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INTERACTIVE EDITION

                                                                  Volume 14 Issue 7, 2017

                                                                     IP
                                                                      REPORT
             The thing about …
             Yoon & Yang                     New IP & Online         Reshaping the
             founding partner,               Landscape in            perception of
             Seung Soon Lim                  China                   Indian IP

| MAGAZINE FOR THE IN-HOUSE COMMUNITY ALONG THE NEW SILK ROAD |
IP REPORT - In-House Community
Nick Ferguson – Managing Editor
nick.ferguson@inhousecommunity.com
                                                   Feature contributors
Brian Chun ­– Design Manager                       Ai-Leen Lim is chief executive and principal counsel of AWA Asia. Based in Beijing, she
brian.chun@inhousecommunity.com                    manages the firm’s Asia offices, its headquarters in Hong Kong, as well as its wholly owned
Wendy Chan ­– Regional Head of Events              IP consultancy, AWA IP in Beijing, a licensed trade mark agency that is able to file and
wendy.chan@inhousecommunity.com                    enforce trade marks in China directly before the Trademark Office and administrative aut-
Gigi Ma – Events Manager                           horities. Lim advises clients on IP portfolio management in China, Hong Kong and interna-
gigi.ma@inhousecommunity.com
                                                   tionally, with a special focus on strategic brand management and social media. She is experienced in
Rahul Prakash – Associate Publisher                contentious and non-contentious IP matters, as well as regulatory issues in conjunction with market entry
rahul.prakash@inhousecommunity.com
                                                   and product promotion. Lim’s diverse client base ranging from IP rich fast growing start-ups to Fortune
Yvette Tan – Head of Research and                  500 companies.
             Development Manager
yvette.tan@inhousecommunity.com
                                                                  Pravin Anand is managing partner of Anand and Anand. He has been a counsel in several
Yannie Cheung – Office Administrator
yannie.cheung@inhousecommunity.com                                landmark IP cases involving the first Anton Piller order, the first Mareva injunction order,
                                                                  the first Norwich Pharmacal order, moral rights of artists, the first order under the Hague
Tim Gilkison – Managing Director                                  Convention and several significant cases for pharma clients such as Novartis, Pfizer and
tim.gilkison@inhousecommunity.com
                                                                  Roche. He was the past president of FICPI India, AIPPI Indian National Group, APPA India
Patrick Dransfield ­– Publishing Director
                                                   and Asia Euro Forum. He is co-author of the two volumes of Halsbury’s Laws of India on Intellectual
patrick.dransfield@inhousecommunity.com
                                                   Property and author of the India chapter in Copyright Throughout the World (Thomson Reuters).
Arun Mistry – Director

Editorial Enquiries                                Vaishali Mittal is a partner at Anand and Anand. She works in the firm’s litigation depart-
   Tel:........................ (852) 2542 4279    ment and has more than 13 years of experience in IP, spanning a wide range of subjects in
   editorial@inhousecommunity.com
                                                   highly contested IP litigation matters. Her role includes training younger lawyers in the art
                                                   of litigation and playing a leadership role in the department. She has been involved in several
Advertising & Subscriptions
  Tel: ....................... (852) 2542 1225     landmark judgments and her handling of seriously contested IP matters has won several
  rahul.prakash@inhousecommunity.com               accolades from clients. A contributor to professional law journals on intellectual property matters, Mittal is
                                                   also a member of the (AIPPI) Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriete Intellectuelle and
Published 10 times annually by                     the International Trademark Association.
Pacific Business Press Limited
Room 2007, C C Wu Building,
302-8 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai,
Hong Kong S.A.R.

Publishers of                                          About the IN-HOUSE COMMUNITY
• ASIAN-MENA COUNSEL
                                         TM

   Magazine and Weekly Briefing                        A mutually supportive community of In-House Counsel helping In-House Counsel and Compliance
                                                       Professionals meet their ethical, legal and business commitments and responsibilities within
• IN-HOUSE HANDBOOK
                                      TM

                                                       their organisations.
Organisers of the
• IN-HOUSE CONGRESS events
                                    TM

                                                       The In-House Community comprises over 21,000 individual in-house lawyers and those with a
Hosts of                                               responsibility for legal and compliance issues within organisations along the New Silk Road,
• www.inhousecommunity.com                             who we reach through the annual In-House Congress circuit of events, Asian-mena Counsel
• www.mycareerinlaw.com
                                                       magazine and Weekly Briefing, and the In-House Community online forum.
Forums for the In-House Community
along the New Silk Road

© 2017 Pacific Business Press Limited
  and contributors

Opinions expressed herein do not constitute
legal advice, and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the publishers.
                                                              Empowering In-House Counsel along the New Silk Road
            ISSN 2223-8697
IP REPORT - In-House Community
In this issue                                                            Volume 14 Issue 7, 2017

IP REPORT
                                  28        The new IP and online landscape
                                            in China
                                            By Ai-Leen Lim, AWA Asia (part of the
                                            Awapatent group)

                                  32        Reshaping the perception of
                                            Indian IP law
                                            By Pravin Anand and Vaishali Mittal, Anand
                                            and Anand

27
                             JURISDICTION UPDATES
                             Key legal developments affecting the In-House Community along the
                             New Silk Road

  4                          4         Didi and Uber China’s merger from an Anti-monopoly Law
                                       perspective
                                       反壟斷視角下滴滴收購優步中國
                             		        By Amy Yuan of Martin Hu & Partners

                             6         Regulatory challenges for Vodafone Idea merger
                             		        By Gaurav Wahie and Lovejeet Singh of Clasis Law

                             10        Recent changes to Indonesia’s coal and mineral resources
                                       regulations
                10           		        By Dini Retnoningsih and Indra Aditya Pambudy of Lubis Ganie
                                       Surowidjojo

2 www.inhousecommunity.com
IP REPORT - In-House Community
12          Cyber bullying in the Philippines
            By Cyndy P. dela Cruz of ACCRA Law Offices

14          Unfair competition in Korea
            By Myung-Cheol Chang of Lee International IP & Law Group                          14
16          New capital adequacy regulations in Vietnam
          		By Luu Thi Ngoc of Indochine Counsel

18 The Briefing
		 Along with the latest moves and jobs, we put the spotlight on Bombay
   Stock Exchange’s IPO, speak to recruiters Lewis Sanders about the
   outlook for 2017 and review our latest event                                          16
26 Investigative Intelligence:
   Protecting IP in three dimensions
   Intellectual property is multi-faceted and practitioners have to think
   in three dimensions — mental, physical and digital — to fully grasp the
   potential vulnerabilities

36      The thing about ... Seung Soon Lim
        Recently in Seoul, Asian-mena Counsel’s Patrick
        Dransfield photographed Seung Soon Lim, managing
        partner of Yoon & Yang, and also asked him a series of
                                                                                    18
        questions on behalf of the In-House Community.

41 Asian-mena Counsel Direct                                                                  26
   Important contact details at your fingertips.

