DFDL, one of Asia’s few pan-regional law firms to specialise in emerging markets, has named Jack Sheehan as the regional director for its tax and customs group following the dramatic departures of Edwin Vanderbruggen, Sheehan’s predecessor, and tax partner Jean Loi over the weekend.
The Phnom Penh, Cambodia-based partners resigned abruptly on Feb. 25, Saturday, with an e-mail to colleagues and clients titled “Farewell from the DFDL Tax Team," in which Vanderbruggen and Loi announced the formation of a new firm named VDB Loi. They claimed that 19 tax professionals working with DFDL in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Singapore would be joining them.
In a subsequent release, DFDL, which is now embroiled in a public spat with the former partners, rubbished their claims that the departures would affect the firm severely. “It is important to note that contrary to statements submitted by Edwin to the press upon his resignation, his departure only affects a portion of our tax advisory teams in Cambodia and Vietnam,” the firm said. “All of our tax advisers in Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, and Bangladesh have stayed with the firm. Edwin’s departure only affects the tax practice in Cambodia and Vietnam, and we have moved quickly to fill any gaps through reallocation of tax resources from other offices. Our legal team remains fully intact throughout the region.”
Cambodian media sources quoted Vanderbruggen and Loi as saying that they had left after months of negotiations to restructure DFDL’s tax unit had proved unsuccessful. The firm, which has been in Cambodia for more than 16 years now, and has advised on a number of landmark deals there, has denied this, saying it was caught unawares. “Contrary to what they may have suggested in recent communications, this separation was not made with our consent and knowledge, and is not amicable,” DFDL’s statement said.
Sheehan, who joined DFDL in early in 2011 as head of the DFDL Tax and Customs Practice Group in Laos and Thailand, has more than 10 years of experience in Europe and Asia in various positions. Before joining DFDL, he headed the tax department of Ernst and Young in Vientiane.
VDB Loi is currently operating in Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore, and plans to add an office in Laos soon.
UPDATE: DFDL has appointed David Mah to the role of senior tax adviser in the firm’s tax and customs practice group in Cambodia. Prior to joining DFDL, Mah worked in Cambodia at Grant Thornton, and with BDO and Ernst & Young in Malaysia. ALB
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