Compliance & Investigations

The regulatory environment continues to evolve with complex regulations and legislations across the Southeast Asia region. The prudence of investing in durable and effective internal compliance programs cannot be overstated and companies worldwide are rapidly waking up to their value and cost-cutting potential when integrating them into their day-to-day activities. Being compliant as a business necessitates a broader understanding of the different types of compliance that fits your organization and this can often be a daunting task. This is where we come in, with our extensive experience covering the full-range of services at all levels of the organization, we have the depth and breadth of expertise you need to pierce through the regulatory fog, implementing compliance mechanisms and policies that you can rely on. We have a proven track record of acting on some of the region’s highest profile domestic and multi-jurisdictional investigations, anti-corruption, anti-bribery other financial and white-collar crime matters.

At DFDL, the Compliance and Investigations Practice works side-by-side with on-the-ground compliance specialists to conduct innovative, practical and proactive compliance reviews, develop effective compliance programs to control risk, train employees, devise monitoring and auditing procedures, and formulate tailor-made strategies for effective remedial action.  

Key Services

  • Anti-bribery and corruption
  • Anti-money laundering
  • Anti-slavery and human rights
  • Anti-trust and competition
  • Crisis management and mitigation
  • Civil/criminal proceedings
  • Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
  • Director duties and code of ethics
  • Environmental, social and governance
  • Employment and labour
  • Fraud protection and management
  • Marketing, hospitality, gifts and entertainment guidelines and regulations
  • Monitorships and monitorship advisory
  • In-house compliance training
  • Internal investigations including government investigations and enforcement
  • Policy review and development
  • Risk assessment and mitigation strategies

Major Projects

  • A software company in relation to online gaming and anti-money laundering laws in Bangladesh.
  • A global infrastructure, environmental and social development company in relation to a dispute on fraud investigation in Cambodia.
  • A division of a global aerospace company in relation to employment and director duties in Lao PDR.
  • China’s largest listed courier firm in connection with its acquisition of 25 percent of Kospa, a Myanmar-based logistics firm including compliance and risk mitigation factors.
  • A Chinese multinational technology giant in relation to its data protection and licensing review in Myanmar and Vietnam.
  • A global logistics and storage company in relation to its data review notice in Indonesia, Myanmar and Singapore.
  • A Japanese multinational media conglomerate in relation to its marketing and advertisement compliance of materials ranging from video, printed materials and website in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam.
  • A private equity firm on its anti-bribery and corruption guide across Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
  • A multinational French sporting goods retailer in relation to a comprehensive legal compliance study to create internal legal compliance matrices for all business functions in Thailand.
  • A payment systems company in connection with the provision of instant payment service (IPS) to be jointly developed in the Lao PDR with the Lao National Payment Network which will be used under the payment infrastructure for a mobile interbank money transfer system which provides domestic money transfers by using account numbers and quick response (QR) code payments.
  • An Australian multinational independent investment bank and financial services company in relation to its whistleblowing advice in Thailand.

Resources

New Decree 03/2023/ND-CP on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Vietnam Competition Commission

The Law on Competition (2018) (“Law”) is effective, but it is not fully implemented due to the lack of appointed regulatory authority. Hence only the Law’s merger provisions have been enforced through the regulator under the now repealed Law on Competition 2004, the Vietnam Competition and Consumer Authority, under the authority of Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (“MOIT”). This lack of properly appointed regulatory authority has also resulted in very little guidance on the interpretation and implementation of the Law.

Video Series

Legal Expert Guide to Data Breaches & Ransomware Attacks in Southeast Asia

In this series, our experts guide you through the best practices and processes to put in place to prevent, prepare and ready oneself for ransomware attacks and data breaches.

Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act

This video discusses how organizations in Thailand can adapt their practices and stay in compliance with this new piece of legislation while collecting, processing, transferring and disclosing the personal data of their clients to third parties.

Our expert provides an insightful overview on the appointment and roles of the Data Protection Officer within an organization, and whether such appointment should be made internally within the organization, or be outsourced to third-party data privacy service provider.

 

Contacts

Kristy Newby

Kristy Newby

Partner, Lao PDR Managing Director & Co-Head of Regional Compliance & Investigations Practice

kristy.newby@dfdl.com

Jonathan Blaine

Thailand Tax Director & Co-Head of Regional Compliance & Investigations Practice

jonathan.blaine@dfdl.com