YCP Solidiance has supported multinational corporations’ market entry in Southeast Asia in more than 1,000 projects over the last decade. A good portion of such market entry advisory was through M&A, being an end-to-end service provider to cover the complete services of an M&A transaction from deal sourcing and financial advisory to due diligence and post-merger integration. Although M&A has increasingly been common in SEA, foreign investors still face bottlenecks and high breakup rate without knowing the nature of the market.

YCP Solidiance, which operates in seven Southeast Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Myanmar), has extensive experience in supporting complicated cross-border transactions. The firm is able to summarize commonly seen challenges among foreign investors in each phase of M&A, especially in deal sourcing and origination, and provide tailored solutions.

Speaker
	Gary Murakami  YCP Solidiance Partner, Head of M&A Advisory Southeast Asia

In 2021, deal activity in Southeast Asia has been mirroring the global M&A boom by witnessing over 3x more transaction value than in 2020, both in corporate and private equity fronts, with some of its emerging economies arising as M&A hotspots. Alongside more traditional industries, transactions have been accelerating in growing sectors like renewable energy, healthcare, and technology. This momentum, however, also covers strong disparities between ASEAN’s different jurisdictions in terms of legal frameworks, business practices, and market dynamics.

For international investors, conducting cross-border M&A in Southeast Asia requires not only a precise knowledge of local regulations, but also an understanding of common misalignments and pitfalls in the due diligence process and a pragmatic approach to structuring options.Tapping into its three decades of legal experience in ASEAN Emerging Markets, DFDL will provide an overview of the common challenges faced by international buyers and investors during M&A transaction, and highlight trends and opportunities in the region with a zoom in three of its most attractive investment destinations: Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Speakers
	Jérôme Buzenet DFDL Partner, Vietnam Managing Director and Co-Head of Regional M&A Practice		Vinay Ahuja DFDL Partner, Head of Indonesia Practice, Head of Regional Banking, Finance and Technology Practice