     Asian-mena Counsel is grateful for the continued editorial contributions of:

Volume 14 Issue 7, 2017                                                                            3
IP REPORT - In-House Community
JURISDICTION UPDATES
     CHINA

                          8F, Kerry Parkside Office,1155 Fang Dian Road, Shanghai 201204, P. R. China
                          Tel: (86) 21 50101666*912 / Fax: (86) 21 50101222
    By Amy Yuan           E: amy.yuan@mhplawyer.com • info@mhplawyer.com
    袁明悅                   W: www.mhplawyer.com

    Didi and Uber China’s merger from an                                                                   tion demand with different price sensitivity.
                                                                                                           For traditional public transportation vehicles,
    Anti-monopoly Law perspective                                                                          prices are subject to regulatory control and
                                                                                                           thus are below the price of car-hailing ser-
                                                                                                           vices, which are subject to the market

    O     n August 1, 2016, which happened to
          be the eighth anniversary of the Anti-
    monopoly Law, Didi announced its merger
                                                         The question of monopoly
                                                         Although it is unclear whether an investiga-
                                                         tion will be launched in this case, heated
                                                                                                           price and provide differentiated services.
                                                                                                           Consequently, car-hailing constitutes an inde-
                                                                                                           pendent market from the market of public
    with Uber China. The Ministry of Commerce            debate has arisen on whether the merger           transportation vehicles.
    (Mofcom) has not yet launched any investi-           will in essence constitute a monopoly. To
    gation into operator concentration, but the          reach the conclusion, it is necessary to first    Hypothetical monopoly test
    merger has sparked heated debate.                    determine the relevant market.                    The hypothetical monopolist test starts with
                                                                                                           the assumption that the business operator is
    Debate over self-declaration                                                                           a monopolist (the “hypothetical monopo-
    As provided in Article 3 of the Provision                                                              list”). Provided that the sales conditions of all
                                                                “As to Didi and Uber China,
    of the State Council on the Declaration                                                                other products remain unchanged, if the
    Threshold          for   Concentration        of                   although they are                   hypothetical monopolist can continuously
    Undertakings, if during the previous fiscal                  established under company                 increase the price of the target product by a
    year, the total global turnover of all business                                                        small rate while the business is still lucrative,
                                                                 names, they are more like
    operators participating in the concentration                                                           the target product will be deemed as consti-
    exceeded RMB10 billion (or RMB40 million                      markets for deal making.                 tuting a relevant market. Apparently, Didi and
    in mainland China), and at least two of the                 Rather than being operators                Uber China currently increase the price
    operators each had a turnover exceeding                                                                continuously at a small rate. If its business is
                                                                   in the marketplace, they
    RMB400 million within mainland China, a                                                                still lucrative, such service shall be deemed as
    declaration must be lodged in advance                         may constitute a market”                 a relevant market.
    before the concentration is implemented.                                                                      To sum up, the traditional viewpoint is
    However, relevant provisions fail to further                                                           inclined to hold car-haling services as a rele-
    specify “turnover”.                                                                                    vant market. However, the modern market
           As to the merger of Didi and Uber             Traditional viewpoint                             viewpoint thinks differently.
    China, one argument holds that it should be          The traditional viewpoint is based on the
    gross turnover, including all fees customers         Guidelines on Relevant Market Determination       Market viewpoint
    paid on Didi and Uber’s platforms. A differ-         promulgated by the Anti-monopoly                  The modern market viewpoint is borne of the
    ent opinion holds that turnover should be            Commission of the State Council, which            internet age. It holds that large internet com-
    net income, excluding fees paid on such              relies on demand-side substitution, hypo-         panies whose major function is to facilitate
    platforms as pass-through in light of Didi and       thetical monopolist test, etc to determine        deal making should be defined as a market. To
    Uber’s special business models.                      relevant market.                                  take a step further, if the large internet com-
           Nevertheless, while the requirements for                                                        pany is defined as a market, it would also be
    self-declaration may be unclear, Mofcom can          Demand-side substitution                          unnecessary and unfeasible to determine the
    still initiate a monopoly investigation based on     The Guidelines pointed out that price factor      relevant market that is being monopolised.
    Article 4 of the Provision if it judges that the     can be considered in the demand-side substi-           As to Didi and Uber China, although they
    merger would eliminate or restrict competi-          tution test. In light of the merger of Didi and   are established under company names, they
    tion. However, Article 4 has remained a              Uber China, the choice of transportation          are more like markets for deal making. Rather
    dormant clause since its effectiveness.              vehicles is often driven by different consump-    than being operators in the marketplace, they

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IP REPORT - In-House Community
may constitute a market. Take Taobao for      merger will be a merger of two markets,         platform industry still enjoys a policy bonus,
example. There is little debate on whether    rather than operator concentration. Thus,       which may be one of the considerations that
Taobao is a monopoly. From the market view-   investigation of the merger would be unneces-   explains why Mofcom has not yet launched
point, it is because the mass society has     sary and it would not constitute a monopoly.    an investigation. Nevertheless, as this indus-
already viewed Taobao as a market, rather          As seen from the above, it is debatable    try matures, it will be necessary to promul-
than an operator. Like Taobao, if Didi and    on the merger of Didi and Uber China. In        gate detailed regulation to address the above
Uber China each constitutes a market, their   light of the macro environment, the internet    debate and avoid ambiguity.

反壟斷視角下滴滴收購優步中國
2016年8月1日,在《反壟斷法》生效                           二、 實質上是否構成壟斷                                    約車服務構成相關商品市場。但市場觀
的8周年紀念日,滴滴宣布與優步中國                             盡管滴滴與優步中國合並尚未步入實質                               點卻對此抱有截然不同的看法。
合並。但商務部至今尚未對該合並作出                             審查環節,外界對滴滴與優步中國合並
經營者集中審查。外界對滴滴與優步中                             是否構成壟斷依舊討論熱烈。而確定是                               n 市場觀點
國合並不乏爭議,其中,既包括企業是                             否構成壟斷的關鍵在於相關商品市場界                               市場觀點為互聯網時代的產物。其認為
否應主動申報的程序性爭議,也包括是                             定。以不同的市場邊界作為標准,得到                               對於大型互聯網公司,本身便具有擁有
否構成壟斷的實質性爭議。                                  的結論往往大相徑庭。                                      撮合交易的市場實質,在其體量足夠大
                                                                                              時,應將其本身定性為市場,而非經營
一、 程序上是否應當主動申報                                n 傳統觀點                                          者才更為准確。進一步而言,若將大型
按照《國務院關於經營者集中申報標准                             傳統觀點依據《國務院反壟斷委員                                 互聯網公司本身定性為市場,則判斷相
的規定》(“《規定》”)第三條所規                             會關於相關市場界定的指南》(“《指                               關市場顯然沒有必要,也是不可實現
定的營業額標准,參與集中的所有經營                             南》”),提出需求替代、假定壟斷測                               的。在大型互聯網公司本身為市場而非
者上一會計年度在全球范圍內的營業額                             試等方法界定相關商品市場。                                   經營者的情況下,因其本身並非經營
合計超過100億元人民幣(或在中國境                                                                            者,判斷其構成經營者集中,從而存在
內的營業額合計超過20億人民幣),                             (一) 需求替代                                        壟斷之嫌也是無本之木。
並且其中至少兩個經營者上一會計年度                             《指南》提出在界定相關市場時,可以                                  對於滴滴與優步中國,盡管其同樣
在中國境內的營業額均超過4億元人民                             基於商品的特征、用途、價格等因素進                               以公司的名義設立,具有法人實體,但
幣,經營者應當事先向國務院商務主管                             行需求替代分析。就需求替代分析中的                               其與傳統意義上的公司顯然已有分別,
部門申報,未申報的不得實施集中。但                             價格因素而言,不同出行方式對應的是                               更多的是扮演著撮合交易這一市場作
相關規定並未對“營業額”作出更明確                             不同的消費需求,以及對價格敏感度不                               用。與其將其定性為傳統意義上的經營
的解釋。                                          同的消費群體。出租車、公交和地鐵都                               者,不如說其自身已構成市場。另一個
  對於滴滴與優步中國合並,就如何                             屬於價格管制行業,且在政府補貼下,                               典型案例為淘寶。很顯然,社會公眾對
判斷“營業額”,存在以“流水額”還                             價格通常低於網約車。而網約車則實施                               淘寶是否構成壟斷關注度很低,市場觀
是以“淨收入”為准的爭議。有觀點認                             市場調價,提供差異化服務,其顯然不                               點認為究其原因在於社會大眾都已將淘
為“營業額”應作嚴格解釋。對於滴滴                             應與出租車、公交和地鐵劃入同一相關                               寶看做市場,而並未將其作為經營者看
及優步中國的營業額,應包含乘客向網                             商品市場。                                           待。若滴滴與優步中國各自被認定為市
約車平台支付的全部費用(即流水額)                                                                             場而非經營者,則其合並后本質為兩個
。但另有觀點認為因網約車行業模式的                             (二) 假定壟斷測試                                      市場的合並,而非經營者集中。顯然對
特殊性,滴滴與優步中國僅作為中介平                             假定壟斷測試首先假設該經營者是以利                               於該等合並不應發起經營者集中事先申
台,司機並非公司員工,對於其營業額                             潤最大化為經營目標的壟斷者,在該前                               報,在實質上也不應認定構成壟斷。
考察應衡量公司的淨收入而非流水額,                             提假設下進一步分析,在其他商品的銷                                  由此可見,認定滴滴與優步中國合
即應為乘客向平台支付的全部費用中,                             售條件保持不變的情況下,壟斷者能否                               並是否構成反壟斷尚存諸多爭議。從政
最終由滴滴或優步中國淨收入的部分。                             持久地(一般為1年)小幅(一般為5%                              策上看,對於互聯網平台這一新興事
  但即便主動申報尚存爭議,商務部                             10%)提高目標商品的價格。若目標商                              物,國家對其發展是寬容的,商務部也
依舊可根據《規定》第四條主張滴滴收                             品漲價后,壟斷者仍有利可圖,則目標                               暫未對滴滴與優步中國合並作出明確表
購優步中國案涉嫌排除、限制競爭,因                             商品就構成相關商品市場。對於滴滴與                               態。但隨著互聯網平台日趨成熟,我們
而依職權調查是否涉嫌壟斷,對滴滴與                             優步中國的網約車服務,顯然在其合並                               期待有關部門可以盡快出台相關措施,
優步中國合並發起實質性審查。遺憾的                             后存在小幅且非短期的漲價,若其仍有                               明確互聯網並購反壟斷相關問題,以節
是,自《反壟斷法》生效以來,商務部                             利可圖,則其提供網約車服務應構成相                               約因不確定性導致的企業交易成本,提
至今從未適用《規定》第四條,也沒有                             關商品市場。                                          升市場效率。
為其使用制定配套規范。                                      由此可見,傳統觀點傾向於判斷網

