Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Mixing it Up in Montreal

Ambassador Wilkins bid a big "Bonjour y'all!" to Montreal earlier this week as he and members of the Nelson Mullins team paid a visit to the beautiful downtown offices of the Stikeman Elliott law firm.

Nelson Mullins' Bill Hogan, Pat Clendenen and Michael Hollingsworth joined Wilkins on the trip and deeply appreciated the warm welcome and hospitality they received from William Rosenberg and his fellow partners at Stikeman Elliott. 

A prestigious Canadian crowd gathered to discuss potential business development and issues of mutual interest.  For Ambassador Wilkins, it was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with great friends like Greg Kane, Marc Villeneuve, Seth Kursman and the US Consul General in Montreal, Lee McClenny. 

It's been a year since Wilkins left Canada and his duties as US Ambassador behind.  And what a year it's been!  The Ambassador spoke to the group about how much has changed including US trade policies and the shifting political winds heading into November's midterm election that could dramatically impact the current political makeup of the US Congress. 

More from Wilkins' remarks: 

Admittedly I'm biased when it comes to Canada but I'm also a bottom-line kind of guy:  So whether we're talking trade and economic prosperity, security and the war on terror, or simply common connections like the values and ideals we cherish -- there is no stronger bilateral relationship than the US-Canada bond.

And for all those reasons it's a relationship worth investing in! 

Wilkins pointed out with dollar parity and assets in the US suppressed, now is the time for Canadians to seriously look south for business development because the loonie packs a lot of punch!    He pointed to the success of Porter Airlines and its US connections – including a brand new stop slated for the end of next month in our own Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – home of the annual March Can-Am Days that regularly attracts tens of thousands of Canadians to the Carolina shore.   Y'all come now, ya hear! 

The Ambassador also discussed his concerns regarding current US trade policies including "Buy America" and the embrace of protectionism by this Congress. 

While Wilkins and so many others remain deeply concerned about these disturbing policies the political winds are shifting again.   Big-spending programs are apparently not the change most Americans say they want. 

More from the Ambassador's remarks: 

Americans are demanding a scaled-back government, lower taxes, and jobs, jobs, jobs! 

If I had said just 360 days after the president's inauguration a little-known Republican state senator would win the late Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts and Republicans would have a legitimate shot at reclaiming the US Senate in the 2010 midterm elections – you'd have wondered how much I'd been drinking! 

But that's exactly where we stand today.  Massachusetts voters said deficit reduction was a higher priority than health care reform. Brown ran on a very specific agenda:  Stop health care. Don't coddle terrorists.  Cut taxes. 

Wilkins went on to point out Republicans have to earn the voters' trust and this shift reflects an anti-incumbent mood which has a greater impact on the party in power.  He told the gathering the Massachusetts election now puts the current health care proposal in jeopardy along with cap and trade legislation. 

Wilkins concluded that Americans are uncomfortable with a majority wielding absolute power and suggested a "correction election" this coming November which will see substantial GOP pick-ups in both the US House and the Senate. 

As Wilkins said, "Stay tuned and fasten your seatbelts.  It's going to be quite a ride this year!" 

Going Global

After Montreal, Ambassador Wilkins headed back down south to Columbia, South Carolina where tonight he participates on a panel hosted by the US Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) and University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides. 

The USGLC is a "broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs."  Members include national security and foreign policy experts as well as business and faith-based leaders from across the US who support "elevating development and diplomacy alongside defense" in approaching the world's problems.   General Colin Powell serves as honorary chair. 

The event will be keynoted by Dr. Richard N. Haass, president, Council on Foreign Relations with remarks offered by former SC Governor Jim Hodges.  Panel participants include the president and CEO of the SC Chamber of Commerce, Otis Rawl and Derreck Kayongo who serves as the Senior Advocacy Coordinator for the Southeast region of CARE.

Wilkins will discuss his service as US Ambassador to Canada and as usual plans to spend time praising the efforts of the Canadian Forces and their heroic service in Afghanistan as well as Canada's mighty, generous and critical role in the Haiti relief efforts.  

Go Gamecocks! 

We're all about equal opportunity here at Team Wilkins and since one of us is consumed with all-things Clemson University, we thought it time to brag on another state landmark – the University of South Carolina and them fightin' Gamecocks. 

This week USC's men's basketball team made school history (and frankly stunned everyone, including it appears, President Obama) when it beat the number one team in the nation – the Kentucky Wildcats!  The Gamecocks sent shock waves through the sports world, besting the Wildcats 68-62.    

Earlier in the day, President Obama in thanking the Wildcats for their Haiti relief efforts, predicted Kentucky "should be all right" against our Gamecocks. 

Hmm.  Seems to us the president might want to start giving the underdogs more credit!