Heart Of The Matter - A Podcast On Legal Developments From Around The World

Ian Johnston of Kennedys joined us in this episode to discuss the Insurance market trends in Thailand.

We discussed the areas where insurance product trends are developing, the corporate environment in relation to insurance, and insurance industry trends in relation to heavy industry or oil and gas in Thailand.


To find out more about the insurance market in Thailand please visit, https://kennedyslaw.com/where-we-are/asia-pacific/thailand/

Ian is an international arbitration specialist, with extensive experience in all forms of dispute resolution. He has lived and worked in Asia for over 20 years. Ian is dual-qualified - having first qualified in England and Wales, before qualifying in Hong Kong.

He represents insurers, hotels, energy companies, developers, construction professionals and contractors.

Ian represented clients on disputes across the globe including in Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Oman, Dubai, Bahrain, Maldives, Mexico, USA, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Ian continues to be consistently ranked as a leading individual in Chambers Asia-Pacific and Legal 500 – as well as ALB’s ‘Thailand’s top 100 lawyers’. Ian is also the only lawyer ranked in Who’s Who Legal as ‘Recommended’ for insurance.

Client’s state: “He never lacks for technical knowledge, providing appropriate advice and he grasps things very well.”

“Ian Johnston is a clever English litigator, who is strategic, technically strong and very responsive to client needs and demands.”

Ian regularly speaks at industry events.

Ian Johnston of Kennedys joined us in this episode to discuss how increasing cyber breaches will change the Insurance landscape in Thailand.

We discussed the changes in working practices in Thailand, how is the insurance industry has to react to new cyber issues relating to world events, and how reporting requirements in the case of cyber breaches have had a knock-on effect on the insurance industry.

To find out more about the insurance market in Thailand please visit, https://kennedyslaw.com/where-we-are/asia-pacific/thailand/

Ian is an international arbitration specialist, with extensive experience in all forms of dispute resolution. He has lived and worked in Asia for over 20 years. Ian is dual-qualified - having first qualified in England and Wales, before qualifying in Hong Kong.

He represents insurers, hotels, energy companies, developers, construction professionals and contractors.

Ian represented clients on disputes across the globe including in Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Oman, Dubai, Bahrain, Maldives, Mexico, USA, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Ian continues to be consistently ranked as a leading individual in Chambers Asia-Pacific and Legal 500 – as well as ALB’s ‘Thailand’s top 100 lawyers’. Ian is also the only lawyer ranked in Who’s Who Legal as ‘Recommended’ for insurance.

Client’s state: “He never lacks for technical knowledge, providing appropriate advice and he grasps things very well.”

“Ian Johnston is a clever English litigator, who is strategic, technically strong and very responsive to client needs and demands.”

Ian regularly speaks at industry events.

Ian Johnston of Kennedys joined us in this episode to discuss how COVID 19 has affected the Insurance industry in Thailand.

We discussed the effect Covid-19 had on the solvency of the insurance industry in Thailand,
significant coverage issues or disputes and how this pandemic has caused business delays that have filtered into insurance issues.

To find out more about the insurance market in Thailand please visit, https://kennedyslaw.com/where-we-are/asia-pacific/thailand/

Ian is an international arbitration specialist, with extensive experience in all forms of dispute resolution. He has lived and worked in Asia for over 20 years. Ian is dual-qualified - having first qualified in England and Wales, before qualifying in Hong Kong.

He represents insurers, hotels, energy companies, developers, construction professionals and contractors.

Ian represented clients on disputes across the globe including in Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Oman, Dubai, Bahrain, Maldives, Mexico, USA, Sweden and United Kingdom.

Ian continues to be consistently ranked as a leading individual in Chambers Asia-Pacific and Legal 500 – as well as ALB’s ‘Thailand’s top 100 lawyers’. Ian is also the only lawyer ranked in Who’s Who Legal as ‘Recommended’ for insurance.

Client’s state: “He never lacks for technical knowledge, providing appropriate advice and he grasps things very well.”

“Ian Johnston is a clever English litigator, who is strategic, technically strong and very responsive to client needs and demands.”

Ian regularly speaks at industry events.

Freddy Karyadi of ABNR joined us in this episode to talk everything about crypto and digital assets in Indonesia.

We looked at the essential components and the development of regulations regarding Crypto Asset trading in Indonesia, the strong retail market for crypto investments, bitcoin whitelists, and taxation of crypto trading.