Volume 14 Issue 7, 2017                                                                                                                        5
IP REPORT - In-House Community
JURISDICTION UPDATES
     INDIA

                                               14th Floor, Gopal Das Bhawan, 28, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi 110 001India
    By Gaurav Wahie and                        Tel: (91) 11 4213 0000 / Fax: (91) 11 4213 0099
    Lovejeet Singh                             Email: gaurav.wahie@clasislaw.com • lovejeet.singh@clasislaw.com Web: www.clasislaw.com

    Regulatory challenges for Vodafone                                                              competition as there were horizontal over-
                                                                                                    laps between the products.
    Idea merger                                                                                          In this matter, CCI investigated relevant
                                                                                                    markets on the basis of combined market

    V    odafone India is in discussions with Idea
         Cellular for an all-share merger. It
    appears that the intense competition the
                                                     that the merged entity can have up to 50
                                                     percent market share in any service area
                                                     calculated on the basis of the subscriber
                                                                                                    share and incremental market share of the
                                                                                                    merged entities, and market share of the
                                                                                                    competitors and significant players, among
    Indian telecom industry is facing due to         base and adjusted gross revenue. In case       other factors.
    freebies offered by the new entrant,             the market share exceeds 50 percent, then           CCI proposed certain modifications and
    Reliance Jio, has nudged this consolidation      it should be reduced to the specified limit    approved the merger subject to the parties
    move. If the merger goes through, it will        within a period of one year from the date of   carrying out divestiture of their products
    create India’s largest telecom company.          approval of merger.                            relating to seven relevant markets.
    However, regulatory challenges could                  It is expected that the Vodafone Idea          Similarly, in the acquisition of the film
    impede a smooth merger.                          merged entity may exceed the prescribed        exhibition business of DLF Utilities by PVR,
        The proposed deal will require approv-       limits for spectrum and market share in        CCI proposed divestment of certain assets.
    als from several regulators, such as the         several circles as both the companies have     However, the parties proposed amend-
    Department of Telecommunications (DoT),          significant market share in India.             ments saying divestiture was unviable, and
    Competition Commission of India (CCI) and                                                       the CCI approved the combination without
    National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).            Approval from CCI                              the requirement of making any divestiture.
                                                     The proposed merger would also require              Considering the above precedents and
    Approval from DoT                                approval from CCI as it is likely that the     the fact that Vodafone and Idea are significant
    The DoT’s M&A guidelines (Guidelines for         merger will exceed the assets or turnover      market players, CCI may consider approving
    Transfer/Merger of various categories of         thresholds prescribed under the Competition    the merger with riders and modifications.
    Telecommunication service licence/authori-       Act, 2002.
    sation under Unified Licence on compro-               Considering that the proposed merger      Approval from NCLT
    mises, arrangements and amalgamation of          will make the largest telecom company in       The proposed merger will be dealt with by
    the companies) provide that companies            India, the merged entity may enjoy a           the newly constituted NCLT and will be
    should notify the proposal of a merger to        dominant position in a few circles. CCI,       governed by the provisions of the
    the DoT as filed before the NCLT.                while granting the approval, will closely      Companies Act, 2013 as the provisions
         The guidelines lay down that the            consider that there is no appreciable          relating to compromises, arrangements and
    merged entity cannot hold more than 25           adverse effect on competition by the           amalgamations were notified in December
    percent of the total spectrum assigned for       merged entity.                                 2016. Prior to this, such schemes were
    access services and 50 percent of the spec-           Though CCI has a good track record in     approved by the High Courts in India.
    trum assigned in a given band in the con-        terms of approving mergers, there have
    cerned service area. The M&A Guidelines          been instances where CCI has recom-            Conclusion
    further provide that the merged entity must      mended certain modifications, including        While the merger is still in the discussion
    surrender the excess spectrum within a           divestiture before approving the merger,       stage, the parties can expect regulatory
    period of one year from the permission           where it felt that there may be an appreci-    hurdles as discussed above in the event they
    being granted.                                   able adverse effect on competition.            decide to proceed with the transaction. In
         In the alternative, the merged entity            In the merger of Sun Pharma and           addition to this, Vodafone’s unresolved tax
    can either sell or share the excess spectrum     Ranbaxy Laboratories, CCI was of the           dispute could be another challenge for the
    with other telecom operators.                    prima facie opinion that the merger will       merged entity.
         Further, the M&A guidelines provide         likely cause appreciable adverse effect on

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IP REPORT - In-House Community
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In-House
       HEAD OF LEGAL - REAL ESTATE               HONG KONG              10-15 years       VP - FUNDS                              HONG KONG                6-8 years

