Laos/Thailand/Cambodia/Myanmar
Areas along the Mekong River, which is one of the world's most important rivers, have experienced high economic growth in recent years. The region's population of 250 million people is still growing at a moderate pace, and the ratio of working-age population (15 to 64 years old) indicates that many of the countries in the region are still "young" and therefore high economic growth is expected to continue into the future. There is no doubt that the strategic importance of the Mekong area is rapidly increasing in the international operations of many Japanese companies.
In addition to Thailand, which already has a developed economy, and Vietnam, which has been successful in maintaining steady economic growth, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar have diversified their industrial structure since their transition to a market economy, and have liberalized trade and investments by concluding free trade agreements (FTAs) and joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). With the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the expansion of its membership, the region's transportation and energy infrastructure has been developing at an accelerated pace to promote trade and investment. The region also has made progress in resolving social issues such as labor, health, and education, and cross-border issues such as protection of the environment and the movement of people and goods.
Atsumi & Sakai has provided comprehensive legal services in Vietnam for many years by stationing Japanese attorneys in local law firms, and we will utilize this base in Vietnam and our diverse experience in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar to provide prompt legal services in the Mekong area in cooperation with local law firms in each jurisdiction.
Sample Material Transactions
- Acted as counsel to a Japanese company on golf course and real estate development projects in Thailand, including negotiations, contract review, and providing other advice.
- Counsel to a Japanese government-backed financial institution on a syndicated loan to a Thai company, including documentation of related contracts and legal research.
- Review and risk analysis of EPC contracts for railroad projects in Thailand.
- Drafting a letter of intent and basic joint venture agreement and providing other advice on a logistics and traffic improvement project in Myanmar.
- Drafting joint venture agreements with a Myanmar counterparty and providing other advice.
- Representation of the buyer company in the acquisition of a shoe factory in Cambodia, providing structuring and local procedural advice, and assisting with contract drafting.
- Supported a large-scale hospital project in Phnom Penh city, Cambodia, including in connection with drafting a three-way joint venture agreement among a major Japanese company, a government investment company, and a neurosurgery hospital, and advised JICA on loan terms and a land acquisition scheme.
Major Research Achievements
- General survey of antitrust law exemptions regarding the practical operation of antitrust laws in various countries around the world, including Thailand and Myanmar, as well as the agreements, etc. used by companies in each jurisdiction.
- Research on business combination regulations in antitrust laws around the world, including Thailand.
- Research on competition law and leniency systems, procedures, and law enforcement by competition authorities around the world, including Thailand.
- Research and report on commodity (oil, iron ore, coal, precious metals, non-precious metals, and freight and their indices) derivatives legislation in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines for the benefit of a major Japanese trading company.
Related Seminars
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“Crisis Management for Bribery/Human Rights Issues in Laos,“ at the regular meeting of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Laos, June 2023
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"Law and Dispute Resolution in Laos" at the "Foreign Investment Policies and Economic Laws in ASEAN Countries," hosted by Kobe University Center for Social Systems Innovation, November 2022
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"Real Estate Legislation and Practice in Laos" at "The Asia-Pacific Legal System Study Group," hosted by the International Cooperation Department, Legal Research Institute, Ministry of Justice, July 2022
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"Issues when Supporting the Development of Legal Systems: Assistance in Drafting a Civil Code in Laos" at the Osaka University Lecture "Law and Development" Open Class, May 2021
Related Professionals
Senior Partner
Yuri Suzuki
Partner
Takashi Tezuka
Partner
Mitsuru Misawa
Partner
Wataru Kamihigashi
Of Counsel
Katsunori Irie
Of Counsel
Tatsuya Kakihara