To find out more about digital assets in Indonesia please visit, https://www.abnrlaw.com/profiles/mr-freddy-karyadi


Karyadi was one of the pioneers who focused on the DIGITAL INDUSTRY and is the head of fintech practice team. Freddy handled many transactions involving technology and fin-tech / health-tech / edu-tech/Media/ TMT companies, from early stage fund raising, integration, incorporation-expansion, exit, public offering preparation to regulatory compliance and has represented independent power producers (IPP), giant ECAs and commercial banks for various electricity sector financing. Karyadi’s clients vary from multinational to start-ups which span across a wide range of industries including natural resources, energy, financial institutions (including MULTIFINANCE, P2P, insurance, insurance brokerage, bank, etc), health-care, private equity funds – venture capital, and property. With a strong knowledge of legal, commercial, TAX and accounting issues that these industries encounter, Karyadi can quickly identify the key issues and offer practical business oriented legal solutions.

On litigation matters, Karyadi handled various suspensions of payment and bankruptcy proceeding of various industries including aviation, shipping, and mining sectors and also assisted clients in TAX disputes.

Karyadi has been consistently rated as a leading lawyer by several international publications including Legal500, Asian Business Law Journal (Vantage Asia), IFLR 1000 and Asialaw for the last half decade.

He is a member of the Board of Ethic of AFTECH (Indonesian FINTECH Association) and the Editorial Board of The Derivatives and Financial Instrument Journal of the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentations. He contributes numerous TAX and law articles of Conventus Law, IFLR, International Tax Review, Thomson Reuters, Lexology, International Comparative Legal Guide and Getting the Deal Through. Karyadi was also a speaker at IBA, IPBA, IFA and IFLR events and gave seminars for tech start-up communities.

Yang Eu Jin, Partner with RHT Law in Singapore joined us to talk about the SPAC market in Singapore.

To find out more about SPACs in Singapore, please visit https://rhtlawasia.com/corporate-capitalmarkets/

Yang Eu Jin is Partner and Co-Head of RHTLaw Asia’s Corporate and Capital Markets Practice and Head of the Education Industry Group. He has covered a wide spectrum of corporate and securities law-related work, with particular expertise in corporate finance and capital markets work, having advised many local and foreign enterprises seeking to undertake public listings (IPOs) and post-listing corporate action and fund-raising activities on the SGX. He also has experience in corporate banking, project financing, fund management, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate restructurings, as well as regulatory and compliance matters, including regulatory requirements under the Securities and Futures Act and the Financial Advisers Act.

Eu Jin has been involved in SGX Mainboard and Catalist IPOs of many notable companies, including one of the largest K-12 international school operators in Singapore, a leading global integrated supply chain manager of agricultural products and food ingredients, a PRC pharmaceutical company engaged in the R&D, production, sales and marketing of cardiocerebral and non-cardiocerebral vascular drugs, a leading local provider of integrated circuit (IC) module assembly and testing services for contact and dual interface smart cards, and several companies in the marine and terrestrial logistics and transportation fields.

He has also spent a number of years as General Counsel of a SGX Mainboard-listed company, overseeing on all legal, regulatory and corporate governance matters.

Yang Eu Jin, Partner with RHT Law in Singapore joined us to talk about the SPAC market in Singapore and how is different from other key SPAC markets in New York and Hong Kong.

To find out more about SPACs in Singapore, please visit https://rhtlawasia.com/corporate-capitalmarkets/

Yang Eu Jin is Partner and Co-Head of RHTLaw Asia’s Corporate and Capital Markets Practice and Head of the Education Industry Group. He has covered a wide spectrum of corporate and securities law-related work, with particular expertise in corporate finance and capital markets work, having advised many local and foreign enterprises seeking to undertake public listings (IPOs) and post-listing corporate action and fund-raising activities on the SGX. He also has experience in corporate banking, project financing, fund management, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate restructurings, as well as regulatory and compliance matters, including regulatory requirements under the Securities and Futures Act and the Financial Advisers Act.

Eu Jin has been involved in SGX Mainboard and Catalist IPOs of many notable companies, including one of the largest K-12 international school operators in Singapore, a leading global integrated supply chain manager of agricultural products and food ingredients, a PRC pharmaceutical company engaged in the R&D, production, sales and marketing of cardiocerebral and non-cardiocerebral vascular drugs, a leading local provider of integrated circuit (IC) module assembly and testing services for contact and dual interface smart cards, and several companies in the marine and terrestrial logistics and transportation fields.

He has also spent a number of years as General Counsel of a SGX Mainboard-listed company, overseeing on all legal, regulatory and corporate governance matters.

We're joined by Ranjan Narula, Managing Partner at RNA, Technology and IP Attorneys. In this episode to talk trade marks and dress marks in India.

We discussed how India trademark and dress mark rules are designed to attract foreign direct investment.