       A listed conglomerate seeks a Head of Legal for its real estate business.          Bulge bracket bank with a strong investment management business seeks
       You will advise senior management on legal & risk matters and manage the           a mid to senior funds lawyer in a business facing role. You will be familiar
       Group’s property development & M&A projects. Prior in-house experience &           with the drafting & negotiation of fund documentation with clients & funds
       fluent English, Cantonese & Mandarin are required. AC6343                          service providers. Chinese language skills preferred. AC6352

       ED - FUNDS            HONG KONG / SHANGHAI                        9-12 years       FUNDS / PE                             HONG KONG                 7+ years

       Asset management arm of top US investment bank seeks a senior legal                Financial services company seeks a legal counsel to provide legal support
       counsel at ED level. Experience in authorized & private funds & regulatory         to its investment function. Experience in asset management/private equity
       matters, & prior PRC-related experience are needed. Fluent Mandarin skills         & regulatory/corporate governance matters required. Commonwealth
       are required. AC6212                                                               qualification & ability to work independently are essential. AC6336

       LITIGATION & INVESTIGATIONS HONG KONG                             6-10 years       ACQUISITION FINANCE                  HONG KONG                  5-10 years

       Global investment bank is looking an experienced litigator to handle               A well-known PRC financial institution is looking for a mid-senior level
       litigation & contentious regulatory matters. Prior financial services litigation   lawyer to sit with the business & advise on outbound M&A financing
       experience & ability to conduct complex investigations are essential. Fluent       transactions. Both HK & PRC qualified lawyers will be considered. Fluent
       Chinese skills are essential. AC6317                                               spoken & written English and Mandarin are essential. AC6300

       COMMERCIAL / TMT                       HONG KONG                  3-10 years       CORPORATE / COMMERCIAL                  SHANGHAI                  4+ years

       Major internet/technology company is looking for a general commercial              An international gaming company is looking to hire a dynamic, confident
       lawyer. Solid corporate experience gained from reputable law firm & fluent         lawyer in Shanghai. A law degree from a top university and international
       Mandarin are essential. Exposure to internet, e-commerce, or TMT matters           firm training essential. You will have commercial & transactional experience.
       will be advantageous. AC5546                                                       Mandarin language skills are essential. AC5436

       AVP - DERIVATIVES                      HONG KONG                    3-5 years      EQUITIES                             HONG KONG                  2-6 years

       Global bank seeks a derivatives lawyer with experience in the APAC region.         Bulge bracket bank seeks a junior to mid-level lawyer with a finance or
       You will cover a mix of transactional & regulatory work with an emphasis           derivatives background from a top tier firm. You will work closely with the
       on equity derivatives & structured products distribution. Chinese language         traders in a dynamic environment with high calibre individuals. Chinese
       skills advantageous. AC6339                                                        language skills are not essential. AC6309

                                                                      Private Practice
       ARBITRATION COUNSEL/PARTNER                     HONG KONG            8+ years      M&A PARTNER                          HONG KONG               10-15 years

       Top tier US firm seeks a senior arbitration lawyer with extensive APAC             US firm is seeking an M&A Partner to build and lead a team. Some book
       arbitration experience from an international firm in HK/Asia to join its team.     of business would be helpful & culture fit is key. Solid deal experience in
       A book of business is preferred but not required to join this team. No Asian       cross border transactions is required. Chinese language skills helpful but
       language skills needed. Good compensation package. AC6312                          not essential. Entrepreneurial environment & US rates on offer. AC4892

       REAL ESTATE M&A                               HONG KONG            2-4 years       INSOLVENCY LITIGATION                  HONG KONG               2-4 years

       Market-leading real estate practice is seeking an experienced junior to mid-       A US law firm is looking for an associate to do a mixed commercial &
       level lawyer. Excellent opportunity to work with well-regarded partners in         insolvency litigation role. The team is reputable in the restructuring/
       the region. At least 2 years’ relevant experience from a reputable real estate     insolvency space & experience with either commercial litigation / insolvency
       practice in HK and Chinese language skills essential. AC6150                       litigation will be considered. Proficiency in Mandarin is essential. AC6275

       DCM                                     HONG KONG                  2-4 years       M&A                                     HONG KONG                1-3 years

       Magic Circle firm seeks a junior to mid-level lawyer with DCM experience to        Reputable UK firm is looking for a junior corporate associate to join its
       join the DCM team. Great opportunity to join a strong practice with a good         growing team. You will have M&A experience gained from an international
       working environment. Those with UK qualifications will also be considered.         law firm as well as fluent English and Chinese language skills. Excellent
       Fluent English and Mandarin language skills are required. AC6331                   opportunity to gain exposure to high quality work in a busy team. AC6041

           This is a small selection of our current vacancies. Please refer to our website for a more comprehensive list of openings.
Please contact Emily Lewis, elewis@lewissanders.com + 852 2537 7408 or Eleanor Cheung, echeung@lewissanders.com + 852 2537 7416
                Karishma Khemaney, kkhemaney@lewissanders.com + 852 2537 0895 or email recruit@lewissanders.com

                                                                   www.lewissanders.com
IP REPORT - In-House Community
In-House
    CORPORATE / REAL ESTATE                 HONG KONG                 10+ years       PRIVATE BANKING                          HONG KONG              6-10 years

    A listed conglomerate seeks a HK qualified senior lawyer with excellent           Top tier bank seeks a lawyer to support the business team of its private
    experience in M&A, corporate finance & general commercial matters.                banking business. Private banking or loans and finance experience is
    Experience in commercial lending & exposure to the real estate market             preferred, and familiarity with securities lending would be a plus. Chinese
    advantageous. Fluent English and Cantonese are essential. AC5357                  language skills are not essential. AC6334

    COMMERCIAL / CONSTRUCTION                   HONG KONG            6-10 years       M&A                                     HONG KONG              6-10 years

    Reputable hospitality MNC seeks a mid to senior level corporate lawyer.           Leading MNC is looking for a mid to senior level corporate/commercial
    This role will cover corporate, commercial contracts and construction.            lawyer. You will advise on M&A, JVs, financial services, regulatory & general
    Corporate/commercial experience & exposure to the construction industry           commercial matters in the region. Commonwealth qualification is essential.
    required. Attractive benefits on offer. Chinese language required. AC5992         Chinese skills not required. AC6051

    LITIGATION                             HONG KONG                   3-6 years      CORPORATE FINANCE                       HONG KONG                4-8 years

    Regulatory body seeks a junior to mid-level litigator who is looking to gain      A listed financial services entity seeks a corporate legal counsel in HK. You
    good contentious & non-contentious financial services/regulatory exposure         will have experience in corporate finance, M&A, funds formation or DCM.
    to join its well-established team. Competitive salary & good work/life balance    Business level Mandarin skills & HK qualification are essential. Both private
    on offer. Fluent written & spoken Chinese essential. AC3767                       practice & in-house candidates will be considered. AC6347

    FUNDS                                 HONG KONG                  5-10 years       DERIVATIVES / REGULATORY                HONG KONG                3+ years

    Top tier global asset manager seeks a legal counsel to join its team.             International bank is looking for a legal counsel who has a good
    You will have experience in a broad spectrum of funds work, including             understanding of China legal and regulatory matters together with exposure
    both authorized and private funds, distribution, regulatory, and general          to corporate, derivatives or finance transactions to join its China coverage
    commercial work. Mandarin would be a bonus but not essential. AC6148              desk in HK. Fluency in written & spoken Mandarin is required. AC6324

    ADVISORY COUNSEL                       HONG KONG                   2-4 years      CORPORATE / COMMERCIAL                  HONG KONG              3-6 years

