

“As an attorney representing United States and Mexican-based companies and individuals involved in cross-border trade and investment between Arizona and Mexico, I have seen an uptick in inquiries for legal services relating cross-border activities,” states Welch. “The take away from these statistics and my personal experience is that economic trade and investment between Arizona and Mexico is of critical importance to Arizona’s economy and the Arizona-Sonora region as a whole.”

The upcoming Community Town Hall in Hermosillo will provide an excellent opportunity for stakeholders involved in cross-border trade and investment between Arizona and Mexico to come together to explore how Arizona and Sonora can expand their vibrant economic partnership. It will also addressopportunities and challenges raised by globalization. For example, what are the prospects for development of the Arizona-Sonora region as an important regional hub for international commerce? Participants may choose to discuss infrastructure needs, tax reforms,and other policies needed to make the most of the region’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.

“Participants will discuss commercial trends that could influence the region, the impact of immigration and border security, and how Sonora and Arizona can serve as a template for a productive relationship between Mexico and the United States. These are just some of the important topics that participants will discuss at the Community Town Hall event in Hermosillo later this month,” states Tara Jackson, President of Arizona Town Hall. “Participants at this event will undoubtedly leave with a better understanding of the role we all play in supporting the important relationship between Arizona and Sonora, and how to help improve our regional and global competitiveness.”

About Arizona Town Hall

Arizona Town Hall educates, engages, connects and empowers people to resolve important issues through consensus, not division, using a process based on respectful dialogue that values diverse perspectives, builds relationships and fosters leadership development. For more information, visit

About Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C.

Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C., has been providing legal counsel for 75 years through its offices in Phoenix and Peoria, Arizona; and Washington, D.C. The firm's primary areas of practice include agribusiness; automobile dealership law; bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors’ rights; construction; corporate and securities; employee benefits and pensions; energy; family law and domestic relations; health care; intellectual property; international law; labor and employment; legal ethics; litigation; professional liability defense; real estate; surety and fidelity; tax; and trust and estates. For additional information please visit and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

The firm’s affiliate, B3 Strategies, assists clients with lobbying and public policy strategy at the local, state, and federal levels. For more information please visit

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Contact: Dawn O. Anderson | | 602.495.2806

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