LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LETTER FROM THE BRITISH CONSUL GENERAL

The British American Business Council Northern California, French American Chamber of Commerce San Francisco and German American Business Association  in cooperation with many European Chambers of Commerce invite you to join us for another wonderful European Networking Evening.  

Come and mingle with entrepreneurs and a range of professionals involved in cross-border business in a relaxed and European atmosphere! Exact location in San Francisco will be announced shortly.

The BABC NeXtGen | Emerging Leaders group, in partnership with Bia Mindset, are excited to launch a leadership series, Empower Now: Leading Self.

Throughout the series, you will embark on a transformative learning experience, gaining valuable insights and practical tools that empower you to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the modern workplace with confidence and finesse. By increasing self-awareness, focusing on leadership development, and behavioral dynamics, Empower Now: Leading Self provides a solid foundation for personal and professional growth.

Join us on Tuesday, October 3rd 2023, for Session 1: Resilient Self – Train The Inevitable (location TBD).

In an ever-changing world where expectations to meet demands are high and faced with a level of uncertainty, developing, and training your resilience supports you to deal with this. Not only this but it moves to help individuals and teams to thrive rather than just cope or survive. The purpose of this session is to highlight the latest insights about resilience from elite sport and business that you can take back and train for the inevitable.

$25 - BABC Members

$50 - Non Members

Calling all golfers! We're excited to launch our 2023 tournament, this year to be held on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at the beautiful and sunny Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, with awe-inspiring scenery along the 20-mile Crystal Springs Reservoir.

The Course, which forms part of a 32,000-acre wildlife refuge, was designed by British architect W. Herbert Fowler, a golf-lover who changed the history of course design.

Get your foursomes together and join us for a fun day of golf and networking, or become a sponsor (foursomes included!). There is a cash prize of $20,000 for your Par 3 Hole-in-One and lots of other prizes to be won as well!

ONLY 3 WEEKS REMAIN FOR EARLY-BIRD PRICING!

We are thrilled to announce that tickets and tables for this prestigious event are now available for purchase! Act swiftly to take advantage of our Early-Bird Pricing available now until Labor Day!

NEW DATE, SAME FABULOUS LOCATION!

The Annual Christmas Luncheon is the BABC's flagship social event and a real highlight of the City's holiday season. Typically attended by over 1,000 members of the Bay Area business community, this year, we will celebrate the 60th "Diamond" Annual Christmas Luncheon which will once again be held at the spectacular Fairmont Hotel, atop Nob Hill on Friday, December 15th, 2023.

The Fairmont is pleased to offer discounted room rates for our guests. There are currently 10 rooms available at these rates. If the block is showing as full, please contact Jo Healey. We will see if we can get an additional room block.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR DISCOUNTED ROOM

Sponsorship opportunities are also now available, offering premium seating close to the stage, as well as exclusive pre-and during-event promotional opportunities. Contact Jo Healey for more information.

It was a warm summer evening at our Wine, Beer and Business Banter event on Tuesday, July 25th, 2023 at Werqwise’s gorgeous roof-top deck. The summer vibes were energetic and lots of lovely new connections made. This event, which is casual in nature and generally takes place after BABC Board Meetings, is held just a few times a year and is the perfect opportunity for members to meet our Board and catch up on all the activities of the organization as well as discover new business opportunities. It is also an opportunity for companies and individuals considering joining BABC Northern California to meet with our Board and fellow members to learn how we can help them with their business development goals.

Thanks to all who attended. It was a pleasure to meet so many new people! And a special thanks to Werqwise and their exceptional team/support. The experience never disappoints!

To view all the photos from the event, click HERE.

Incredible July evening for the Young Professionals version of the annual European Networking series. Over 80 guests joined us on the sunny roof deck Werqwise in San Mateo. We’d like to thank all of the European Chambers of Commerce of the Bay Area for joining us and making this such a special and fun gathering. Huge thanks go to Cristina Gray at Werqwise for taking such good care of us as always.

If you or someone you know is looking for a vibrant and gorgeous place to work with the most exceptional member experience team, take a look at Werqwise’s flexible spaces in San Francisco and San Mateo!

To see more photos from the event, click HERE.

Every month, the BABC will spotlight a Thought Leadership Article from our members. 

This month, we are delighted to share the following article from Corporate member, Osborne Clarke:

"What is the status of EU, UK and international regulation of artificial intelligence?"

The British American Business Council Northern California (BABCSF) has named the British Benevolent Society of California (BBS) as its charity partner for the 60^th Diamond Annual BABC Christmas Luncheon. The British Benevolent Society of California, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, provides critical aid and relief to British citizens in need.

