Following a Thailand government initiative to develop closer financial integration in the region, Thai firm Tilleke & Gibbins has anticipated a surge in cross-border transactions and has hired a corporate lawyer.
The firm hired Derrick Khoo as a partner in its regional corporate and M&A team, and co-head of its China desk in Bangkok. He joined from Marga Group, an international corporate, where he was a general counsel in Hong Kong for more than six years.
Kobkit Thienpreecha, partner and director of the corporate and commercial practice at Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok, said that Khoo’s arrival was necessary to anticipate a new landscape in the country’s capital markets.
“Recently, we have seen Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bank of Thailand taking steps to support regional financial integration and mobility of capital across borders,” Thienpreecha told Asia Business Law Journal.
“At the same time, the SEC is looking to bolster local startups and businesses by establishing a new public offering scheme for SMEs. We therefore anticipate that the regulators will continue to adopt this balanced and pragmatic approach in the future.”
In September, the Bank of Thailand and Bank Negara Malaysia (both central banks) invited banking institutions from both regional powerhouses to indicate their interest to be a qualified Asean bank to help increase trade and investment within Southeast Asia.
Khoo is experienced in cross-border transaction and focuses on M&A, growth equity investments, pre-IPO investments, corporate real estate, and other corporate and commercial transactions. He is qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong, Singapore, England and Wales. In his new role, Khoo will serve as a key liaison with the firm’s China-based clients.