    Excellent opportunity for a lawyer to join a regulator to focus on commercial     PRC conglomerate seeks a HK qualified mid-level lawyer with solid
    & regulatory work. Strong academics & solid experience gained from an             experience to handle commercial contracts, listing compliance, general
    international firm are essential. Regulatory / corporate M&A background           corporate & litigation matters. Native Mandarin speaker with fluent
    candidates will be considered. HK qualification is essential. AC6290              Cantonese preferred. Competitive package on offer. AC6274

                                                                  Private Practice
    LITIGATION                             HONG KONG                  5-8 years       BANKING & FINANCE                         HONG KONG                3+ year

    Top UK law firm seeks a senior disputes lawyer with HK qualification &            International law firm is seeking a mid-level lawyer with strong general
    experience in commercial litigation matters. Prior experience in contentious      banking experience from an international or reputable HK law firm to join its
    regulatory, tax disputes/high net worth contentious probate matters               team. This role will include a broad range of banking & finance work. Fluent
    advantageous. Native Cantonese & Mandarin preferred. AC6305                       level Mandarin skills are essential. AC1448

    IP                                    HONG KONG                   3-5 years       DERIVATIVES/STRUCTURED FINANCE                      HK           2-5 years

    Well-established international law firm is looking for a mid-level IP associate   Magic Circle firm seeks a derivatives & structured finance associate to
    to join its team. Ideal candidates should have contentious and non-               join its well-regarded practice. You will have strong academics & relevant
    contentious IP experience particularly involving trademarks. HK qualification     experience from international firms. Mandarin language skills would be a
    and Mandarin languages skills are required. AC6342                                bonus but not required. Quality work on offer. AC6332

    CORPORATE                              HONG KONG                   1-9 years      CORPORATE FINANCE                          HONG KONG            1-3 years

    Law firm with strong global network & in expansion mode seeks senior              US firm is seeking a junior corporate finance associate to join its Hong
    & junior general corporate/commercial lawyers. You will focus on cross-           Kong team. Ideal candidate should have training from an international law
    border M&A transactions, commercial matters and post-IPO compliance               firm and experience advising on HK IPO matters. Good opportunity to join a
    work. Excellent work/life balance & career prospects on offer. AC6337             quality practice with a good working culture. Mandarin is required. AC6295

         This is a small selection of our current vacancies. Please refer to our website for a more comprehensive list of openings.
Please contact Lindsey Sanders, lsanders@lewissanders.com + 852 2537 7409 or Jenny Law, jlaw@lewissanders.com + 852 2537 7448
                        Chris Chu, cchu@lewissanders.com + 852 2537 7415 or email recruit@lewissanders.com

                                                                www.lewissanders.com
JURISDICTION UPDATES
      INDONESIA

                                                       Menara Imperium, 30th Fl. Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. 1 Jakarta 12980, Indonesia
    By Dini Retnoningsih and Indra                     Tel: (62-21) 831-5005, 831-5025 Fax: (62-21) 831-5015, 831-5018
    Aditya Pambudy                                     E: dini@lgslaw.co.id • indra@lgslaw.co.id W: www.lgslaw.co.id

                                                                                                                   the divestment mechanism was streamlined
    Recent changes to Indonesia’s coal and                                                                         across foreign-owned coal and mineral min-

    mineral resources regulations                                                                                  ing companies, as opposed to differentiation
                                                                                                                   between minerals adopted previously.
                                                                                                                        The divestment obligation applies to all

    O      n January 11, 2017, the Government
           of Indonesia enacted Government
    Regulation No. 1 of 2017 on Fourth
                                                           combined effect of maintaining the prohibi-
                                                           tion on the export of unrefined minerals.
                                                                Under the current regime, there are
                                                                                                                   companies with foreign-owned shares
                                                                                                                   therein, whether or not such company is
                                                                                                                   undertaking in-country mineral processing,
    Amendment of Government Regulation No.                 two mineral purity bands, namely “pro-                  and becomes applicable on the fifth anni-
    23 of 2010 on Implementation of Mineral                cessed” and “purified”. All minerals are sub-           versary of commercial (production) opera-
    and Coal Mining Business Activity                      ject to in-country processing and/or                    tions. A company subject to divestment
    (Government Regulation No. 1/2017).                    purification as an export precondition, irre-           obligation is required to gradually sell shares
         Government Regulation No. 1/2017                  spective of whether the requisite purity level          therein to Indonesian party, such that by
    governs three key areas, namely domestic               is listed or not. Minister Regulation No.               the 10th anniversary of the commercial
    processing obligations, procedure to obtain            5/2017 further provides that mineral com-               (production) operation, 51 percent of the
    export recommendation and divestment                   modity whose processed-band and/or                      company’s shares is owned by the
    obligation. To further detail the provisions set       purity-band level are not yet set under the             Indonesian party.
    out under Government Regulation No.                    current regulation will not be eligible for                  An Indonesian party for the purpose of
    1/2017, the Minister of Energy and Mineral             export until after such requisite processed-            the divestment obligation comprises:
    Resources issued three implementing regu-              band and/or purity-band level has been set.             a. The central government;
    lations, namely:                                            Minister Regulation No. 5/2017 prohibits           b. Provincial or municipal/regency government;
    1. Minister of Energy and Mineral                      holders of Contract of Works (CoW) (previ-              c. State-owned enterprise and regional
         Resources Regulation No. 5 of 2017 on             ous generation contract-based mining con-                    government-owned enterprise;
         Enhancement of Minerals Additional                cession) from exporting processed minerals              d. National Indonesian private business
         Value through Mineral Processing and              in certain amount without first converting                   entity (which must be 100 percent
         Refining Activity in Indonesia (Minister          their concessions to the current licence-                    Indonesian-owned to qualify).
         Regulation No. 5/2017);                           based IUP regime. The legal justification for           The divestment is to be undertaken gradu-
    2. Minister of Energy and Mineral                      imposing such restriction is not immediately            ally (see table).
         Resources Regulation No. 6 of 2017 on             clear, although one possible reason is the
         Procedure and Requirement of Issuance             government’s desire to force holders of                            Divestment timeline
         of Mineral Export Recommendation                  CoW to convert to IUP. Even after conver-                                Amount of shares that
         Resulting from Processing and Refining            sion, the export of processed minerals in                     Year        must be divested to
         (Minister Regulation No. 6/2017); and             certain amount is allowed for only five years                          Indonesian party (from the
    3. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources            as of the enactment of Minister Regulation                                  total of shares)
         Regulation No. 9 of 2017 on the                   No. 5/2017 (ie, until January 11, 2022).                       6th             20 percent
         Procedure for Share Divestment and                CoW holders are, however, permitted to                         7th               30 percent
         Share Divestment Pricing Mechanism in             export minerals that have been processed up                    8th               37 percent
         Coal and Mineral Mining Business Activity         to purified-band purity level.
                                                                                                                          9th               44 percent
         (Minister Regulation No. 9/2017).
                                                           Divestment obligation                                         10th               51 percent
    Domestic mineral processing and export                 While divestment obligation was mandated
    One of contentious area of Indonesia’s min-            from as far back as 2009 when the current                    Price determination is based on fair
    ing law is the restriction on export of unre-          mining law regime was enacted, the divest-              market value. It, however, excludes the val-
    fined minerals. Government Regulation No.              ment mechanism has always been conten-                  ues of mineral or coal reserves contained
    1/2017, Minister Regulation No. 5/2017 and             tious. Under Government Regulation No.                  within the concession at the time of the share
    Minister Regulation No. 6/2017 have the                1/2017 and Minister Regulation No. 9/2017,              offer being divested.

