The professional staff of the member firms are highly qualified in their respective fields. Many have worked at length outside their domestic territory and, as such, are conversant with local, regional and international business customs, accounting practices, regulatory issues, tax laws, administrations, political and economic issues and financing practices. They have extensive contacts that have been cultivated over many years with corporations, governments, law firms, accounting firms, banks and other relevant bodies. In addition to the education and training that member staff have received within their country of origin, many have worked at large global investment banking firms including Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Merrill Lynch, and Lehman Brothers.