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Letter from the President
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Nicholas Unkovic
BABC President & Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
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Dear Friends of the BABC,
April was another busy month for your BABC.
On Tuesday the 10th, we held our increasingly popular Young Professionals Happy Hour, with over 70 guests from many different businesses and backgrounds registering for the event. This month we partnered with the University of Oxford
Said Business School Alumni Community, who brought a strong cohort to the evening. This month we also held a business card drawing, for the prize of a year's Young Professional membership with the BABC -- congratulations to our winner Jay Nguyen!
Check out the photos from the event
here
or read the full write up
here
The next day we held our GDPR, Are You Ready? Event, presented by BABC Premier Members,
Penningtons Manches
, and
NCC Group.
The event was attended by over 40 guests, and consisted of a panel discussion, focused on the incoming GDPR legislation in the EU.
You can see some of the photos from the event
here
or read the full write up
here
.
Lastly, we hosted our 5th annual British Expats event, presented by BABC Premier members
E&M Mayock
and
Florin Pensions.
Attendees were treated to an informative and helpful panel discussion on everything you need to know as an expat in the US.
You can see some of the images here, and read the write up here.
This Spring, BABC is busy preparing for the Annual Transatlantic Conference, held this year in Birmingham on 6-8 June. The Annual Conference provides BABC with the opportunity to bring together members from all 22 chapters throughout the US and UK for a 2-day program of high-level business discussions and networking. We have previously held these in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Washington and San Francisco. For more information on this year's conference, please
click here
.
To give small businesses the opportunity to grow and connect, BABC Midlands has provided a special 40% discount to those companies with less than 20 employees wishing to attend the conference. For more information, please
click here
.
Last but not least, as you will see from our new and renewing member sections further down this newsletter, the BABC community remains as strong and vibrant as ever. I hope you will join me in welcoming the newest members of our growing and dynamic community - their information can be found below. Please take a moment to visit their websites and contact our executive director Jo Healey if you would like to learn more.
Best,
Nicholas Unkovic
President, BABC Northern California
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Our thanks to Andy MacKay and 20/20 Productions for producing this video.
If your company is interested in the video production capabilities of 20/20 Productions please contact andy@2020productions.com
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsors play an important role in the development and growth of the British American Business Council (BABC). BABC sponsors benefit from an increased visibility within and beyond the BABC community and are able to cultivate important business relationships. Their support helps BABC offer a wide range of events and services.
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From The Consul General's Desk
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Dear Friends and Members of the BABC,
It is no secret that the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is huge. PwC analysis suggests it will contribute more than $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. The UK is already a location of choice for businesses looking for AI solutions or to grow their company internationally and is fast becoming an AI hub, recognised for its expertise, innovation, and deep talent pool. Pioneering companies such as SwiftKey and DeepMind began in Britain, and the number of AI innovators continues to grow. Since 2014, AI jobs in the UK have increased 485%.
The UK government is committed to boosting this investment and deepening these strategic relationships. 'Artificial Intelligence and Data Economy' is one of four Grand Challenges in the
Industrial Strategy
published in November 2017
. The newly released
AI Sector Deal
sets out our vision for a partnership between business, academia and government that will see the UK leading the way - profitably, innovatively, and ethically - into the AI-enabled future.
The AI sector deal represents nearly $1.4 billion of new public and private investment in the UK. Our long-standing support for driving innovation, which includes providing R&D tax credits, which we will raise to a total of 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027.
We've committed to the training of future generations of AI workers and researchers, including 8,000 specialist computer science teachers and 1,000 government-funded AI PhDs by 2025.
And we're looking to lead the way in an area of critical, global importance for AI: ethics. Establishing a first-of-its-kind Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, we will develop and promote the safe and fair application of AI tech while enabling forward-thinking innovation. The Centre will help companies better understand potential risks and protect consumers.
This Sector Deal is the next step in driving collaboration between industry, academic, and government leaders. I encourage you to have a look and get in touch with any feedback or support as we move forward.
Andrew Whittaker,
HM Consul General
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BABC Young Professionals Happy Hour - Tuesday,
April 10th, 2018
The April Happy Hour welcomed old friends and new faces from a variety of industries for a relaxed sociable evening of networking, and also saw the BABC YPs partner up with
Said Business School Alumni for the first time. The event was well attended by both groups, we're already looking forward to partnering up again!
This month we held a business card drawing, with the prize of a year's membership with the BABC at the Young Professional level up for grabs. Congratulations go to our winner Jay Nguyen! We look forward to seeing you at BABC events coming up in the next year and beyond.
Click here to see the photos.
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GDPR Are You Ready? (#GDPRbabcsf) 4-11-18
On Thursday 11th of April, we hosted GDPR, Are You Ready? This event, sponsored by BABC premier members
Penningtons Manches LLP and
NCC Group, saw an expert panel discuss the various aspects of the upcoming GDPR regime. GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation and refers to the incoming set of rules in the European Union, which imposes stricter controls on the use of data belonging to EU citizens.
Thanks as always go to our sponsors Penningtons Manches, and NCC Group, to our excellent panel for their insight, to
DocuSign for hosting us in their impressive headquarters, and of course to our guests.