10 www.inhousecommunity.com
Legal Director                                 15+ PQE      Legal and Compliance Counsel                   3+ PQE
Building Systems                             Singapore      Hedge Fund                                  Singapore
[A41028]                                                    [A41047]
• Regional legal head for SEA                               • To advise on all legal, regulatory and compliance
• Construction or industrial experience would be              matters relating to the hedge fund
  regarded very favourably                                  • Funds and/or ISDA experience would be ideal but not a
• Admission to the Singapore bar is a must                    strict pre-requisite
• Some travel required                                      • Candidates with general banking and/or financial
                                                              services experience will be considered

Structured Finance Lawyer                      10+ PQE      Legal Counsel                                  3-5 PQE
Commodities                                  Singapore      Technology                                  Singapore
[A41042]                                                    [A41046]
• SG / UK qualified                                         • Must be called to the Singapore Bar
• Experience in structured finance required                 • Strong    private    practice     or  prior   in-house
• Trade finance, shipping litigation and treasury             experience, preferably in ICT sector
  experience would be advantageous                          • To negotiate and prepare a range of technology
• Global coverage                                             related agreements including IT services outsourcing,
• Mandarin language ability (spoken and basic reading)        provision of managed services/professional services,
  essential as this role covers the PRC market                data centre co-location, and system integration
• Travel to UAE is expected                                 • A dynamic, fast paced environment

Corporate Governance Counsel                   10+ PQE      Legal Counsel                               15+ PQE
Insurance                                    Singapore      US MNC                               Bangalore, India
[A41035]                                                    [A40501]
• Lead lawyer for corporate governance and all matters      • A key member of the leadership team of a leading
  relating to the board of directors and running of           MNC
  board/committee meetings for group entities in            • Responsibilities   entail  negotiating high value,
  Singapore and the APAC region                               complex deals and general executive support
• Accustomed        to   interfacing confidently    with    • Team management and strong leadership skills
  independent directors and senior management                 required
• Experience liaising with MAS and some familiarity with    • IT industry experience ideal
  relevant MAS regulations and guidelines                   • Competitive remuneration package on offer

Compliance Counsel                            7-10 PQE      Legal Director                              10+ PQE
Energy and Commodities                       Singapore      European FMCG                          Shanghai, PRC
[A41036]                                                    [A40946]
• Standalone role, reporting to the Head of Compliance      • Standalone role supporting business and strategic
  based in Geneva                                             development with a strong focus on Chinese
• Relevant compliance experience with commodities             operations
  trading houses or from the oil & gas industry strongly    • Reporting is to APAC Legal Head based outside China
  desired                                                   • Key to this hire is someone who is pro-active and
• Mandarin abilities required as this role will cover the     strategic, and able to work well with the local
  PRC market                                                  management team

Legal Counsel                                   3+ PQE      Senior Legal Counsel                       10+ PQE
Investment Bank                              Singapore      US MNC                       Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
[A41043]                                                    [A41049]
• Must be Singapore qualified, with at least 2 years'       • Prior experience in partnering with HR and business to
  practice experience and 1 year in-house experience          advise and craft creative, pragmatic solutions to
  with a financial institution                                employment issues
• Banking and/or capital markets (in particular, DCM)       • Develop and execute strategies that are reflective of
  experience required                                         company policy and compliant with applicable laws
• To provide transactional legal support, legal and           in each of the jurisdictions the company operates
  regulatory advice on all aspects of the bank's business   • Travel within the APAC region is anticipated
  as well as corporate secretarial services

ISDA Lawyer                                     3+ PQE      Regional Counsel                          8-12 PQE
Financial Institution                        Singapore      Construction          Singapore/ Thailand/ Vietnam
[A41041]                                                    [A41031]
• Part of a mid-size legal team, reporting to the Head      • Solid construction experience
  of Legal                                                  • Experience gained at a large law firm and in-house in
• ISDA experience required                                    the construction or related industry
• General banking candidates with some familiarity          • International experience preferred
  with ISDA/treasury work will also be considered           • Common law qualification
                                                            • Thai, Vietnamese or Indonesian language ability a plus

                        Room 1402, 14/F,
                        Wanchai Central Building
                        89 Lockhart Road,
                        Wan Chai, Hong Kong
JURISDICTION UPDATES
     PHILIPPINES

    By Cyndy P. dela         ACCRALAW Tower, 2nd Ave. Cor. 30th St., Bonifacio Global City
    Cruz                     Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
                             Tel: (63) 82 224 0996, / Fax (632) 4037007 or (632) 4037008
                             E: cpdelacruz@accralaw.com W: www.accralaw.com

    Cyber bullying in the Philippines                                                                     2176, Civil Code) One who posts in social
                                                                                                          media, causing damage to the reputation of
                                                                                                          another may be liable to the subject for

    T   he pen is mightier than the sword or so the
        adage goes. When this was once said, it
    was to highlight the power of thoughts and
                                                         10627) This covers social bullying aiming to
                                                         belittle another individual or group or gen-
                                                         der-based bullying that humiliates another
                                                                                                          damages and this can be a valid cause of
                                                                                                          action under the law. Such posts must tend
                                                                                                          to pry to the privacy and peace of mind of
    ideas over brute force and violence as a way         on the basis of perceived or actual sexual       another, meddle or disturb the private life or
    to effect change. Today, the pen can very            orientation and gender identity. (Sec. 3, B-1,   family relations of another, intrigue to cause
    well be a tap of a button, as social media has       RA 10627, Implementing Rules).                   another to be alienated from his friends or
    reinvented our way of life anew — for good                                                            vex or humiliate another on account of his
    or for bad.                                          The Revised Penal Code and the                   religious beliefs, lowly station in life, place of
         Regardless of political affiliation or social   Cybercrime Prevention Act                        birth, physical defect or other personal con-
    philosophy, it is undeniable how the power of        One who publicly or maliciously imputes to       dition. (Art. 26, Civil Code)
    social media has shaped recent events. The           another a crime, vice, defect, real or imagi-
    perceived anonymity that social media brings         nary, or any act, omission, condition, status    The Labour Code on Just Causes
    tends to shed people’s normal sensibilities or       or circumstance tending to cause the dis-        for Termination
    even basic civility. We therefore sometimes          honor, discredit or contempt of a natural or     An employee who spreads rumors or
    see posts or commentaries meant to                   juridical person, or blacken the memory of       intrigues against a co-worker or his superior
    embarrass competence and intelligence, gen-          one who is dead may be liable for libel under    or vice versa, or who does any act similar to
    der or just plain rumour mongering.                  this Code. (Art. 353, RPC) These acts are        cyberlibel, slander, intriguing against honour
         Such acts done behind the cloak of a            more severely punished when done online          or even prying into the privacy of another
    social media platform may have legal implica-        in addition to the civil action for damages      may be a just cause for termination if
    tions under Philippine Laws.                         which may be brought by the offended             embodied in the company policy in addition
                                                         party. (Sec. 4(c-4), RA 10175) Cyberlibel        to all other causes of action available to him
    The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013                        holds liable only the original author of the     under the laws mentioned. (Sec. 5.2(g),
    (RA 10627)                                           post (Sec. 5(3), Implementing Rules of RA        D.O 147-15)
    This law finds applicability in school-related       10175). Likers or sharers of a post cannot            However, all these will only be a valid
    bullying, student-student bullying in particu-       be held liable under this law.                   cause of action to one who is the subject of
    lar, which covers those uttered in social                 Slander may also be applicable to one       the post and who is aware of the post
    media. “Bullying”, as defined, refers to any         who, in heat of anger, utters statements that    directed to him.
    severe or repeated use by one or more                are highly defamatory in character. (Art. 358,        Freedom of speech must not be
    students of a written, verbal or electronic          RPC) Intriguing Against Honour may also          infringed but this right is not without any
    expression, or a physical act or gesture, or         find applicability when the principal purpose    limitations. In the end, it is always best to
    any combination thereof, directed at another         is to blemish the honour or reputation of a      devote the stroke of our fingers and the
    student that has the effect of actually causing      person. (Art. 364, RPC) However, the             clicks of our mouse to intellectual discourse
    or placing the latter in reasonable fear of          requirement is that the post be directed to a    that matter rather than risk being held liable
    physical or emotional harm or damage to his          specific person. Hence, a blind item is not as   under the law. After all, the power of our
    property; creating a hostile environment at          actionable as a named-post in social media.      minds should be mightier than any sword
    school; infringing on the rights of another; or                                                       there is.
    materially or substantially disrupting the edu-      The Civil Code on Damages
    cation process. (Sec. 2, RA 10627) These             One who is aggrieved by a defamatory post        Note: This article was originally published in
    acts are collectively called “cyber bullying”        in social media may find refuge in the provi-    Business World, a newspaper of general circu-
    when committed online. (Sec. 2-D, RA                 sions of the Civil Code on Damages. (Art.        lation in the Philippines