“This year’s Diamond celebration lunch will help support the important work of the BBS,” said Jo Healey, executive director of the BABC. “As our British, US and diplomatic communities gather on December 15 to celebrate the holidays and the business and cultural ties between Northern California and the UK, we also want to acknowledge and support the important philanthropy and community impact of the BBS.”

Established in 1858, the BBS’s mission is to help and support British Nationals. The BBS supports those who have fallen on hard times due to the pandemic, are unhoused, have experienced domestic abuse and violence, or have fallen severely ill with no health insurance. The BBS also helps those who need to be repatriated to the United Kingdom due to family or financial distress.

To continue reading, click HERE.

Bird & Bird’s international employment team is delighted to announce the launch of the International L&E Club. The new podcast — the 5 in 10 series — features our international labor and employment lawyers delivering 5 key takeaways in 10 minutes that are focused on a specific international theme relevant to the US market.

It is hosted by US-based Employment Partner Pattie Walsh. Across the series she will be chatting with the international team on a wide range of L&E hot topics. Episode 1 & Episode 2 are available now.

Faced with growing geostrategic challenges, it is important that the United States and Europe more closely align their strategies on critical and emerging technologies. This summer the Economic Institute and EIT-Digital released a joint report entitled "Viewpoint: Why the U.S. and Europe

Need to Work Better Together on Technology," that made the case. 

This column summarizes the argument that differences over digital privacy and the regulation of digital platforms shouldn’t impede US-EU cooperation on larger strategic issues.

To read the report, click HERE.

Michelmores is pleased to announce that the Firm has been recognised for its legal expertise and excellent client care in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2023.

Michelmores is highly ranked in five practice areas, with seven of the Firm’s lawyers also recognised as leading lawyers. Notably, for the first time, the Firm’s Real Estate High Value Residential team has been ranked (Band 2) and recognised as a national leader outside of London. James Frampton, Partner in Michelmores’ Tax, Trusts & Succession team, has been ranked for the first time for Private Wealth Law and Tony Cockayne, Partner at Michelmores and head of the Disputed Wills and Trusts team, has moved into Band 1 in the South West for Private Wealth Disputes.

Chambers High Net Worth differentiates the best legal talent for international private wealth by identifying and ranking law firms and lawyers in this area globally. The firms and individuals ranked in its market leading annual guide understand the complex needs of HNW individuals and provide specialist advice and legal services.

To read more, click HERE.

Zedra Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Dom D'Costa as Commercial Director, leading the company in its Bay Area presence.

Closely connected to San Francisco and Silicon Valley’s vibrant business and tech communities, the office also advises companies throughout the US West Coast on global expansion related matters.

On 10 July 2023, the European Commission adopted its adequacy decision on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (“EU-US DPF”), which entered into force with immediate effect. The EU-US DPF is a mechanism to enable compliance with EU data protection requirements when transferring personal data from the EU to the US and is the third attempt at a data transfer mechanism for transatlantic data flows after the Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield were invalidated by the Court of Justice of the European Union in 2015 and 2020 respectively.

Join our speakers Christopher Gotz, Emily Jones, Olivia Ward and Jan Zücker as they focus on what the scope of the EU-US DPF is, its practical application, factors to consider in deciding whether to self-certify and the perception of the framework in Europe.

By attending this session, you will:

• Gain an overview of the background leading up to the current adoption of the EU-US DPF and how the framework sits alongside other transfer mechanisms;
• Understand what the DPF is, its scope and how it affects organisations on a practical level, as well as deep dive into the impact on Standard Contractual Clauses and why the Privacy Shield was invalidated;
• Explore whether your organisation should self-certify under the EU-US DPF (whether your company was certified under the Privacy Shield or not) and what factors to take into account when deciding whether to sign up
• Hear about the perception of the EU-US DPF in Europe (and in particular Germany and France) and how this affects decision-making in those jurisdictions.
• Hear more about the impact of the framework on clients, who has signed up so far and how it will impact your operations, whether with suppliers or in the tools you use, such as Google Analytics.

Bring your friends and family for a non-hosted Happy Hour at Vino Locale in Palo Alto on Thursday, August 24th, 2023 from 5:00 PM—onwards.

The BBS will host a raffle, as we always do at the monthly happy hours! So please join us and you never know what you will walk away with!

The $20 fee is optional and considered a charitable donation. All donations we receive will help us to provide financial relief to Brits in need. Please RSVP below so that the bar can accommodate for staff.

The European Chamber of the Bay Area (AAECCBA) invites you to join us for this Newcomers Info Fair on Thursday, September 7th, 2023. If you are new to the Bay Area, you are sure to have many questions. We want to help you get them answered and point you to the many resources we all know about. Please join our info fair and casual mixer in order to get valuable information about the area and its many businesses.

