Telecommunications and E-Commerce Minister Michael Scott is kicking off the autumn e-business marketing programme by targeting the legal community in Bermuda, London and New York.

The aim, he says, is to encourage more e-businesses to come to Bermuda ? and to do that he is meeting with the legal communities, because they often advise clients on where to incorporate.

To begin with, Mr. Scott is to meet today with Bermuda?s legal community at the Chamber of Commerce at a closed meeting.

Following that, Mr. Scott will address a small group of New York-based lawyers on October 21 to discuss Bermuda?s incorporation processes and share recent research from American attorneys, as well as the feedback received from Bermuda?s legal community. Then on November 18, Mr. Scott will be in London to speak to address a group of UK-based solicitors on the same issues.

Mr. Scott said: ?From the research that we conducted with CEOs and American attorneys earlier in the year, it was apparent that the legal community has a great deal of influence when advising CEOs where to incorporate their e-business practices. And so we are taking the Bermuda story to the lawyers in each of the relevant jurisdictions.?

He added: ?We look forward to extending our outreach to an additional group of influencers as we continue to raise awareness of Bermuda?s e-business capabilities. We continue to drive the e-government message and will begin to target accountants early next year.?

Qualitative research has suggested that in order for Bermuda to compete more effectively it needs to develop relationships, increase publicity and it must be easy to do business here.

In addition, lawyers interviewed felt that those businesses operating exclusively online had a much easier task of establishing an offshore presence than traditional ?bricks and mortar? businesses.