Organised by: Energy & Natural Resources Committee
Abstract:
- The current situation of BRI energy projects (nuclear, hydro, onshore and offshore wind, biomass)
- The impact of trade war on BRI energy projects, including increase of secondary sanction risk, tightening of merger control and national security scrutiny.
Dr. Manoj Kumar
An ace transaction lawyer, strategic advisor, mediator and arbitrator, Dr. Kumar has been acknowledged and recognized for his outstanding leadership, strategy and ability to find alternate solutions to most critical and complex challenges related to Energy & natural Resources, Environment, Infra Projects, Corporate Governance, Data Privacy & Technology, Public Policy, Corporate M&A, crisis & reputation management support, real estate across geographies.
In addition to leading Hammurabi & Solomon Partners (ranked as a top 20 amongst Indian Law Firms by the Asian Legal Business), Dr. Kumar is also the Vice-Chair, Energy & Resources Committee with the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA), the Vice President of the Society of Construction Law, UK-India, a Visiting Fellow with the Observer Research Foundation, an Expert with the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab, a Visiting Professor with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and a multitude of reputed law schools, a guest editor for the American Bar Association’s India Law News and an editorial board member of Thinkers 50 India and independent director on Corporate Boards.
Dr. Kumar is a recipient of the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Samman awarded at the House of Lords, London. Dr. Kumar has his public policy team has been ranked as #1 in the policy & regulation space in India year on year since 2013 i.e 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019 by the prestigious India Business Law Journal (IBLJ) as well as other rankings such as BW Businessworld and Legalera.
Dr. Kumar is named as one of the 100 Legal Luminaries of India, published by LexisNexis in 2016 and has been continuously named in the A-List of top 100 lawyers of India for 2017, 2018 as well as in 2019 published by the IBLJ.
Speakers
Paul Aston
Paul is a full time consultant in HFW’s Singapore office.
He has substantial experience in acting for parties in international arbitration and mediation across Asia – including in many challenging jurisdictions – with a focus on the maritime, offshore and energy sectors.
With a particular passion for ADR, he is a qualified mediator and arbitrator (FCIArb), an associate mediator of the Singapore Mediation Centre and has Higher Rights of Audience. He is a panel member of SCMA and CMAC and has sat as an arbitrator appointed by SIAC. Paul is recognised for his dispute resolution expertise. Legal 500 Asia-Pacific Guide 2018 praises his ‘commitment and ability to understand and deal with complex technical issues and work with experts’ in International Arbitration, while Chambers & Partners Asia Pacific Guide 2019 ranks him as an expert based abroad for the PRC and says he “is well placed to advise on shipping and offshore matters in China.
Martin Desautels
Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Martin Desautels is the Managing Partner of DFDL and co-heads the Regional Energy Mining and Infrastructure Practice Group.
Martin worked on a number of major projects in the energy sector, notably on private power policy in Cambodia advising the Royal Government of Cambodia as well as on several IPPs in Lao PDR, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia acting for sponsors, lenders, and governments. He was involved in major projects including Nam Theun 2 Hydro Project in Lao PDR, the financing of the Thai-Cambodian Transmission Line, the financing of a coal-power project in Cambodia and four different hydro projects in Cambodia. He has also advised developers on various renewable energy projects related to bio-mass, bio-fuel and carbon trading.
He also advised various governmental entities notably the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and IFC on various aspects of the development of investment, regulatory and legal frameworks.
He is ranked as a leading lawyer by legal directories such as Chambers Asia Pacific, IFLR1000 and Legal 500. Martin is praised for his “thorough and complete grasp of the Cambodian and Vietnam legal market,” and for his “very strategic mind with regard to business issues.”
Dr. Net Le
Dr. Net Le is a partner in charge of LNT & Partners’ Infrastructure and Financial Services practice group, which is widely renowned for its capacity to tackle complex assignments. His deals have been highly regarded and contributed to the Firm’s title of Deal Firm of the Year by ALB Thomson Reuters. His signatory transactions include major ODA infrastructure projects, complex ICC arbitrations, oil refinery, and oil rigs.
Dr. Le has been selected as a leading lawyer in the fields of project finance, international arbitration, and infrastructure by IFLR1000, Legal 500 and Chambers Global since 2009. In 2012, Dr. Le was awarded the title of “Lawyer of the Year” by Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice. He is a lecturer of civil law at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, and has authored textbooks that have been published in Vietnam and internationally.
Dr. Le is also an arbitrator at the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) in which he has chaired or co-arbitrated more than 30 cases. Prior to co-founding LNT & Partners, Dr. Le worked at Baker & McKenzie and Clifford Chance.