For more information about trademarks in India, please visit, https://rnaip.com/

Ranjan founded the specialist IP law firm, RNA, in 2004, and is now its Managing Partner. He has twenty seven years’ post qualification experience working on contentious and non-contentious IP and Technology issues. Ranjan has been practicing as an advocate and patent attorney since 1991 handling a wide range of IP, IT and Technology matters including IP management issues, strategic advice on IP clearance, acquisition, and enforcement. Ranjan has worked in-house and in private practice including a stint with international IP practice heading its India operations. In 2019, Ranjan was invited to join the INTA, Board of Directors.

Ranjan has been ranked as a leading IP practitioner by various publications including WTR 1000, IP Star (Managing IP), WIPR leaders, Who’s Who legal, Asia IP experts and others. Ranjan is regularly invited to speak by Universities and chamber of commerce on IP issues. He has authored several articles and papers on key IP issues that are published by IP magazines and blogs such as IAM, World Trade Mark Review, Bloomberg, Lexology, IP Kat etc.

We're joined by Ranjan Narula, Managing Partner at RNA, Technology and IP Attorneys, in this episode to talk patent ligitation in India.

We discussed how the ownership of a trade secret established, how is the commercial value established, what criteria are used to establish the New Patent Suit rules and whether this will make the patent litigation process more streamlined for businesses in India.

For more information about patent litigation, please visit, https://rnaip.com/

Ranjan founded the specialist IP law firm, RNA, in 2004, and is now its Managing Partner. He has twenty seven years’ post qualification experience working on contentious and non-contentious IP and Technology issues. Ranjan has been practicing as an advocate and patent attorney since 1991 handling a wide range of IP, IT and Technology matters including IP management issues, strategic advice on IP clearance, acquisition, and enforcement. Ranjan has worked in-house and in private practice including a stint with international IP practice heading its India operations. In 2019, Ranjan was invited to join the INTA, Board of Directors.

Ranjan has been ranked as a leading IP practitioner by various publications including WTR 1000, IP Star (Managing IP), WIPR leaders, Who’s Who legal, Asia IP experts and others. Ranjan is regularly invited to speak by Universities and chamber of commerce on IP issues. He has authored several articles and papers on key IP issues that are published by IP magazines and blogs such as IAM, World Trade Mark Review, Bloomberg, Lexology, IP Kat etc.

Ben Cooper joins us in this Q1 review show of the Hong Kong legal market. We discussed how COVID and media sentiments have affected the market, hiring trends in Hong Kong, pressures facing law firms in the hiring market, and a look into how the market is likely to fair in Q2.

For more information about the Hong Kong legal market, please visit https://ashford-benjamin.com/

Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers Marc Waha and Nicolas Cassauba joined us in this episode to discuss dealing with substantive issues during M&A transactions. We looked at what makes a transaction fall, the typical issues that may come up and lead to greater scrutiny and how much influence politics plays in this.

To finds out more about M&A and competition law in Asia, please visit https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/services/24ba38a6/antitrust-and-competition

Marc is a partner and heads the Norton Rose Fulbright Asia Antitrust and Competition Team.

Based in our Hong Kong and Tokyo, Marc advises international companies on antitrust regimes in East Asia, and Asian companies on global competition compliance issues, multi-jurisdictional merger filings and international cartel investigations, particularly in Europe and Asia. For more than 20 years he has represented clients active in a wide variety of industrial and services sectors, with a focus on advising Asian companies on global antitrust and competition law matters.

Over the years, Marc has been ranked as a leading lawyer, and the Competition Team as a top tier competition practice, in several guides including Chambers & Partners (where Marc featured in the Global Guide for his "high reputation for his merger control clearance work" as well as in the Asia-Pacific Guide, where he has been ranked #1 for competition law in China for several years), Euromoney's Guide to leading lawyers, the Guide to the World's Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers, PLC's Which Lawyer?, Asialaw's Leading Lawyers, and The International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers & Economists.

Nicolas Cassauba, Senior Associate (Asia Antitrust and Competition)

Nicolas is a senior associate in the antitrust and competition practice. Based in Hong Kong, his practice covers a broad range of competition law matters, including M&A transactions, regulatory investigations and legal compliance.

Nicolas advises on antitrust regimes in Asia, global competition compliance issues, multijurisdictional merger filings, international cartel investigations, and other antitrust matters. He has extensive experience in relation to merger control and has guided parties to complex transactions through merger approval procedures in Asia as well as before the European Commission and other competition authorities around the globe. Nicolas frequently advises on abusive behaviour and cartel investigations in a multijurisdictional context. He has also assisted companies in the context of dawn raids conducted by the European Commission and other national competition authorities.

In Hong Kong, Nicolas has assisted companies in relation to a wide range of compliance issues and investigations, based on his international experience. He also gained significant experience in setting up and deploying compliance programs and trainings for diverse industry groups.

Nicolas is experienced across a number of industry sectors, including air transport, telecommunications, energy, construction, hospitality, insurance, shipping, fast moving consumer goods, life sciences and chemicals.