Tilleke & Gibbins has hired Jay Cohen as the director of its Cambodia practice from Singapore’s Kelvin Chia Partnership (KCP). Cohen takes over from John E. King, who retired at the end of last year after 15 years as a Tilleke partner. 

Cohen, who has spent a decade working in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Singapore, specialises in the inbound and outbound investment process. This includes providing exploratory advice and preliminary due diligence, implementing appropriate corporate and investment structures, advising on ongoing operations, and negotiating and drafting commercial contracts. 

He also has expertise in the energy industry, where he assists clients with the acquisition of energy resources and infrastructure, handles upstream licensing and transactional work, and advises on regulatory compliance in emerging Southeast Asian markets.

Cohen, who started his legal career as an in-house counsel with South Korean conglomerate SK in 2003, joined KCP in Singapore in 2008. From 2009 onwards, he was based in KCP’s Phnom Penh office, leaving the firm as partner and country manager.