Vicheka Lay

A transactional lawyer with more than ten-year experience, advising corporate clients, multinational corporations and high net worth individuals on foreign direct investment, merger & acquisition (M&A), business matching, market entry, intellectual property transactions, corporate compliance, representing foreign investors before Cambodian government entities, as well as coordinating between public and private sector.

MCGILL UNIVERSITY – Canada

• Master of Comparative Law, October 2011

‍

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBODIA – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Master of Public International Law, June 2010

‍

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBODIA – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Bachelor of Law, August 2006

‍

Asian Vision Institute – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Certificate of Completion, December 2021
  Special training program on “the Regional Comprehensive
  Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Economic Opportunities
  in Cambodia

‍

Asian Vision Institute – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Certificate of Completion, December 2021
  Special training program on “Cambodia-China Free Trade
  Agreement (CCFTA) and Economic Opportunities in Cambodia

• Fully qualified member of the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Attorney ID No. 2483.
• Licensed trademark attorney, recognized by the Cambodia Ministry of Commerce.
• International arbitrator panel, admitted into Shanghai Arbitration Commission.

ILAW Cambodia Law Office – Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Partner, August 2019 – Present

• Advise investors, including multinational corporations on the application of qualified investment projects (QIP), setting up special economic zone, industrial zone, setting up entities as well as ongoing corporate and tax compliance, project/corporate/property due diligence;
• Represent clients in civil case;
• Act as a licensed trademark attorney, assisting clients in trademark registration, exclusivity registration, distribution agreement, franchise and master franchise agreements, office actions, and other related intellectual property transactions, mainly for Thai and Singapore clients;
• Counsel clients on product registration, trading, as well as import and export;
• Act as in-house legal counsel for foreign entities. As an in-house legal counsel, I have assisted the investors from setting up with all relevant ministries (Ministry of Commerce, General Department of Taxation, Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training) to registration with the National Social Security Fund, work permit, business visa, foreign quota registration, as well as all other ongoing compliance matters;
  
• Keep all clients alert about new regulations by publishing legal and client updates, legal articles, and journal contribution.

‍

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB) – Ministry of Commerce, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
National Trade Remedies Expert, May 22 2023 – 15 July 2023

• Working under the supervision of international lawyer, EDMUND W. SIM, partner of international law firm: APPLETON LUFF;
• Assist relevant departments within the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce (MOC) in drafting the sub-decrees for trade remedies (on the establishment of National Committee on Trade Remedies (NCTR), anti-dumping, subsidies and countervailing measures, and safeguards) and to identify technical assistance and capacity building need required for the launch of the NCTR and operationalisation of anti-dumping measures under the respective sub-decrees. He/she should also support consultations, outreach and awareness raising among other government agencies (OGAs) and the private sector.

‍

THE WORLD BANK – Ministry of Commerce, Phnom Penh,
Cambodia
National E-Commerce Law Consultant, April 2014 – August 2014

• Translated draft e-commerce law from English language to Khmer language.

VDB Loi – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Legal associate, May 2012 – May 2014

HBS Law and Notary Public – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Legal advisor, October 2011 – April 2012

BNG Legal – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Legal consultant, Septeber 2008 – August 2010

• WIPR Leaders, 2024-2025, by World IP Review.
• AsiaIP Experts in Cambodia, 2022-2025, by AsiaIP Magazine.
• Awarded with the Certificate of Appreciation for his generous contribution to Women, Business and the Law 2026, a project of the World Bank Group.
• Recognized as an expert contributor to the World Bank’s Business Ready 2025 project.

1. Company Due Diligence
   • Assisted a foreign bank to acquire a Cambodian microfinance.
   • Assisted a foreign casino to acquire a Cambodian casino.
   • Assisted a Chinese bank in acquiring shares from a Cambodian specialized bank.
   • Due diligence and issued legal opinions for two garment factories for loan application.
2. Land Due Diligence
   • Assisted various companies and foreign individual in acquiring private land, commercial land and property in various provinces in Cambodia.
   • The work include issuing land due diligence reports and site visit.
3. Mergers and Acquisitions
   • Assisted a foreign commercial bank in acquiring 100% stake in a Cambodian financial institution. In this transaction, he involved in legal and tax due diligence, share acquisition contract, negotiation and other related compliance.
   • Assisted a foreign company in acquiring a casino in Cambodia. In this transaction, he involved in legal due diligence report, inspecting all relevant licenses, as well as share acquisition contract.

• Appointed as an elected member of the Kampot-Kep Provincial Chamber of Commerce for the 1st Mandate, 2nd Time.
• Appointed as a National Trade Remedies Expert for Cambodia by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2023.

• Lay, Vicheka. (2015). Draft Arbitration Bill to Further Bolster Foreign Investor Confidence. (Online). 8 (2015) Digest: 253
• Lay, Vicheka. (2013). China’s Investment in Cambodia. Journal of East Asia and International Law. (Online). 6 (2013) : Digest 591.

• Corporateand Commercial
• Tax
• Intellectual Property
• Banking and Finance