BABC Executive Director, Jo Healey, sat down with new BABC President, Maya Mancuso, US Business Relationship Manager to get the scoop on what their membership in our chapter means to them.

Maya Mancuso US Business Relationships Manager and President of BABC Northern California

Tell me about your company and the services it provides to help those doing business in the Transatlantic Corridor.

Bird & Bird is an international law firm with a focus on helping organizations being changed by technology and the digital world. Our San Francisco representative office provides US businesses with a full suite of legal services and advice related to matters in the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, including international expansion and investments outside the US, intellectual property, disputes, data privacy, venture capital transactions, cross-border M&A, HR issues, complex restructuring and transformational projects and coordinated multi-jurisdictional services.

How is your company unique from others in the same sector?

Bird & Bird is unique in many ways!  We have a team on the ground here in San Francisco but don’t practice US law which means we can collaborate with local US firms and support their clients on all their international legal needs beyond the US. Reciprocally, we work closely with US law firms when our international clients need US legal advice for transactions in the US.

We have a broader geographic reach than many other international law firms with representative offices in the Bay Area. We have offices in 31 key business centres across the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and the US.

The way we are structured also makes us different. We have a ‘one firm’ culture and are organized as a single partnership, rather than a franchise or other model with separate profit centres. This means the work is always done by the right lawyers in the right locations. With one profit pool, our lawyers are incentivized to work well together and we’re very good collaborators across jurisdictions.

In 1998, we became one of the first law firms to organize around key sectors, enabling us to share our deep industry knowledge more effectively across the firm. Our specialized focus on tech and working with businesses facing disruption or creating disruption means that we’re able to recruit and retain lawyers who have spent their careers guiding many of the leading blue chip tech multinationals, as well as the next generation of game changing disrupters.

We were among the first law firms to take part in the Mansfield Rule Certification pilot in the UK and have made good progress towards our Diversity & Inclusion strategy, including setting up a consistent global governance structure. The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to boost the representation of historically underrepresented lawyers in law firm leadership.

We have a collaboration with OXYGY, one of the largest management consulting firms linked to an international law firm.

When it comes to client feedback, our clients really value our ‘one firm’ approach and we have higher client loyalty than the market average of international law firms (Net Promoter Score of 79% in an independent study by Nisus 2021).

Finally, we have had 30 years of continuous growth which hasn’t always been the case for other international firms.

How has membership in the BABC Northern California helped your company?

Membership in the BABC Northern California has enabled us to meet other international businesses that are active in the transatlantic corridor, develop collaborative partnerships, promote our expertise and market upcoming events, bring clients to great events, and it has provided valuable resources for international colleagues arriving in the US. Our team is proud to be part of this globally-minded local community.

How has membership helped you personally?

I went to my first BABC event in 2013 and immediately knew I wanted to join this great community! I became more involved and had the privilege of joining the Board in 2016, and later the Executive Committee, serving as Senior Vice President from 2019 until this year when I had the honor to serve as President. Being part of the BABC has allowed me to meet other like-minded professionals who are active in the transatlantic business community. I have enjoyed speaking on the ‘Global Words of Wisdom’ panel. I have heard from engaging business, government, sport, and creative industry leaders and gained great insight from the BABC’s content-focused events, including the Annual Economic lunch which is always a highlight for forecasting local and international economic and tech trends. I have been able to grow my professional network and develop new business opportunities and partnerships. Above all, I have had the pleasure of getting to know extraordinary people in the Bay Area and the UK, and am grateful for many lasting friendships with fellow BABC members.

For anyone considering the BABC for membership, what advice would you give?

Come along to one of our upcoming events or speak to any Board member to find out why they participate in the BABC. You’ll hear many fond stories about the quality of the members, events, networking opportunities, and the highly acclaimed Christmas lunch. It’s a fantastic community and we’d love to have you be part of it! What are you waiting for?

And a bit about you outside of work – what do you enjoy doing the most?

My favorite thing to do is travel. I’m Italian-American and enjoy any opportunity to spend time in Italy and reconnect with my Italian and Sicilian roots. My husband Chase and I live in Marin and enjoy spending time exploring the North Bay, hiking and camping in California’s beautiful national and state parks, going out to new restaurants with friends, and going to concerts, shows and museums. I grew up in the town of Sonoma and spend a lot of time there with my family. I love sharing local recommendations about my hometown. Get in touch if you ever want to chat about Italy or Sonoma!