12 www.inhousecommunity.com
LONDON | HONG KONG | SINGAPORE | NEW YORK

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service, over 30 years combined recruitment experience.
Pure Search: Your Trusted Recruitment Partner.
Liam Richardson | In House FS Hires                        Mike Wright | Private Practice Hires
+852 2499 9794 | liamrichardson@puresearch.com             + 852 2520 5298 | mikewright@puresearch.com
Michael Allen | In House FS Hires                          Sherry Xu | In House C&I Hires
+ 852 2499 9796 | michaelallen@puresearch.com              + 852 2520 5072 | sherryxu@pureseach.com

puresearch.com
Pure Search International Pte Ltd, Level 61, Unit 09 The
Center 99, Queen’s Rd Central, Hong Kong
JURISDICTION UPDATES
      SOUTH KOREA

                           Poongsan Bldg. 23 Chungjeongro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03737, Korea
                           Tel: 82 2 2262 6288 / Fax: 82 2 2279 5020
    By Myung-Cheol         E: mcchang@leeinternational.com W: www.leeinternational.com
    Chang

    Unfair competition in Korea                                                                        the intentional violation of the trade secrets
                                                                                                       law could be increased up to three times the
                                                                                                       actual loss. This is also a departure from the

    T    he Korean government has taken steps
         to protect trade secrets more effec-
    tively by easing the requirements for trade
                                                      trade secrets: production methods, sales
                                                      methods and other useful technical or busi-
                                                      ness information, as long as the confidential-
                                                                                                       existing Unfair Competition Act, which pro-
                                                                                                       vides that any person who has suffered dam-
                                                                                                       age from theft of trade secrets may be
    information to become trade secrets               ity of the information has been maintained.      compensated only for the amount of his/her
    and by enabling broader protection for                 This represents a further loosening of      actual loss, with the amount of compensation
    such information.                                 the standard. The deleted phrase “main-          estimated under a provision of the Act.
         Announced in August 2016, the revised        tained as confidential based on reasonable            The revised version considers a number
    version of the Unfair Competition Prevention                                                       of relevant factors, such as the intent of the
    and Trade Secret Protection Act (Unfair                                                            violator, how long the violation of the law
    Competition Act) was a response to the                                                             persisted and how many times the law was
                                                                “If the proposed Act
    increasing damage suffered by Korean com-                                                          violated. Depending on the circumstances, if
    panies from the theft of trade secrets.                 becomes law, any technical                 the law was violated intentionally, the dam-
         To facilitate better enforcement, the              or business information of a               age award could be considerably heavier
    Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency                                                      under the new Act.
                                                                  company could be
    would be authorised to investigate violations
    and offer corrective recommendations.                    considered to constitute a                Penal provisions
    Additionally, the Act would have increased             trade secret as long as it had              While the existing Unfair Competition Act
    teeth, allowing victims damaged by the unau-                                                       prescribes possible imprisonment or a fine
                                                           been kept confidential, even
    thorised disclosure of their confidential tech-                                                    for those who have acquired, used or leaked
    nologies to recover up to treble damages,               without ‘reasonable efforts’               trade secrets to any third party (knowing that
    and intentional violations of the law could be              made to maintain the                   they will be used in another country), the
    restrained. This is in sharp contrast with the                                                     revised version specifies and increases the
                                                                    confidentiality”
    existing Act, which allows unauthorised dis-                                                       types of acts that would be considered viola-
    closure of trade secrets to go unpunished in                                                       tions, to further enhance protections
    the absence of an express provision regulat-                                                       afforded by the law.
    ing such violations. The revision also would      efforts” was actually the result of a revision         Article 18 of the revised version
    broaden the types of acts that would be           dated January 2016, modifying the earlier        expands the acts that would constitute a
    considered trade secret violations.               phrase “maintained based on considerable         violation of the trade secrets laws from “an
         The main points of the proposed revi-        efforts”. Therefore, the proposed Act            act of acquiring, using or disclosing to a
    sions to the Unfair Competition Act are           would significantly lower the threshold for      third party, trade secrets”, to also include
    as follows:                                       information to become a trade secret and it      “an act of disclosing or maintaining trade
                                                      would expand the range of protection by          secrets beyond the scope of given author-
    Definition of trade secrets                       deleting “reasonable efforts”. If the pro-       ity”, “an act of obtaining trade secrets such
    Under the existing Unfair Competition Act,        posed Act becomes law, any technical or          as through embezzlement, fraud, threat or
    the term “trade secrets” includes production      business information of a company could          any other way that is illegal”, and “an act of
    methods, sales methods or other useful tech-      be considered to constitute a trade secret       refusing or avoiding the request of a trade
    nical or business information, which informa-     as long as it had been kept confidential,        secret holder to delete or return such trade
    tion is not known publicly, which has             even without “reasonable efforts” made to        secrets or keeping copies of the foregoing
    independent economic value and which has          maintain the confidentiality.                    even after the authority to use or maintain
    been “maintained as confidential based on                                                          such trade secrets has expired”.
    reasonable efforts”.                              Treble damages                                         If enacted, the revised version of the Act
         Article 2 of the proposed Act deletes the    Article 14-2(6) of the revised Act contains a    is likely to significantly improve protection of
    phrase “reasonable efforts” and recognises as     new provision in which damages arising from      trade secrets in Korea.

