Asia Society Northern California will host an off-the-record Executive Roundtable program on recent developments in the tech industry from CFIUS (The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) with Bryce Barros, China Affairs Analyst at the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund, Jeannette Chu, Managing Director at Pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC) and James Mendenhall, Partner of Global Arbitration, Trade, and Advocacy at Sidley Austin on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Pacific.

The executive roundtable discussion will further delve into CFIUS reform legislation, including the substantial interplay of CFIUS and export controls on the tech industry, as well as recent developments during the Biden Administration. Senior Distinguished Research Fellow and Lecturer in Law at Berkeley Law and Asia Society Northern California Board Member Mark Cohen will moderate the discussion. 

AGENDA

Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Pacific

Groundbreaker, Innovator, and General Member Event.

5:00 p.m.   Program Begins
6:00 p.m.   Program Concludes

Please register through Eventbrite if you are interested in attending.  ​​​​​Link to join virtually via Zoom will be emailed the day before and an hour before the program is scheduled to begin by James Gale, Director of Programs ([email protected]).  This will be a Zoom meeting; attendees are encouraged to turn on their cameras and will have direct access to our speakers.

SPEAKERS

Bryce Barros

Bryce Barros is the China Affairs Analyst at the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund. He previously served as an analyst at Kharon researching sanctioned actors and related commercial activities tied to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, strategic trade controls, supply chains, and human rights abuses in the Indo-Pacific. Prior to that, he interned at the Long Term Strategy Group researching Sino-American Strategic Competition and the China Britain Business Council researching Chinese market entry for UK and EU companies. He is a National Committee on U.S.-China Relations member, Truman National Security Project Fellow, Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists member, Pacific Forum Young Leader, Aspen Security Forum Scholar, and a National Security Education Program David L. Boren Fellow & Scholar. He holds a BA in Political Science from Norwich University, a MA in International Affairs from Texas A&M University, and is an honorary graduate of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Military Academy. Bryce speaks Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, and spent nearly two decades specializing in the Indo-Pacific region.

Jeannette Chu

Jeannette Chu is currently a managing director at Pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC) where she advises clients on national security regulatory compliance matters. She conducts compliance audits and assessments for companies in regulatory enforcement actions and has developed trade compliance programs for companies in industries ranging from semiconductor manufacturing to emerging technologies, telecommunications, life sciences and aerospace and defense. She is also Trustee Chair for China Business and Economics at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining PwC, Ms. Chu served as a senior adviser in the Bureau of Industry and Security at the U.S. Department of Commerce. From 2005 through 2010, Ms. Chu served as the export control attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. She also served as the officer-in-charge of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices in Guangzhou and Beijing, China, from 1997 through 2005. Ms. Chu brings over 24 years of law enforcement and investigative experience focusing on Chinese organized crime across multiple federal agencies. Ms. Chu received her BA in political science from American University.

James Mendenhall

James Mendenhall is a partner in the Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy group in the law firm of Sidley in Washington, D.C., concentrating on international arbitration, international trade policy, trade litigation and proceedings before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Mr. Mendenhall has served as counsel in numerous investor-state arbitration proceedings, including under ICSID and UNCITRAL arbitration rules. He has advised clients on international trade negotiations, market access issues, intellectual property policy, product standards, trade policy, national security regulations and U.S. legislative matters. He has represented clients across many sectors, including e-commerce, high-tech, pharmaceuticals, financial services, telecommunications and consumer goods. 

From 2005 to January 2007, Mr. Mendenhall served as the General Counsel of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In that capacity, Mr. Mendenhall supervised U.S. participation in World Trade Organization and NAFTA disputes and handled all legal aspects of U.S. bilateral, regional and multilateral trade negotiations. Mr. Mendenhall also served as the principal U.S. negotiator of the United States-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement and was the USTR representative on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Mark Cohen (moderator)

Mark Cohen is Senior Distinguished Research Fellow and Lecturer in Law at Berkeley Law.  He was formerly the Senior Advisor to the Director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a visiting professor at Fordham Law, a Director of International IP Policy at Fordham Law, the first USPTO official resident in China, and general counsel of a mid-sized pharmaceutical company.  Among his many honors, Mark is the recipient of the Meritorious Service Award, the highest award granted to the Federal Service, which was awarded by the President of the United States for Mark's work on technology transfer with China.