UK barrister John A. Pike has joined Phnom Penh-based Sciaroni & Associates, formerly Tilleke & Gibbins’ local office in Cambodia, as its managing partner. The move comes as Cambodia begins liberalising its financial system, with the country’s newly opened stock exchange scheduled to begin trading its first shares on Apr. 18.
Pike, who is experienced in commercial and investment banking and in the shipping industry in London, Tokyo, and Frankfurt, had been a practicing barrister in London for the past decade. He has been living and working in Cambodia since 2009, since joining an NGO named VSO UK as an adviser. An Oxford-educated economist with practical knowledge and experience of international investment, Pike specialises in commercial law, banking law and fraud.
Investment interest in high in the country after the Cambodia Securities Exchange was launched last year as a joint venture with Korea Exchange, the operator of the Seoul bourse. State-owned Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority plans its initial public offering next month, and expects to raise 82.8 billion riel ($20.7 million). Two more state-owned companies are expected to list over the next 12 months: Telecom Cambodia and Sihanoukville Autonomous Port.
“We are extremely fortunate to have a legal expert of John's calibre join our firm at a pivotal moment in the growth and expansion of our business,” said Bretton Sciaroni, senior partner at Sciaroni & Associates. “His expertise in key areas of law, particularly in all areas of banking, capital markets and dispute resolution, provides Sciaroni & Associates with valuable tools which will prove to be enormous assets to our clients and their business interests in Cambodian, and throughout Southeast Asia.”
Sciaroni and Australian Matthew Rendall are the other two partners in the firm. ALB
Ranajit Dam is Southeast Asia Editor at ALB. Follow him on Twitter: @RanajitDam_ALB.
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