Interview with: Tiv Sophonnora, Deputy Managing Partner/Equity Partner

Deputy Managing Partner, Tiv Sophonnora, offers insights on the mechanics of liaising with clients and predictions for the foreseeable future.

 

1. What do you see as the main points that differentiate Rajah & Tann Sok & Heng from your competitors?

As one of Cambodia’s most highly regarded full-service law firms, Rajah & Tann Sok & Heng Law Office boasts a team of young, dynamic, and qualified Cambodian lawyers. Our team advises clients across a wide range of corporate and commercial practices, with particular knowledge and experiences in various key industry sectors.

Our local team possesses in-depth knowledge of Cambodian laws and regulations, as well as international standards and practices. We have valuable connections and extensive experience working with relevant government authorities on regulatory adoption and amendments. This expertise has positioned us as market leaders in various established and emerging areas of practice.

Together with our regional Rajah & Tann Asia network, we have built a network of over 1,000 exceptionally talented, skillful and highly motivated legal professionals. Our network provides seamless legal services across the region, with footprints in Cambodia, China (including our newly opened office in Shenzhen), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam plus Brunei, Japan, and South Asia desks.

With our team of locally qualified lawyers proficient in multiple languages, we proudly call ourselves the region’s new ‘home team’ of ‘Lawyers Who Know Asia’.

 

2. Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

In the next 12 months, we anticipate increased activity in the digital economy, competition, M&A, capital markets, and energy and infrastructure projects, including project financing. We expect more inquiries on regulatory and compliance-related matters, particularly in the areas of competition and data protection, as Cambodia begins implementing its recently adopted Competition Law and prepares to adopt cybersecurity,

personal data protection, and cybercrime laws currently in the pipeline. We also foresee an uptick in already busy practices, such as M&A, banking and finance, commercial litigation, and arbitration.

Our forward-looking approach is driven by the Royal Government’s Pentagonal Strategy – Phase 1 prioritizing five pillars: people, road, water, electricity, and technology with significant reforms underway. Additionally, with a stronger emphasis on China’s foreign investment policy, particularly the Belt and Road Initiative and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement, we are optimistic that foreign investments in Cambodia will continue to increase.

 

3. What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

As a network, the expansion of our regional presence, particularly with the opening of our second office in China, located in Shenzhen, will benefit clients. This strategic move enhances our ability to provide seamless legal services across key markets in Asia, ensuring that our clients receive timely and localized support.

In light of Industrial Revolution 4.0, we have invested in advanced legal technology to streamline our processes and improve efficiency. By leveraging cutting-edge tools for document management, legal research, and client communication, we can offer faster and more efficient legal services. This technological enhancement, combined with our strengthened team of multilingual, locally qualified lawyers, allows us to better navigate the complexities of local regulations and offer more comprehensive and culturally attuned legal advice.

Additionally, we have also adjusted the way we provide our services – on top of traditional legal service, we also introduce business partnering where possible and relevant. This approach allows us to offer meaningful assistance by providing various solutions and suggestions to business problems beyond the legal issues. Our regional resources, which extend beyond legal expertise to include technology, cybersecurity, regional business matching platforms, provide immense value to our clients.

This combination of expanded regional presence, technological advancements, and a holistic service approach positions us to better navigate the complexities of local regulations and offer comprehensive, culturally attuned legal advice.

 

4. Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Technology has always played a crucial role in how we service our clients and help them overcome their business challenges especially in today’s ‘new normal’ business environment. With the advanced technology platform and facilities our firm has in place, our clients can rely on us for their business transactions, whether they are cross-border or time-sensitive.

 

5. Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

With our extensive regional footprint in ASEAN countries, we are the preferred firm for international clients with business interests in the region. Clients trust and rely on our seamless, high-quality services across multiple jurisdictions. For instance, clients in industries such as digital payment, money remittance, social media platforms and short-form video hosting services can access our services at any Rajah & Tann Asia office. This allows them to operate across all jurisdictions within our network without the need to engage multiple law firms separately.

 

6. Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

In an increasingly VUCA [volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous] world, our clients look to us for stability and strategic direction, not only as legal advisors but also as trusted business partners. As one of Cambodia’s highly regarded law firms, we see ourselves as the go-to firm for large-scale projects and complex cross-border transactions.

With our regional presence as part of the Rajah & Tann Asia network, we will continue to stay ahead of the curve in new areas such as Data & Digital Economy, and ESG. As foreign investments continue to grow, and significant legal reforms take place in Cambodia, Rajah & Tann Sok & Heng Law Office will remain a trusted business partner for our clients in Cambodia.