[HCMC] Breakfast Seminar - What is in store for Investors in Vietnam in 2019?

As the US-China Trade War threatens to shake up the established global value chain, private equity investors are looking for new opportunities in South East Asia, especially the hotspot neighboring country – Vietnam. Venture Capital and Private Equity Investment in Vietnam has soared to a new record level in 2018 and promises vast potential for growth in the coming years. In this morning Grant Thornton will present the key findings of its new released 2019 Private Equity survey which takes a special focus on investment’s value creation: how private companies ground support from Private equity funds to seize opportunities and overcome challenges of intense competition and digital disruption. Following that, Stephenson Harwood will explore some of the common causes of disputes arising out of investments into emerging economies and discuss the steps that can be taken to anticipate and minimise the risks of such disputes developing.

We look forward to a lively discussion with you during our broad panel discussions with speakers, experts, investors, a leading international arbitrator and Vietnam International Arbitration Centre.

Event date: 30 May 2019

Venue: Sofitel Plaza Saigon – 17 Le Duan boulevard, district 01, Ho Chi Minh city

Time: 8:00 – 10:40 AM

Agenda:

• 8:00 – 8:30                      Registration starts
• 8:30 – 8:35                     Welcome remarks from BBGV
• 8:35 – 9:05 (30’)             PE report from Grant Thornton
• 9:05 – 9:35 (30’)             SH Legal presentation on disputes
• 9:35 – 9:45 (10’)             Break
• 9:45 – 10:30 (45’)           Panel discussion
• 10:30 – 10:40 (10’)         Closing remarks and photo session

Entrance fee:

• VND 550,000 for members
• VND 650,000 for non-members

RSVP to Mr Nhan at nhan.nguyen@bbgv.org or call 028 3829 8430 for your support. Please note that Reservations not cancelled within 48 hours of the event will be charged and invoiced, as no-shows.

SPEAKERS

 Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau, CFA

Senior Manager, Transaction Advisory Services of Grant Thornton (Vietnam)

Chau is a Senior Manager of Transaction Advisory Services of Grant Thornton (Vietnam) and a CFA Charter-holder with 10 years of working experience in Accounting, Finance and Investment related fields in international consulting firms. Chau specialised in supporting local and foreign investors with their private equity investment acquisitions and disposals, had a diverse industry exposure across different markets in ASEAN.

Mr Timothy Cooke

Partner, Stephenson Harwood LLP 

Timothy leads the international commercial arbitration practice at Stephenson Harwood LLP in Singapore. A barrister of the Bar of England and Wales since 2000, he has lived in Singapore since 2006. Timothy represents clients in international arbitrations under all the major institutional rules of arbitration and focuses on disputes arising out of foreign and intra-regional investments in Asia, particularly in matters concerning energy (oil & gas, power and renewables), joint ventures, shareholders infrastructure and other commercial disputes. He has also acted in expedited arbitrations, emergency arbitration proceedings and ‘Arb-Med-Arb’ disputes. Timothy also sits regularly as sole, co-, presiding and emergency arbitrator.

Timothy is consistently ranked in the leading legal directories. He was described in Legal 500 (2019) as “a top practitioner … and ‘an outstanding advocate’ who ‘is particularly suited to complex arbitration issues’ and ‘masters his brief thoroughly’.” The arbitration team he leads at Stephenson Harwood is described as “‘extremely responsive’, ‘impresses with its strategic thinking and guidance’, and is ‘cost effective’.” Chambers & Partners (2019) says: “Clients say [he] is technically excellent and a stellar performer on his feet in front of arbitration panels and court benches in Singapore”. Market sources comment positively on his “measured advocacy style,” adding: “He knows his cases and doesn’t get flustered.” He comes highly recommended for disputes in the offshore and onshore energy sectors.”

Timothy writes widely on international arbitration issues. He is the author of the leading text International Arbitration in Singapore: Legislation and Materials (Sweet & Maxwell, 2018). The book has been reviewed as “an impressive comprehensive guide to the law and practice of international arbitration in Singapore”, “learned, succinct, and absolutely to the point”, and “an invaluable resource” whose “breadth of coverage is truly remarkable”.

JOINT PANELLISTS

 Ms. Vinh Ha Nguyen – Advisory Partner, Grant Thornton (Vietnam)

Vinh Ha is a Partner at Grant Thornton Vietnam, heading the Firm’s Advisory Services Division.  With more than 20 year experience in South East Asia, she has been involved in a broad range of professional services from financial audit to corporate finance.

Vinh Ha’s current role is mainly lead advisor supporting local and foreign investors with their private equity investment acquisitions and disposals in SEA. Her involvement ranges from opportunity identification, transaction support (financial due diligence, valuation), transaction structuring, deal management, SPA negotiation to completion and post completion support.

