Marking the start of a series of events in celebration of the Firm's 45th anniversary, Villaraza & Angangco ("V&A Law") hosted the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA)'s first Southeast Asia Regional Conference in Manila last February 6. This Conference provided a platform for in-depth discussions on navigating cross-border investments, trends, and regulatory developments shaping the region.
With V&A Law Associate, Richard Martin De Leon as the emcee, the event kicked off with opening remarks from V&A Law Managing Partner and IPBA Southeast Asia Regional Coordinator Sylvette Y. Tankiang, setting the stage for a full day of insightful sessions. In her speech, Sylvette emphasized the crucial role of legal practitioners as key partners in progress, particularly as Southeast Asia cements its status as an economic powerhouse.
The conference featured a lineup of eight distinguished speakers from law firms across Southeast Asia including V&A Law Partner Mark Benjamin C. Yam, who discussed emerging investment opportunities and roadblocks in the Philippines.
Mark was joined by Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu's Nobuo Fukui, Ong Eu Jin Partnership's Ong Eu Jin, ATD Law's Abi Abadi Tisnadisastra, ONC Lawyers' Olivia Kung, Dilinh Legal's Diep Hoang, Providence Law Asia LLC's Jiaxiang Zhuo, and Nishimura & Asahi Thailand's Apinya Sarntikasem.
A highlight of the Conference was a special talk from IPBA President Miyuki Ishiguro, who shared insights on the IPBA and promoted the organization's upcoming Annual Meeting and Conference, which will be held in Chicago this year from April 23-26.
The Conference concluded with closing remarks from V&A Law CEO and Chairman Raoul R. Angangco. In his speech, Raoul underscores how legal professionals should not merely navigate the waves of change brought by Southeast Asia's growth and transformation as a global economic force but actively shape the legal environment that supports this development.
The Conference was organized under the leadership of Sylvette Tankiang who closely coordinated with the IPBA to bring together an esteemed group of legal experts from across Southeast Asia for a series of meaningful discussions. As the tide of opportunity continues to rise across the region, we want to thank our speakers, attendees, and partners again for making this Conference a success.