36 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS – AUGUST 2023 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM Music Entertainment Group’s $3 billion U.S. IPO, I-Mab’s $418 million PIPE deal, Angelalian Technology Inc’s $436 million Hong Kong IPO and Helens International Holdings Company’s $394 million HK IPO are the some of the big deals that she has been involved in. In South Korea, Jihyeong Park is part of the law firm Lee & Co. Even though she has spent only a decade in the legal field, she has already been named to the ALB 40 under 40 list in 2021 as well as a Rising Star in M&A by the Korea Economic Daily in 2018. Her firm’s clients say she has in-depth experience in carrying out a number of unprecedented complex and difficult M&A deals, and works efficiently based on smooth communication skills. Poppy Cut Rahmasuci works with UMBRA – Strategic Legal Solutions and has been in the legal field for the last 18 years. Rahmasuci is known to have a thorough understanding of what inhouse lawyers typically require from their external counsels and a deep understanding of the needs of her clients because of her first-hand experience leading a corporate in-house legal team. In India, Gunjan Shah is an equity partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas in New Delhi and is member of its management committee. Her expertise is in private equity, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate and debt restructuring, along with takeover regulations in India. She has over 20 years of experience and has played a significant role in developing and strengthening the firm’s M&A and private equity practice. Her impressive client list includes Sony Pictures, Apollo Global, ChyrsCapital, Bain Capital and AION Investments. Shah worked on the big Sony-Zee Entertainment deal where the two companies, who are direct competitors in the media and entertainment sector, agreed in principle to merge to establish one of the largest media and entertainment groups in South Asia. In Tokyo, Yuri Sugano is part of the restructuring and insolvency department at Nishimura & Asahi In Japan. Among SUBMISSION BREAKDOWN Jurisdiction Submissions Winners Hong Kong 15 3 India 23 2 Indonesia 3 1 Japan 4 2 Lebanon; Qatar 1 0 Malaysia 3 1 Singapore 15 2 South Korea 8 2 Sri Lanka 1 0 Thailand 1 1 Vietnam 7 1 Total 79 15 Thinking about equality (gender or otherwise), what key policies or concrete actions in the legal profession have you found effective or helpful personally? The 2006 Gender Equality Law and Decree No. 70/2008/ND-CP detailing several provisions of the Law on Gender Equality are two legal instruments on equality that apply to all fields. However, there are not yet any specific regulations for the legal profession, a gap which I think should be addressed. What has been the most challenging part of your career? What did you learn from it? I once represented my client in an M&A negotiation where the other side – all men – showed zero respect for women. They came from a country with a notorious gender inequality record and refused to shake hands because I am a woman. The negotiation was extremely difficult because they didn’t want to discuss but only said no to our conditions without explaining the reasons for disagreeing. In that situation, I knew that the negotiation would fail and my client would not achieve their goals if I expressed any anger. I chose the opposite, implicitly let them know that I am experienced and fully understand how negotiations work, and asked that they negotiate with respect. Gradually they realised that I couldn’t be bullied into accepting unfavorable terms, and negotiated with a more collaborative attitude. At the end of the 5-day, 15-hour a day, negotiation, the counter-party came over and thanked me sincerely schools, there are fewer practising female lawyers than male lawyers. It is unfortunate that many female lawyers feel they have to choose between having a successful legal career and building a happy family, or that they have to give up one for the other. With an open mindset and a good support system, I believe all female lawyers can have the ‘best of both worlds’. One little piece of advice I would offer junior women lawyers is to hone your time-management skills. […] Good time management has allowed me to make time for my family despite a busy work schedule. As for young men in the profession, support your female colleagues wholeheartedly when she asks for help. She will be one of your greatest allies too. What aspect of the legal ecosystem would you change in Vietnam to ensure greater equality in the profession? Allow female lawyers to have more flexible working hours. Speaking from personal experience, it is difficult for working mothers with young children to balance between taking care of her family and furthering her career. I believe flexible working, at least in her first few years of motherhood, would help reduce pressure on working female lawyers while facilitating her transition to a full-time schedule. She would also be more productive at work and be in the right mindset to improve her performance. Empowering Equality: Navigating Challenges and Success in the Legal Profession BROUGHT TO YOU BY LNT & PARTNERS for being professional, calm and gentle yet resolute. It was one of the key factors that facilitated the success of the transaction. They came to me and said that the deal wouldn’t have gone through had someone else been the lawyer. What practical advice would you give junior women lawyers today, and young men in the profession who want to be allies for equality? In Vietnam, statistics show that although female students generally outnumber male students at law HOANG Nguyen Ha Quyen Managing Partner E: quyen.hoang@lntpartners.com LNT & Partners Level 21, Bitexco Financial Tower, 2 Hai Trieu St, D1, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam W: www.lntpartners.com
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