If you have any further questions about the event or our sponsors, please contact Maya Mancuso from Penningtons at Maya.Mancuso@Penningtons.co.uk, or Nick Rowe from NCC group Nick.Rowe@nccgroup.trust
If you missed the event, you can check out the photos below, or read the full write up
here.
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British Expats - Immigration, Tax, Credit and Retirement - Everything You Need to Know! (#Expatsbabcsf)
This year's annual BABC British Expats Evening took place on April 25th, 2018 in the sleek offices of
OFX. During the evening, guests were treated to a chance to mingle with fellow expats with food and drink, before sitting down to hear from our panel of Bay Area experts in immigration, banking, tax, and pensions. The panel consisted of: Devan Friday, (
Spott Lucey & Wall), Adrian Millen (
Bank of the West), Emma Cockerton (
Florin Pensions LLC), James Mayock (
E & M Mayock) and was moderated by Charles Cockerton, (Florin Pensions LLC).
Our thanks go to all of our attendees, our speakers and sponsors, and of course to OFX for hosting.
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CBRE Releases Quarter 1 2018 U.S. Capital Markets Quarterly Figures
Commercial real estate investment volume totaled $114.3 billion in Q1 2018, an increase of 4.8% from Q1 2017. Increases in warehouse industrial, mid-/high-rise multifamily and full-service hotel investment helped drive the Q1 2018 volume higher than Q1 2017, despite decreases in office and retail acquisitions.
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Lewis & Llewellyn Welcomes Nathalie Fayad
Lewis & Llewellyn is pleased to welcome Nathalie Fayad to the firm. Nathalie joins us from O'Melveny & Meyers LLP, where she represented many leading technology, startup, and Fortune 500 companies in state and federal court. A Berkeley Law graduate, Nathalie also served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Jacqueline Scott Corley, Magistrate Judge of the Northern District of California.
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RBN Launches Premium Membership in London
The Rugby Business Network membership is now offering premium paid membership in London. The proceeds from these fees will go towards running its various programs such as the Life After Rugby Programme.
Membership is currently £100 per month or £1000 per annum (prices exclude VAT) for the first 200 members in London and will be £150 per month or £1500 per annum after 200 members.
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Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 Launches 'Sevens Platinum Club'
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BPM LLP Named to the 2019 Vault Accounting Top 50!
BPM LLP, one of the 50 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the country, has been named to the 2019 Vault Accounting 50, a ranking of the best accounting firms to work for in North America.
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BABC April Policy Update
The start of May is an important week for BAB's two policy priorities: UK-US Trade and Investment and Brexit.
President Trump has postponed his planned tariffs on EU steel and aluminium due to start on the 1 May, until 1 June. We support the efforts of the UK with the EU to avoid such measures which would damage transatlantic trade.
In Brexit, negotiations get back underway this week in Brussels. The obvious roadblock that remains is over a customs union
with the Prime Minister's Cabinet still divided over the issue. BAB has been clear since 2016 that any future relationship must maintain the freest and most friction-less trade between the UK and the EU.
Read more
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British Embassy - Red Nose Day Webinar:
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Upgrading to Patron Level Member
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NCC Group
NCC Group is a global information assurance specialist, passionate about making the Internet safer and revolutionizing the way in which organizations think about cyber security. Through an unrivalled and unique range of services, the company provides organizations across the world with freedom from doubt that their most important assets are protected and operational at all times.
NCC Group protects your business with our security experts offering security consulting services in the following areas:
- Application Security
- Infrastructure Security
- Cryptography
- Mobile Security
- Incident Response & Forensic Analysis
- Risk Management & Governance
- Security Training
- Bug Bounty Services
Listed on the London Stock Exchange, NCC Group is a trusted advisor to more than 15,000 clients worldwide. Headquartered in Manchester, UK, NCC Group has 32 offices across the world and employs over 1,700 specialists in information security, assurance and technology. NCC Group delivers security consulting, software escrow and verification, website performance, software testing and domain services.
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New Corporate Level Members
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CBRE
With broader and deeper capabilities than any other company, CBRE is the leading full-service real estate services and investment organization in the world.
CBRE Group, Inc. is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with 2017 revenues of $14.2 billion and more than 80,000 employees (excluding affiliate offices). CBRE has been included in the Fortune 500 since 2008, ranking #214 in 2017. It also has been voted the industry's top brand by the Lipsey Company for 17 consecutive years, and has been named one of Fortune's "Most Admired Companies" in the real estate sector for six years in a row. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CBRE."
CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services.
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Furnished Quarters
Furnished Quarters is the largest independently owned and operated supplier of global temporary housing, offering over 100,000 furnished apartments in more than 800 cities worldwide.
Discover the contemporary, spacious and convenient alternative to typical hotels at savings of up to 50%. Everything is included with a Furnished Quarters apartment, from WiFi, cable and local phone to utilities, housekeeping and 24/7 guest services. Prepare meals in your fully equipped kitchen stocked with all the at-home essentials including pots, pans, wine glasses and more.
