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Doing business in uncertain global times

BRISTOL BUSINESS LEADERS DISCUSS DOING BUSINESS IN UNCERTAIN GLOBAL TIMES

The Rt Hon Lord Mayor of Bristol and the Lady Mayoress, the President of the Bristol Law Society and the Master of the Merchant Venturers, joined more than 90 business leaders on board the iconic ss Great Britain in Bristol on 27th September to discuss the challenges of doing business in uncertain global times.

The Business Leaders’ Dinner, an event hosted by the Bristol office of national law firm Bond Dickinson LLP, brought together prominent Bristol and South West figures with a view to discussing the issues currently facing businesses in the region and how they can best respond to the increasingly challenging climate brought by political instability at home and abroad.

Amongst the guests were representatives from the Bank of England, CBI, Business West, local authorities and many other business sectors and interests. Gavin Esler, the award winning television and radio broadcaster, also made a compelling speech, sharing his insight into how political leaders operate.

The event was also attended by Christopher Leon, a Partner in the US law firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice LLP which recently entered into a ground breaking transatlantic alliance with Bond Dickinson. It is hoped that the alliance will help to promote opportunities for businesses based in Bristol and the South West to develop new commercial relationships with businesses based in the South East United States and California.

Julian Kinsey, partner and head of the Bristol office at Bond Dickinson, said: “We certainly live in interesting times. We have the US elections looming; since we started planning the dinner the UK has voted to leave the EU, we have a new prime minister and have had a leadership contest in the Labour party. Sterling has weakened and the Bank of England base rate has moved down. Closer to home we have a newly elected mayor as well as the potential for a West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and the decision to proceed with Hinkley C has been taken. It is clear that there is political and economic uncertainty which will present plenty of challenges, but also that there are new opportunities developing for those willing and able to take them”.

Bond Dickinson provides legal services across a wide range of sectors including energy, manufacturing, financial services, retail, insurance, transport and private wealth. It has seven offices nationally and in Bristol employs more than 250 people.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Womble Bond Dickinson LLP .