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Who are we?

Founded in 2012 by Edwin Vanderbruggen and Jean Loi in Cambodia, VDB Loi has grown into an extensive network of leading law and advisory member firms and affiliated companies. Comprising 10 partners and over 100 lawyers and advisers across Southeast Asia, VDB Loi has a foothold in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

The firms that operate using the VDB Loi trade name are separate and distinct legal entities that are all registered and licensed to provide tax, accounting, and legal services in their respective jurisdictions.

VDB Loi’s core expertise includes foreign investment, energy and infrastructure, M&A, real estate, taxation, and finance. We are renowned for our award-winning deals in TMT, energy and infrastructure, manufacturing, and consumer goods in all of the jurisdictions we are present in and we pride ourselves in advising various industry-sector heavyweights.

Timeline

February 28, 2012

A group of 28 lawyers, tax advisors and other employees, in Cambodia and Vietnam including several partners split off from a regional law firm to form VDB Loi. The founding partners are Edwin Vanderbruggen (“VDB”) and Jean Loi (“Loi”).

July 3, 2012

VDB Loi opens Myanmar office on Bo Mya Tun Street while Myanmar compliance and legal consulting company joins VDB Loi. VDB Loi co-founder Edwin Vanderbruggen and a few associates from Cambodia and Vietnam relocated to Myanmar to practice in the newly opened country together with the newly integrated Myanmar team.

July 10, 2012

Tie-up in Indonesia: VDB Loi associates with Larasati & Manullang

August 28, 2012

VDB Loi opens offices in the prestigious Bitexco Financial Tower in Saigon.

September 1, 2012

VDB Loi opens in Laos.

September 20, 2012

U Myo Nyunt, the former director of the Supreme Court in Myanmar, joins VDB Loi to head up the legal team

November 9, 2012

World Tax and International Tax Review names VDB Loi as leading tax law firm in Vietnam

November 29, 2012

Joint workshop on oil & gas with Allens Linklaters

December 20, 2012

Edwin Vanderbruggen shares knowledge with tax authorities in Myanmar

January 15, 2013

Myanmar Government launches a competitive tender for two mobile network licenses. VDB Loi will end up working for 6 out of 12 prequalified bidders, a sign of its rapid rise to prominence in the Myanmar market.

January 16, 2013

VDB Loi is granted a foreign law license in Vietnam and starts operation.

March 10, 2013

French construction multinational Bouygues retains VDB Loi on one of Yangon’s largest real estate projects.

April 18, 2013

Clifford Chance and VDB Loi host clients jointly in Seoul briefings

May 2013

The firm in Yangon expands space into Centrepoint Office Towers

June 26, 2013

KDDI retained VDB Loi on major telecom project.

July 12, 2013

Shell, Conoco Phillips and several other oil and gas grants pick VDB Loi to assist in their offshore oil and gas bids, a major boost to the Myanmar firm’s energy practice.

January 8, 2014

Telecom tender winner Ooredoo (Qatar Telecom) selects VDB Loi as Myanmar Counsel for its investment license on largest FDI in Myanmar history.

January 9, 2014

VDB Loi doubles Myanmar presence with Nay Pyi Taw office opening

February 17, 2014

The firm assists one of first ever IPP deals in Myanmar, Navigat (now MaxPower)

June 3, 2014

Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei select VDB Loi for their market entry in Myanmar

June 23, 2014

VDB Loi succeeds at registering security in Myanmar on a foreign loan for the first time since World War II.

June 25, 2014

VDB Loi is selected by the Myanmar government to advise on the privatization of three state-owned enterprises in the energy space.

July 16, 2014

Myanmar Government launches tender for allowing foreign banks. VDB Loi will end up assisting four applicants, two of which indeed succeed at receiving the license.

October 7, 2014

VDB Loi helps close Myanmar’s first commercial project finance transaction (telecom towers – Pan Asia)

December 4, 2014

U Aye Kyaw Associates litigation firm joins VDB Loi in Myanmar

March 5, 2015

VDB Loi assists Myanmar Government on its joint venture for jet fuel distribution with Puma Energy

April 22, 2015

IFC retains VDB loi on complex financing and investment transaction in the distribution space

May 10, 2015

Channel News Asia features VDB Loi

May 21, 2015

FBNC TV features VDB Loi

September 23, 2015

IFC and ADB retain VDB Loi on their largest ever Myanmar financing transaction.

December 15, 2015

A consortium of European DFi’s including FMO, CDC, Proparco, DEG and BIO closes towerco financing transaction with VDB Loi or lenders counsel.

March 31, 2016

VDB Loi assists on 5 new power project agreements.

March 31, 2017

In partnership with MOPF, we hosted the “Government Guarantees for PPP Projects in Myanmar Workshop” in Nay Pyi Taw. The workshop was chaired by H.E. Kyaw Win, Union Minister of Planning and Finance.

September 20, 2017

We hosted the “Myanmar LNG, Gas-to-Power and Petroleum Products Update” in London.

October 30, 2017

Myanmar office moved to the Junction City Office Tower.

December 5, 2017

We hosted the “VDB Loi Tax Summit 2017” at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

December 31, 2017

Our office in Cambodia moved to a new location. The new address is now No. 33, Street 294 (corner of Street 29), Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamkarmorn in Phnom Penh.

February 20, 2018

We held separate events for “Myanmar Energy, Infrastructure and Construction Update” with JOI and JBIC in Tokyo, Japan.

April, 2018

We assisted IFC for drafting of the new template for Hydropower PPA.

June 15, 2018

We partnered with the Ministry of Construction and hosted the “Public Private Partnership for Myanmar Toll Roads” event at M Gallery Hotel (Sofitel) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

July 10, 2018

We assisted Pestech for their IPO process in Cambodia.

September 7, 2018

In partnership with APLMA, we hosted “Negotiating and Drafting Loan Documents for Myanmar Banks and Microfinance Institutions” event at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar.

September 18, 2018

We hosted the Commercial Arbitration in Cambodia Seminar at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

September 26, 2018

We hosted the “Financing Energy Projects in Asia Conference” together with Hogan Lovells at Sofitel in Singapore.

February 18, 2019

We hosted the “Insurance Market Liberalization Update: RfP, Proposals and Joint Ventures” event at Pullman Hotel, Yangon in partnership with EY Myanmar.

March 16, 2019

Co-organized the Chin State Investment Forum the Myanmar Convention Center in Yangon, Myanmar

August 6, 2019

Hosted the CLMV Projects and Finance Update Seminar in partnership with APLMA at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Singapore

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VDB Loi is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

VDB Loi may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

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