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Upgrading to Corporate Level Members
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Liza Evans Interior Design
Liza Evans Interior Design is a Residential & Commercial Interior Design Firm Serving Clients in San Francisco, New York & London.
Named as a ''Top 20 Interior Designer'' by The Telegraph, every aspect of the design process is handled personally by Liza Evans: from colour palette, fabric choices, artwork and flooring, through to furniture and accessories. Working closely with trusted architects, contractors and suppliers we ensure projects run professionally and within budget.
Whether you are wanting to decorate a single room, remodel a whole house, downsize and clutter clear your possessions or ensure that the look and feel of your corporate interior is an integral part of your company identity we provide a personalised service to clients who demand custom design and the finest workmanship, finishes and materials.
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Individual and Young Professional Members
Young Professional Members
Jay Nguyen
Ellison Ma
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Our Thanks to these Renewing Members
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Cooley LLP
Cooley is Technology
Cooley is widely recognized as one of the premier firms counseling public and private technology companies. High-growth companies choose Cooley. From upstarts armed with little more than a disruptive business model to well-established multi-billion dollar public companies, we guide clients through uncharted waters and the most complex and unique legal and business issues. We represent more than 5,000 private company clients and serve as primary corporate counsel to over 140 public companies. Our clients include some of the most established names in technology today, including eBay, NVIDIA Corporation, Snapchat, Tableau Software, Uber and Yelp, to the leading technology names of tomorrow.
The Billion-Dollar Startup Club: Cooley is legal counsel to 35% of the US companies listed on the
Wall Street Journal Billion Dollar Startup Club.
http://www.cooley.com
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Turner & Townsend Trestle
Turner & Townsend Trestle is a leading global management, cost management and program management construction consultancy. With more than 70 years of experience, working in over 130 countries we help deliver transformational programs across the real estate, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. With our experience of major capital projects all over the world, we are experts at managing the many moving parts involved in complex programs, bringing clear thinking and rigorous processes.
At Turner & Townsend Trestle, we are passionate about making the difference. At the heart of our approach is a focus on better outcomes. With an independent view we do things smarter, we give clarity and rigor to help teams work better together, to make an investment case stronger, to raise the standards of delivery and to maintain schedules and budgets. We relentlessly apply our tried and tested systems and processes for the analysis, planning and monitoring of projects, to deliver faster, cheaper, safer and more efficient working practices and better results overall. Making a difference to the results of projects is a commitment hardwired into our DNA.
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Bank of the West
Bank of the West is a financially strong, well-capitalized and prudently managed FDIC-insured bank that customers have entrusted with their money for over 135 years. Through holding company BancWest Corporation, the bank is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, one of the six highest rated banks in the world. We understand the financial challenges new residents face. Our team's multilingual, culturally sensitive Officers core purpose is to facilitate an efficient and smooth adaptation to this country.
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OFX
Since its launch in 1998, OFX (previously US Forex) has grown to be one of the world's largest online foreign exchange companies. As one of the world's leading online foreign exchange services, OFX offers seamless 24-hour access to corporate and private client dealers for all our customers. OFX employs a blend of cutting edge technology and superb customer service to bring a better deal to corporate and private customer alike.
https://www.ofx.com/en-us/
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WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is a world-renowned 2.238-mile traditional road course that was built in 1957, then known as Laguna Seca Raceway, by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP). SCRAMP, a non-profit 501(c)(4) corporation with the purpose of managing the County of Monterey-owned Laguna Seca Recreation Area.\
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CommVersion
CommVersion provides 24/7 live text chat operators on your website. These online receptionists pop up on your website and they use friendly pre scripted text responses, approved by you, to answer questions that lead to between 36% and 76% more leads from your website. These friendly chats lead to happier website users, lower bounce rates, longer dwell time on your site and increased SEO. It reduces the amount of inbound phone calls increases customer service ratings it makes it easier for clients to understand, buy or use your services
There are no set up fees and no minimum term contracts, you simply pay per lead or if you are customer service focused you can pay per chat.
If you want to convert more of your website visitors into qualified leads or if you want to use 24/7 live text chat to handle your customer services then sign up to CommVersion today.
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Business Level & Community Partner Members
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Individual and Young Professional Members
Individual Members
Sanjay Agarwal
Young Professional Members
Ruchika Julapalli
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Member Offers & Discounts
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If you have forgotten your username and password, you can reset it
here.
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Hot Deal
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Member:
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Color Consultation and 15% off Hot Deal!
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Free $75 Amazon gift card from Furnished Quarters for first 30 day or longer stay
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$250 off your First 30 day stay!
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Excellent Discounts on Goldschmidt Vineyard Wines
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Fairmont San Francisco - 15% Discount Off Best Available rate on hotel reservations
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OFX Foreign Currency Exchange - Free transfers and a preferred rate of exchange!
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British Airways Promotional Offer for BABC and BA Executive Club Members
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10% Discount at InterContinental Hotels
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$50 off Youth Soccer Camp Fees
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WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca- 20% Discount on tickets to the 2018 Motorsports events
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| Turkish Airlines - Substantially discounted Business and Economy Fares to Europe. |
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British American Business Council | (415) 296-8645 | info@babcsf.org | www.babcsf.org
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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