Vinh Ha is also a CFA Charterholder, CPA (Vietnam) and a Certified Valuer accredited by the Ministry of Vietnam.

Mr. Tom Platts – Partner, Stephenson Harwood LLP 

Tom is a corporate and commercial law expert at Stephenson Harwood’s Singapore office. He has extensive experience of advising on complex cross-border M&A and capital markets transactions, particularly within South and Southeast Asia. International clients value Tom’s commercial, pragmatic advice and his energetic approach to developing long-term client relationships. He acts on all forms of domestic and cross-border M&A, strategic joint ventures and corporate restructurings. He also has particular expertise in advising on capital markets transactions.

Having worked for many years in London, Tom moved to Southeast Asia in 2011, where he advises a significant base of blue-chip international corporate, banking and funds clients.

Mr. Dzung Manh NGUYEN – ICC Court Member, Vietnam

Mr. Nguyen, after having founded in 1997 Dzungsrt & Associates LLC. now become one of leading dispute resolution law firms in Vietnam, has recently established ADR Vietnam Chambers LLC, a new platform for independent arbitrators and mediators in Vietnam. Mr. Nguyen has been internationally accredited with being the first Vietnamese lawyer to become a graded member of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) since 2009, the first Vietnamese member to hold two consecutive terms in ICC International Court of Arbitration, a global arbitration institution.   He has served as legal counsel and expert witness in international arbitrations and has been appointed as co-arbitrator and presiding arbitrator in domestic arbitrations. He has also assisted international clients in pursuing enforcement proceedings in Vietnam of many arbitral awards rendered by the ICC, ICA, GAFTA, JCAA, LMAA and SIAC.  Mr. Nguyen directly involved in editing and drafting Law on Commercial Arbitration of Vietnam in 2010, Governmental Decree no.22/CP on commercial mediation in 2017, the guiding documents as well as Civil Procedure Code 2015 on the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and mediated settlement agreements. He was the co-founder and vice president of the Pacific International Arbitration Center (PIAC) and later listed as arbitrator of both Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC) and Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB International).  

He is also holding the position of Deputy Director of Vietnam Mediation Center (VMC). He obtained his first degree in law from Hanoi University of Law in 1990 and then got his LL.M specialised in International Dispute Resolution from Queen Mary, University of London in 2008. 

Mr. Brian Rogove – Founder & CEO of A-Star-Education Holdings

Brian Rogove is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of A-Star-Education Holdings.  Headquartered in Singapore, A-Star-Education is a global education platform founded by Mr. Rogove. A-Star-Education’s mission is preparing students for a bright tomorrow. Founded in 2016, A-Star believes that outstanding academic results are critically important but just one part of the journey students take to a bright tomorrow. Beyond helping students achieve demonstrable educational success, A-Star is dedicated to providing each learner unique and valuable experiences through its quality schools and varied enrichment programs around the globe. The long legacy and rich experience of A-Star’s teams in collaboration with forward-thinking educational experts have created an unparalleled offering of superior academic and experiential programs that support the whole student journey.

Prior to founding A-Star-Education, Brian served as CEO Asia Pacific for Cognita for over 8 years. Since founding the business in 2008, Brian grew the Asia business from a start-up to representing over 65% of the Group EBITDA and helped to lead the sale to KKR in 2013. Brian has 20 years of experience in the Asia Pacific region and 16 years of experience as an entrepreneur. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Northern Illinois University, Brian received his MBA from the University of Chicago.

Brian sits on the Board of Wall Street English in Vietnam and the European International School of Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Dat Phan Trong, Vice Secretary General of the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre

Dat has approximately 12 years of practical experience, specializing in commercial arbitration and mediation and currently serves as Vice Secretary General of the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre. Dat has been working closely with hundreds of tribunals conducting arbitration at VIAC and keeps up with gaining diverse practical insight of commercial arbitration.

Dat was the chief coordinator of the biggest project on “Increasing use of arbitration in Vietnam” (2005-2010) which had enormously contributed to the current development of arbitration in Vietnam. He has devoted his expertise and experiences to the drafting process of 2012 and 2017 versions of VIAC’s Arbitration Rules and to the Commercial Mediation and Financial Arbitration Project with World Bank Group. Dat is also a highly qualified academic and regularly delivers presentations and lectures (as visiting lecturer) on arbitration procedures and dispute resolution skills at conferences and training courses conducted by law universities, Vietnam Bar Association, American Chamber of Commerce, FIDIC, Vietnam Banker Association, VCCI, etc.

Dat holds business degrees from both Vietnam (Foreign Trade University, Hanoi) and France and wrote his master thesis at Nantes University, France in the area of project management.

(to be updated)