FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2010
Contact: Matthew Dunlap
207-626-8400

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap Welcomes Delegation from Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon

Group to learn about Maine’s Uniform Commercial Code e-Government services

On Wednesday, August 4, 2010, Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap will host a delegation of banking executives from Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon who are participating in the World Bank Study Tour. The delegation will meet with Department officials, representatives from InforME, the state’s e-Government partner, and local banking officials to discuss establishing a secured transactions registry, similar to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) online filing system administered by the Department of the Secretary of State. “We are honored to welcome representatives from the World Bank Study Tour this week,” said Dunlap, noting “we are excited to have the opportunity to share our experiences with the Uniform Commercial Code online filing system, and hope any information we can share will be beneficial to our visitors.”

Julie Flynn, Deputy Secretary of State and Cathy Beaudoin, Director of Corporations, UCC and Commissions will discuss the challenges, issues and practical day to day management of the secured transactions registry with the delegation.

The World Bank Group in Washington, DC, which is coordinating visits to Maine and Massachusetts, is assisting the governments of these countries to modernize their secured transactions laws and registries. Maine’s UCC Filing system has been nationally recognized for its innovation, filing and searching features, and user friendliness. Maine’s leadership in electronic filing and searching was central to its selection as one of the models to be reviewed by the study tour.

The Secretary of State’s office has arranged to have local bank officials from Gorham Savings Bank, Camden National Bank, the Maine Bankers Association, and Ms. Gretchen Jones, a UCC attorney with the Auburn law firm of Skelton, Taintor & Abbott participate in the study tour visit. The local bank officials will provide guidance and answer questions relating to decisions they make as filers of financing statements and amendments and for conducting UCC searches. Attorney Jones will discuss the legal effects of a UCC filing and provide an overview of Title 11, Article 9-A Maine’s UCC Law.