Martin Desautels

Senior Partner

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BIO

Martin is a Senior Partner at DFDL and Chair of DFDL’ Board of Directors. He served as the Managing Partner of the firm for almost two decades, during which he led the firm's regional expansion from one office to 12 offices in ASEAN and Bangladesh. He continues to advise clients and lead transactions, as well as support the new Managing Partner of the firm. He also plays a leadership role in overseeing partners, key clients, and, more specifically, the firm’s growth strategy and regional expansion. Recently, he spearheaded the firm's expansion into new jurisdictions, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, where DFDL established its own new offices.

Martin is a banking and finance lawyer and has a wealth of experience in the infrastructure and energy sector, including renewable energy projects in the emerging markets of Asia. He has been practicing law in ASEAN for more than 25 years and has worked with investments funds, international banks and sizeable Asian investors on their investments and expansion strategies across the ASEAN region. He has also provided technical assistance to various governmental bodies (such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Agence Française de Développement) on various aspects of the development of investment, regulatory and legal frameworks.

Martin is ranked as a leading lawyer by renowned legal directories such as Chambers Asia Pacific, IFLR, Asialaw and Legal 500.

Experience the DFDL difference

Contact us for expert legal and tax assistance in South and Southeast Asia.