Tilleke & Gibbins

Partner and Director, Cambodia Practices: Property, Employment, Intellectual Property, Corporate/M&A, Compliance and Investigations, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets

Jay Cohen is a partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Cambodia practice, leading the Phnom Penh office’s commercial and intellectual property practices. Based on the quality of his client service and legal expertise, Jay is ranked as a leading commercial lawyer in Cambodia by Asialaw, Chambers Asia-Pacific, IFLR 1000, and The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.

With over 15 years of experience in Asia, Jay is an authority on inbound investments in the region. His practice covers every stage of the investment process, beginning with offshore structuring issues and market entry into Cambodia, including advising on appropriate entities, tax considerations, licensing requirements, intellectual property protection, and labor compliance matters. He also regularly assists clients with implementing appropriate corporate and investment structures, advising on ongoing operations, and negotiating and drafting commercial contracts.

Jay has particular expertise in the energy industry, in which he frequently assists clients with acquisition of energy resources and infrastructure, handles upstream licensing and transactional work, and advises on regulatory compliance in emerging Southeast Asian markets. He is also a well-respected practitioner to the technology industry, frequently advising innovative technology companies on their Southeast Asian operations, with a particular focus on the regulatory framework applicable to FinTech and other professional services technology. He is an active member of the firm’s Technology Industry Group.

More broadly, Jay is a trusted advisor to businesses on a variety of general corporate, commercial, intellectual property, and compliance matters in Cambodia, including licensing and regulation; civil aviation compliance procedures (including aircraft registration and deregistration); real estate investment structuring; resource development project licensing and concessions; trademark and patent registration and enforcement; labor and employment matters; and mergers and acquisitions.

Jay is a truly global practitioner, entrusted with high-value commercial matters by both local clients in Cambodia and international clients from across Asia, Europe, and the United States alike. He consistently provides practical, innovative solutions to the dynamic challenges that arise within a developing legal framework. Recognized for his knowledge and insights on the legal environment for business in Cambodia, Jay currently serves on the Board of Governors for the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia.

Jay earned his J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, alongside an M.A. in East Asian Studies, and is licensed to practice law in the state of California. He is conversant in Chinese (Mandarin).

English, Chinese

JD, Washington University School of Law

MA, Washington University School of Law

BA, Emory University