Cross-examining issues over cocktails

American Bar Association President William H. Neukom addressed a crowd of nearly 40 Legal Committee members over dinner at the Kerry Center Hotel on September 18.

Neukom managed Microsoft’s legal, government and philanthropic activities for 17 years as executive vice president for law and corporate affairs. He shared his insights with the crowd and gave updates on the ABA’s international programs and efforts to promote the rule of law in China.

Summarizing the event, Legal Committee Co-chair Nathan Bush said, “It was a tremendous opportunity for AmCham members to learn more about the ABA Rule of Law Initiative’s efforts to strengthen legal institutions and the legal profession in China and about the ABA’s new World Justice Project to promote the rule of law worldwide.”

Bush moderated the event on behalf of the chamber.

AmCham-China Vice Chairman Dan Brody has thrown his hit into the ring - or, as this is the Olympics, should we say rings - in a contest sponsored by Lenovo and China Daily whereby eight foreigners will be chosen to carry the Olympic torch. According to a China Daily article:

Fellow hopeful and Google executive Dan Brody is an American who has lived in China for over 10 years, first as a student and teacher before moving into the corporate world.

Brody, vice-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, counts among his favorite places: “Cosmopolitan areas of Beijing where even the old ladies doing fan dances are not surprised to hear you speak Chinese, and Xinjiang where people think I’m a local.

The eight torchbearers will be selected via a combination of online voting and selection by a panel of judges. To vote for Dan, visit here. To register for the contest, visit here.

Brody on the move…

One of seven panels experts providing a full day of HR expertise.

More than 140 AmCham-China members and guests attended the sold-out Eighth Annual Human Resources Conference at China World Hotel on September 14. The day-long conference focused on helping companies to learn from other professionals’ experiences and integrate a human resources perspective into their strategy.

The seven panels of expert speakers addressed a broad range of current HR issues in China, including employee mobility and cross-border employment issues. A Q&A session followed each panel and the audience asked many questions on the interaction between CEOs and employees, the looming talent gap and cultural differences in management styles. The speakers also examined the HR difficulties individual companies face and how they can be resolved.

AmCham-China thanks HR Forum Co-chair Robin Adams of Yi Ming Consulting for putting the conference together.

More than 90 AmCham-China members and guests gathered at The Renaissance Beijing yesterday to hear two panels of experts discuss China’s online scene, celebrate the launch of the chamber’s new webpage and attend a networking party.

Matt Roberts of About.com moderated the first panel - Decoding China’s Internet Scene - and asked what trends will shape the Internet in China. Siliconhutong.com’s David Wolf, CEO of Wolf Group Asia, cited growing access to wireless and the ensuing mobility this provides as the guiding trend for the next five to ten years. Andrew Lih, a new media academic who is authoring a book about online collaboration, stressed the importance of avoiding situations where content might get your site shut down. “Anyone who can stay ahead of ICP issues will win out in the end,” he said. Micah Truman, CEO of Wanmo Performance Advertising, said e-commerce is the trend to watch: “It’s about to go absolutely nuts.”

Jeremy Goldkorn of The Standards Group and danwei.org moderated the second panel on the business of blogging, kicking off the discussion by asking the speakers why they blog.

China-briefing.com’s Chris Devonshire-Ellis, senior partner of Dezan Shira & Associates, said his blogs serve as marketing and research tools that fit in with a media mix that includes magazines and books.

On the risks involved in blogging, Will Moss of PR site imagethief.com said he worries about offending current and potential clients, even though he never writes about the former. Despite this, he said the benefits of blogging - an increased profile and potential to attract clients - outweighed the risks. Chinalawblog.com’s Dan Harris, founding member of law firm Harris & Moure, answered that his company is small enough that even if his blog offended half the world, there would still be another half full of potential clients. “The greatest risk is to my marriage because I spend so much time online,” he joked.

Both panels included lively 30-minute Q&A sessions. The event wrapped up with the launch of the new AmCham-China Daily page. The chamber’s Website Coordinator Christine Baker cut the ribbon as attendees toasted the site with sparkling wine. All present then enjoyed appetizers, beverages and fellowship for several hours. Check out the gallery of photos from the event.

Thanks go to the event’s wine sponsor, ASC Fine Wines

For the inside scoop on the property market, head to Spotlight on Real Estate section in China Business Insight, AmCham-China’s online library.

You’ll find up-to-date reports covering all aspects of the real estate scene from leading firms such as Morrison & Foerster, CB Richard Ellis, Ernst & Young, and Jones Lang LaSalle.

AmCham-China members may go one step further and participate in the chamber’s Real Estate and Development Forum, which aims to foster transparency in the real estate sector and create awareness of property issues. The forum is co-chaired by Eric Hirsch of Jones Lang LaSalle and Tony Lee of First American Title Insurance Company.

AmCham-China is upgrading the menu of information it offers members and the business community at large. AmCham Daily will not only update members at least thrice daily on upcoming events, regulatory alerts and other news, but also provide U.S. companies that are eying the China market with the chamber’s on-the-ground perspective and its how-to resources. Business aside, we expect steady traffic from officials, journalists and academics focused on U.S.-China trade relations.

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China’s Internet scene is growing by leaps and bounds in terms of size, influence and opportunities. Join AmCham-China for an afternoon featuring eight experts on China’s digital and blogging scenes, the launch of the chamber’s new webpage, and a networking party.

First up is Decoding China’s Internet Scene as  four experts provide the big picture on what’s happening online in the world’s largest market. The panel will cover trends, myths and realities, and advice in regard to understanding the online environment.

The panelists include Sam Flemming, CEO of Internet word of mouth (IWOM) firm CIC Data; Andrew Lih, former new media academic at Columbia University and Hong Kong University now authoring a book about online collaboration; David Wolf, CEO of Wolf Group Asia and author of high-tech site siliconhutong.com, and Matt Roberts (moderator) of About.com, who is aformer chief representative of Dow Jones China and long-time member of the chamber’s Media & Entertainment Forum.

The next panel - The Business of Blogging - brings together four top English-language bloggers in China who cover the legal, tax, PR and media sectors discuss the pros and cons of blogging, how it has helped and/or hurt their careers and companies, and what to be aware of before venturing online.

The panelists include Dan Harris of legal site chinalawblog.com and a founding member of Harris & Moure, Chris Devonshire-Ellis of business sites china-briefing.com and 2point6billion.com and a senior partner of Dezan Shira & Associates; Will Moss of PR site imagethief.com and a director of Burson-Marsteller; and Jeremy Goldkorn (moderator) of media site danwei.org and a founder of The Standards Group.