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taylorroot.com   @TaylorRootLegal   taylor-root
JURISDICTION UPDATES
      VIETNAM

                          Ho Chi Minh City Office – Unit 305, 3rd Floor, Centec Tower
                          72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
                          Tel: (848) 3823 9640 / Fax: (848) 3823 9641 / Moblie: (84) 937 319 915
                          E: ngoc.luu@indochinecounsel.com
     By Luu Thi           Hanoi Office – Unit 705, 7th Floor, CMC Tower, Duy Tan Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam
     Ngoc                 Tel: (84) 4 3795 5261 / Fax: (84) 4 3795 5262
                          E: hanoi@indochinecounsel.com W: www.indochinecounsel.com

    New capital adequacy regulations                                                                           The application of Circular 41 will help the
                                                                                                               banks to:
    in Vietnam                                                                                                 (i) plan their business operations and
                                                                                                                     strategy more safely;

    T    he State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) recently
         released regulations requiring banks and
    foreign bank branches in Vietnam to maintain          “A higher rate of capital and
                                                                                                               (ii) operate with less risk because risk
                                                                                                                     management is strengthened, while
                                                                                                                     funds are managed more efficiently;
    a minimum capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 8               control of liquidity will                        (iii) attract more foreign investors because
    percent from 2020.                                      affect loan interest rates.                              the banks operate in an environment of
         Circular No. 41/2016/TT-NHNN,                     This increases capital costs                              international standards.
    dated December 30, 2016, is effective from               and, as a result, the net
    January 1, 2020 and is oriented towards                                                                    However, Circular 41 also has negative
                                                          profit of banks will decrease”
    Basel II standards, including many changes                                                                 impacts on the banking system, particularly
    compared to Circular No. 13/2010/                                                                          when applying the Basel II standard, in which
    TT-NHNN, dated May 20, 2010 on                                                                             a higher rate of capital and control of liquidity
    adequacy ratios of credit institutions. Under                                                              will affect loan interest rates. This increases
    the Basel II standards, the minimum CAR of          Specifically:                                          the capital costs and, as a result, the net
    the banks is required at 8 percent, the same        C:        the bank’s capital (equity)                  profit of banks will decrease. At the same
    ratio required under Basel I. However, the          RWA: Risk weighted assets                              time, Vietnam’s banks would face such
    CAR under Basel II is calculated under a            KOR:      The capital requirements for                 challenges as:
    new formula, which is also applied by                         operational risk                             (i) a need to improve risk management;
    Circular 41.                                        KMR: The capital requirements for                      (ii) the requirement of reliable data systems
         Presently, the minimum CAR required                      market risk                                        of high precision;
    for banks in Vietnam is 9 percent (ie, higher                                                              (iii) a demand to meet the huge
    than the CAR of 8 percent under Circular            Following Circular 41, CAR is calculated                     deployment costs.
    41). According to banking analysts, the             more rigidly to meet Basel II standards.
    current CAR of some of the largest banks in         Accordingly, 8 percent CAR under Basel II              The Basel II application in Vietnam will be a
    Vietnam stands at about 9 percent and,              is an increase of the current application of 9         challenge for local banks, but it is expected
    therefore, their CAR will be reduced under          percent by Vietnamese banks.                           to make Vietnamese banks healthier.
    Basel II standards. Under Circular 41, the
    minimum CAR of 8 percent required
                                                                                             C
    for banks in Vietnam is defined by the                                CAR =                             x 100%
                                                                                     RWA + 12,5 (KOR + KMR)
    following formula:

             Find the Asian-mena Counsel JURISDICTION UPDATES archived at

       www.inhousecommunity.com

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JURISDICTION UPDATES
     EVENT REPORT

    In-House Congress Dubai                                                                               • Dubai Expo 2020 — The legal story
                                                                                                              so far
                                                                                                          • Legal and Regulatory Changes Affect-

    T    he 11th In-House Congress Middle
         East, Dubai took place on Feb-
    ruary 22 and was attended by more
                                                       legal practice, and also established the
                                                       “pizza test” for in-house counsel to help
                                                       demonstrate the comfort, or otherwise,
                                                                                                              ing the Investment Outlook in 2017
                                                                                                          • Offshore Meets Onshore — How the
                                                                                                              offshore jurisdictions integrate with
    than 230 delegates. Around 50 percent              an in-house counsel team can draw from                 and complement onshore jurisdic-
    were general counsel and 40 percent of             their external providers through breaking              tions, including DIFC SPCs
    the remaining were also from legal in-             bread with them.                                   • The Role of the Legal Team — Before
    house teams.                                           The day continued with top of                      and after a cyber breach
        The day began with London-based                the drawer Workshops from the follow-              • Sanctions in the Trump Era — From
    general counsel veteran Evangelos Apos-            ing firms:                                             Iran to Russia and beyond
    tolou urging our distinguished panel to                BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associ-                 The general evaluation of the day as pro-
    explore what “cost, quality and value”             ates; Clyde & Co; Conyers Dill & Pearl-            vided by our delegates was overwhelm-
    means to each of them. He introduced               man; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Hade                 ingly encouraging, with more than half
    the topic by using a metaphor of three             & Partners; Hogan Lovells; Kroll; Reed             indicating that the content of the day was
    stone masons, each performing the                  Smith, and Tritonian Law Advisors cover-           “excellent”. Andrew Glendenning, senior
    same task of chiselling a piece of marble.         ing the topics listed below:                       legal counsel at PwC summed up the
    The first, when asked, believed he was                 A Practical Guide to Handling Com-             general sentiment very aptly: “The 2017
    simply earning a living; the second that           mercial Regulatory Issues in the UAE               In-House Congress Middle East, Dubai was
    he was supporting his family; and the              Legal Market                                       a great success. As always the sessions were
    third answered that he was building a              • Cracking the Contract — Do’s and                 very informative and the event provided a
    mosque. The point of the analogy being                 don’ts when drafting and reviewing             great opportunity to meet and network with
    that our motivation determines the suc-                UAE legal contracts                            other in-house lawyers.”
    cess, or otherwise, in our engagement              • Drafting Sound Contracts — Devel-
    in our careers. The discussion continued               opments in English contract law in the
    to explore the effect of technology and                last year

    A special thanks on behalf of the In-House Community™
    to all our speakers, which included:
             Evangelos Apostolou             Patrick Dransfield          Teegan Lindsay
             President, EMEA, SirionLabs,
             ex-General Counsel, Asia-
                                             Publishing Director
                                             Asian-mena Counsel
                                                                         VP – Legal (Projects)
                                                                         ACWA Power
                                                                                                 “As always the sessions were very
             Pacific, and Partner, Ernst &
             Young and ex-General Counsel,
                                             and Co-Director
                                             In-House Community
                                                                                                 informative and the event provided a
             Asia-Pacific, British Telecom
                                                                                                 great opportunity to meet and network
             Andrew Beckett
             Managing Director
                                             Fawaz Elmalki
                                             Director
                                                                         Patrick Murphy
                                                                         Partner                 with other in-house lawyers”
             Kroll                           Conyers Dill & Pearman      Clyde & Co
                                                                                                                  – Dubai Congress delegate

             Rindala Beydoun                 Charles Fuller              Tarek Nakkach                  Imtiaz Shah                   Deepa Tharmaraj
             Founder and Managing            Partner                     Region Legal Counsel,          Partner                       Legal Director EMEA
             Partner                         Hogan Lovells               Middle East and North          Hogan Lovells                 Dell EMC
             Tribonian Law Advisors                                      Africa
                                                                         Hewlett Packard
                                                                         Enterprise

             Dr Ahmad Bin Hezeem             Vince Gordon                Anthony Pallett                Oliver J. Simpson             Warren Thomson
             Senior Partner                  Middle East Managing        Partner                        Associate                     Partner
             BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem            Partner                     Hogan Lovells                  Conyers Dill & Pearman        Hogan Lovells
             & Associates LLP                Reed Smith

             Vineet Chaudhary                Sadiq Jafar                 Sai Pidatala                   Adam Smith                    Kayaan Unwalla
             Senior Manager – Legal          Managing Partner            Associate                      Partner                       Senior Associate
             Wockhardt Ltd.                  Dubai                       Reed Smith                     Gibson, Dunn &                Reed Smith
                                             Hadef & Partners                                           Crutcher LLP

             Tania De Swart                  Nick Jennings               Justine Reeves                 Andrew Tarbuck                Victoria Woods
             Partner                         Senior Associate            Head of Knowledge              Partner                       Head of Commercial
             Reed Smith                      Hadef & Partners            Management                     Hogan Lovells                 Hadef & Partners
                                                                         Clyde & Co

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