In this episode of French Insider, Romain Poirot, Managing Partner of French Morning and Frenchly, joins host Karl Buhler of Sheppard Mullin to discuss the French Morning Media Group, from its inception to where it is today, and how it creates a sense of community for francophone people away for home. This episode was recorded in French.

What We Discussed in This Episode:

• French Morning’s history - the premises and its development in the United States, Canada and in the UK

• Local news and creating a community

• The impact on Covid and French Morning’s media diversification through webinars.

• Topics covered and events organized

• French elections coverage - live debates and streaming

• Sports events - football, rugby… gatherings behind « Les bleus »

• French Morning Media Group and its different subsidiaries

• Growth strategy of the magazine and plan for the future

About Romain Poirot

Romain Poirot has a diverse work experience spanning multiple industries. Romain started his career in 2010 as an Assistant of Sales and Purchases in the Back Office at Magirus. In 2011, they worked as a Sales and Marketing Assistant at Inlingua and also served as a Team Manager for Street-marketing events at France Prestige. From 2012 to 2016, he worked at ALTIOS International, where they were involved in International Business Development activities, including researching and prospecting the US market, qualifying potential clients, and assisting in trade show preparations. In 2009, he joined Red Bull as a Student Brand Manager.

In 2016, he became a Managing Partner at Frenchly, a leading publication for Americans traveling or living in France. In 2017, they joined Maudits Français as a Managing Partner. Since 2013, they have been the Managing Partner and Head of Revenue at French Morning USA, the leading publication for French expats living in the United States & UK.

Romain Poirot attended Pace University in 2012 for a brief period, although the degree and field of study are unspecified. From 2009 to 2012, they studied at EM Strasbourg Business School, where they earned a Bachelor of Marketing and International Business. Additionally, in 2010, Romain studied Spanish and business in Spanish at Universidad de Alicante for a short duration.

About Karl Buhler

Karl Buhler is an associate in the Corporate and Securities Practice Group and French Desk in the firm's New York Office. Karl focuses his practice on domestic and cross-border transactions. He handles in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and complex commercial agreements in industries such as technology, communications, life sciences, energy, defense and aerospace. In particular, he advises foreign companies with the installation and development of their operations in the United States.

Karl was born and educated in France. He began his legal career in China, practicing corporate law in both Beijing and Hong Kong with a focus on mergers, acquisitions, and project finance in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Karl then relocated to Paris, where he continued to focus on corporate transactions, but also expanded his expertise to international arbitrations and litigations arising from contracts and transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint venture, and infrastructure agreements.

Contact Information

French Morning

Roman Poirot

Karl Buhler

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In this episode of French Insider, Greg Berk, a partner at Sheppard Mullin, joins host Inès Briand to discuss immigration and business travel to the United States, including the particulars of the ESTA visa waiver program, obtaining an O-1 visa, H-1B visa, or green card, and what travelers can expect from the CPB upon entry.

What We Discussed in This Episode:

• What is an ESTA visa waiver?

• How long can you stay in the U.S. on an ESTA waiver?

• How soon can someone come back to the U.S. with an ESTA waiver?

• Who needs a work visa, and what types of work visas are available?

• How specialized must an individual be to qualify for a special talent (0-1) visa?

• What is an H-1B visa?

• When should French entities start planning to send individuals to the U.S.?

• When does someone need a green card? How do they obtain one?

• Are there tax implications when obtaining a green card?

• Can a green card be relinquished if the holder leaves the U.S.?

• Why does the CPB occasionally check social media accounts?

• Can the CPB deny a visa holder entry?

• Why might someone be called in for a secondary inspection? How should they deal with this?

• How can travel to Cuba or another restricted country impact an ESTA? Would it affect other types of visas?

About Greg Berk

Greg Berk, a partner in Sheppard Mullin’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, is based in Orange County, California. He heads the firm’s immigration practice and is a Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

With more than 25 years of experience advising on various U.S. immigration issues, Greg is a trusted resource for global employers seeking guidance on recruiting and retaining foreign executives and top talent for their U.S. operations. He also works with investors on E-2, L-1, and EB-5 matters as well as I-9 and other immigration compliance matters. He is the author of "Immigration Checklists and Practice Pointers – A Desk Reference," a book published by the American Bar Association for General Counsel and HR managers.

About Inès Briand

Inès Briand is an associate in Sheppard Mullin’s Corporate Practice Group and French Desk Team in the firm’s Brussels office, where her practice primarily focuses on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisition transactions (with special emphasis on operations involving French companies). She also has significant experience in general corporate matters and compliance for foreign companies settled in the United States.

As a member of the firm’s French Desk, Inès has advised companies and private equity funds in both the United States and Europe on mergers, acquisitions, commercial contracts and general corporate matters, including expansion of French companies in the United States.

Contact Information

Inès Briand

Greg Berk

Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every week.

If you enjoyed this episode, please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show in Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other listeners find this show.