EuroCham members and experts who have information to share? Join us in welcoming new arrivals to the Bay Area and get a chance to introduce them to your business! This event will provide you with an opportunity to talk about your products, services, and businesses, and share tips on life in the Bay Area.

Refreshments will be served.

If you are interested in exhibiting, click HERE for more information.

Join our webinar on 14 September 2023 at 12:30 p.m. BST when Squire Patton Boggs' Partners Annabel Mace and May Cheung will use their wealth of experience to address a range of scenarios, including:

• A sponsored employee occasionally works longer hours than those stated on their certificate of sponsorship. Is that an issue?
• A line manager has asked to second a sponsored employee to help out a client at its own offices. Is that allowed?
• You are carrying out an internal audit and notice that changes to the job titles, salaries and work location for sponsored employees have not been reported to the Home Office. Does this put the business at risk?
• The business needs to make redundancies, which may affect your sponsored employees. What should you think about?
• You find out that the entity that holds your sponsor licence has had a change in ownership, but it was more than 10 years ago. What are your obligations?
• You have been asked to find a role for the son of a board director who requires sponsorship. Can that be done?

There will also be time for an audience Q&A.

This webinar is aimed at anyone with responsibility for sponsored employees, including HR, global mobility and talent acquisition professionals (particularly from a compliance perspective), and in-house counsel, as well anyone holding authorising officer, key contact or Level 1 user responsibilities for their organisation’s worker sponsor licence.

If you are not able to attend live, there will be a recording of the event following but you will still need to register to receive the recording.

CORPORATE MEMBER

Established in 1996, Currencies Direct is one of the world’s leading non-bank provider of currency exchange and international payment services. An innovative service provider of international transfers for consumers and high net worth individuals, we cater to an extensive global client base to whom we offer competitive exchange rates and personalized service. With 25 branches across the world, our staff is ready to provide live exchange rates no matter your time zone. Our experts will speak with you about your situation and provide guidance to ensure you make a well-timed transfer at an exceptional rate.

Currencies Direct is regulated and licensed in all major jurisdictions and has expanded its services to provide dynamic and pioneering ‘business to business’ solutions to help companies, tier 2/3 banks, and other non-bank financial institutions process their international payments. Whether you personally have an upcoming international transaction, or you manage clients that do, we can help.

PREMIER MEMBERS

AI is changing the world and at SambaNova, we believe that you don’t need unlimited resources to take advantage of the most advanced, valuable AI capabilities – capabilities that are helping organizations explore the universe, find cures for cancer, and give companies access to insights that provide a competitive edge.

SambaNova delivers the only purpose-built, full stack AI platform – from AI-specific silicon to the latest generative models, built on open standards. We offer world-class foundation models that are refined by customers with their own data, and fully owned by those customers. 

The company was founded in 2017 in Palo Alto, California, by world-class innovators from Sun/Oracle and leading AI researchers from Stanford University. Investors include SoftBank Vision Fund 2, BlackRock, Intel Capital, GV, Walden International, Temasek, GIC, Redline Capital, Atlantic Bridge Ventures, Celesta, and more.

The smartest business solutions come when we work together – international but working as one integrated team. We’ve continually looked at every aspect of our business for the past 125 years. There’s always more we can do.

Collaborative, agile and partner-led: that’s Simmons & Simmons. A law firm that challenges, creates new possibilities and offers opinion not just option.

We focus on four highly regulated sectors – using our specialist skills to understand your business, and the forces at play around it. All grounded in exceptional knowledge of the legal detail.

This is how we consistently deliver smarter, more efficient, ways to tackle your most complex challenges.

CORPORATE MEMBER

Osborne Clarke s a leading transatlantic European law firm known for its expertise in serving high-growth, sector-focused brands and globally established market leaders in the US. With a presence in the US since 2000, the firm marks its 275th year in business in 2023. Osborne Clarke has been advising US clients at every stage of their international growth lifecycle – from global expansion issues through to advice on opportunities and challenges US companies may face internationally. The OC US Team stands as a time zone-friendly connection for US clients’ legal matters spanning Europe and Asia, where expert lawyers can offer advice on company’s cross-border needs.

They offer comprehensive solutions for businesses’ needs, drawing on extensive experience in various fields from Global Compliance and Contracts, International HR, Data & Technology, Transaction Support, International Expansion & Growth to Dispute Resolution, IP & Patent Support, Real Estate, Finance & Banking and Global Tax.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

Alexandra Berven

Lucy Leonelli

Jerry Lundblad

Roger Royse

One of the benefits of membership in the BABC Northern California is the opportunity to access Member-to-Member-Only special offers and hot deals.

To learn how to access codes and instructions, log in to your BABC Account and click on the Member-to-Member Deals button.

To take advantage of these Member-to-Member offers, join the BABC today to obtain the discount code. Click here to learn more about membership.