|
Bennett Caplan - Executive Director
Bennett Caplan has served as the Head of Secretariat of FIVS and as the Executive Director of Abridge since 2003. An attorney and government affairs specialist with extensive experience in public policy and regulatory matters regarding the alcohol beverage industry, Bennett was previously Senior Director of International and Government Affairs at Allied Domecq, Director of Policy Development at Seagram, and a partner at McDermott, Will & Emery. He has served as President of the Washington Foreign Law Society, as Vice President of the Washington Fletcher Alumni Association, and as a member of the board of directors of the International Wine Law Association. He has taught graduate-level courses on international trade policy at the University of Maryland and Syracuse University. Bennett is a graduate of Columbia University, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and Boston College Law School.
|
|
Laurel Parker - Director
As Director of Abridge, Laurel Parker works on international alcohol regulatory and trade agreement matters, providing guidance on international trade policy and compliance matters in the global alcohol beverage sector. In this capacity, Laurel works closely with international producer and government regulators from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) Wine Regulatory Forum, the International Wine Technical Summit (IWTS), and the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG). She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she received a Bachelors of Arts, magna cum laude, in international relations and Spanish and a juris doctorate from the George Washington University School of Law. More recently, Laurel earned a Diploma in Wine Law with a focus on Trademarks & Geographical Indications for Wines & Spirits from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France. She has also authored articles on international trade and intellectual property issues.
|
|
|
