NTT DoCoMo, Inc. - Agreement to Establish “Vie BOARD” a Joint Venture Company
Nishimura & Asahi advised NTT DoCoMo, Inc. [TSE:9437], in connection with its agreement to establish “Vie BOARD”, a joint venture company to engage in the DOOH advertising distribution business using location-based data in Vietnam.
The Nishimura & Asahi team advising NTT Docomo was led by partners Hikaru Oguchi, Isamu Imaizumi, Ha Hoang Loc, Tomonobu Murata and counsel Nguyen Tuan Anh.
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Clients value Isamu’s unique insight into the challenges and uncertainties that they face in a dynamic, growing region. In addition to his experience in Vietnam, he has practiced in Tokyo and various other Asian locations, including a secondment to an Indian law firm. He is known for leveraging his international experience and cultural insights into the local legal and commercial practices to resolve complex, cross-border legal issues in a timely manner, working closely with local counsel. He advises on investments at all stages, from inception to post-closing operations, as well as dispute resolution.
Mr. Loc joined Nishimura & Asahi (Ho Chi Minh City Office) in July 2012. Before that, he spent more than 8 years with other foreign and domestic law firms in Vietnam. He has assisted clients in many large-scale cases including, among others, an acquisition of shares in a public pharmaceutical company in Vietnam, transactions acquiring shares in a public construction company, an acquisition of shares in a digital retailer listed in Vietnam, and bidding by a client for development of a real estate project in Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Loc has assisted many well-known Japanese investors in investments worth hundreds of millions of US dollars in finance leasing, real estate development, and steel manufacturing businesses in Vietnam. He has advised a number of giant Japanese companies in conducting their business in Vietnam, and he has given lectures to clients’ employees in relation to anti-corruption matters. He has also advised clients in carrying out product recall procedures in Vietnam. Mr. Loc has authored various articles including Anti-Corruption Survey 2014 (Vietnam Chapter) - Anti-Corruption Survey published in 2014, the Mergers & Acquisitions Review - Eighth Edition - (Vietnam Chapter) published in 2014, Vietnam: All change for offshore investors - International Financial Law Review published in 2014, Vietnam: The investment conditions list - International Financial Law Review published in 2015, and Simplifying foreign Investment - International Financial Law Review published in 2016. Mr. Loc is a 2001 graduate of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law (LL.B), and received an LL.M (with Merit) from Southampton Solent University (England) in 2008. He is admitted to the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association (since 2008), and the Vietnam Bar Federation (since 2009). He is fluent in both English and Vietnamese.
Since 2010, he has been continuously handling transactions, disputes, and regulatory matters related to IT technology and the IT industry, intellectual property matters including measures against counterfeit products, and data protection matters concerning personal data and trade secrets. He also has abundant knowledge on cybersecurity practices and is registered as a registered information security specialist (national qualification in Japan). After studying in the U.S. and the U.K., he moved to Vietnam and then Thailand. Since then, he has been involved in the above-mentioned matters not only in Japan but also in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries. While there are few Japanese lawyers in Southeast Asia who specialize in the above-mentioned matters, he supports international companies by utilizing both his abundant knowledge and practical experience in the above-mentioned matters and his local experience and network in Southeast Asia.
Tuan Anh joined our firm in August 2015 after spending approximately seven years practicing law at local firms, which included one of the first-tier local law firms in Vietnam. With extensive expertise in data protection, M&A, labor law, compliance-related matters, e-commerce platforms, and corporate crisis management, he provides his clients and Japanese attorneys with tailored legal services in those practice areas in Vietnam. His legal advice, solutions, and recommendations are always appreciated by his Japanese colleagues in our firm’s Vietnam practice group due to their reliability, practicality, and appropriateness. He also has lectured clients’ employees on anti-corruption and compliance matters, labor regulations, and personal data protection laws. Furthermore, he is often asked to assist the JCCI in Vietnam in commenting on key drafts of laws and decrees (e.g., investment, enterprise, data, and personal data protection laws and guiding decrees) promulgated by the governmental bodies of Vietnam. He has collaborated with the operator of one of the fastest-growing and most widely used technology platforms, based in Atlanta, Georgia, on certain writing projects and a webinar on data privacy regulations related to Vietnam.
Hikaru took the initiative in launching the firm’s ASEAN practice in 2010, and since she has supported various Japanese and international companies' new entry, expansion of their business, strategic investment, group restructuring, risk management, disputes, as well as exit deals. With her deep understanding of the nature of issues, as well as the business background and cultural and political context in each country, she is known for providing practical advice by working closely with the clients' business team in each jurisdiction. As a key member of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, she has played a key role in many of our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, particularly over the past few years. Our firm was named the winner of the region’s Law Firm: Diversity & Inclusion Category at FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Asia-Pacific 2021 and winner of Outstanding Firm for D&I (Regional) at Chambers D&I Awards Asia-Pacific 2020.