On the 4th to 6th September 2019, a team comprising of Senior Partner, Dato’ Azmi Mohd Ali together with two lawyers, Nazran Arvind and Hassan Shah travelled to Yangon, Myanmar to meet up with several businesses and law firms.
The visit is part of the firm’s effort to broaden our horizon and to strength-en the synergy between our firm and the businesses and law firms in Myanmar, as well as to explore opportunities in Myanmar given the opening of its market.
The trip to Yangon started off with a visit to BDO Consulting Myanmar where the team was well received by Mr. Joe Yew, Executive Director, Ms. Khin Chan Myae and Ms. Hong Shi Ying.
The team was briefed on the history of Myanmar and how the country has drastically transformed since its market liberalization efforts.
Heading towards becoming an emerging economy, Myanmar presents numerous opportunities to businesses and BDO Consulting Myanmar offers a full service to assist businesses venture into the Myanmar market.
BDO Consulting Myanmar is a member of BDO International Limited, UK and forms part of an international network of consulting, accounting, tax and business advisory firms. In South East Asia, BDO Consulting Myanmar is supported by other BDO offices in Malaysia and Cambodia.
The team then paid a courtesy call to the Ambassador of Malaysia to Myanmar, H.E. Datuk Zahairi Baharim. Among the matters discussed were Malaysia-Myanmar relations, the thriving business landscape of Yangon and the possibility of Azmi & Associates branching out to Yangon.
Also present at the meeting at the Embassy of Malaysia were Mr. Syukri Azmi, First Secretary and Mr. Azahar Mohamed, Economic Counsellor. Building on our relationship with fellow members of the Terralex network, the team visited Kelvin Chia Yangon, the largest and oldest international law firm in Myanmar.
The team was honoured by the personal welcome of Mr. Pedro Jose Bernardo, winner of Asialaw’s 2019 Outstanding Practitioner (Myanmar) Award and Ms. Lyra Miragrace Flores, Foreign Consulting Attorney. Both firms discussed the possibility of future collaborations and sought to strengthen the good relationship that has been built over the years.
The Firm’s trip continued with a visit to VDB Loi Myanmar, who is part of a network of leading law and advisory firms with offices in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Singapore and Laos. VDB Loi Myanmar specializes in both legal and tax advisory; and is a Tier 1 ranked firm comprising of over 40 lawyers and dvisors with offices in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw. The team were met and well-received by Mr. Maxim Kobzev and Ms. Edith Ruan, who generously gave the team insights into the business workings of Myanmar.
An impromptu meeting was held with renowned businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Ko Ko Lat, Chairman & CEO of K K Myanmar Business Group. A discussion was held on future collaborations and Mr. Ko Ko’s venture into the Malaysian market. Azmi & Associates would like to thank all those who received the team with great hospitality and grace. The visit to Yangon has most certainly strengthened the firm’s relationship with the businesses and law firms in Myanmar. We believe such visits will lead the firm to better network opportunities in an international context as we continue to grow and expand our horizon.