Conventus Law

Conventus Law

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Dr. Sok is a practicing attorney and the Principal at SokSiphana&associates (a member of ZICO Law), a law and consulting firm specialized in international trade and corporate law in Phnom Penh.

 

Dr. Sok has unique experiences and insights related to the development of the Cambodian legal system, the business environment and the intricacy of the commercial and investment law evolution in Cambodia. His vast hands on experiences as a former Commerce Secretary of State (Vice Minister) in the Cambodian Government, where he worked extensively on issues related to commercial and investment legal framework, trade promotion, trade policies, trade development, and economic intégration, gives him a unique perspective on both the macro and micro needs of businesses and foreign investors alike. In the area of policy formulation and policy mainstreaming he was responsible for leading a large multidisciplinary inter-agency task force to prepare complex action plans (including the National Legislative and Regulatory Agenda) and to negotiate successfully Cambodia’s accession to the WTO. He was also instrumental in initiating the development of the first ever trade Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) for Cambodia.

 

He was responsible not only for the preparation of the various commercial laws currently in force in Cambodia, but also for their defense in front of the Council of Ministers, the National Assembly and the Senate.

 

Career

Previously from 1999 to 2005, Dr. Sok served as Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, where he worked extensively on issues related to trade policies and development, commercial legal framework and economic integration. During his service at the Ministry, he was also a negotiator in Cambodia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). From October 2005 to July 2009 he served as Director at the International Trade Center (ITC) a joint technical agency of the UNCTAD and the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

He was appointed by Prime Minister Samdech Decho Hun Sen as Advisor of the Royal Government of Cambodia and Advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council with rank of Minister in August 2009 and November 2011 respectively. He is the Chairman of the Board of Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI), Cambodia’s oldest and prominent independent research institute. He resumed legal practice in 2009.

 

Qualifications:

 

  • Juris Doctor from the Widener University School of Law in Delaware, United States
  • Doctor of Philosophy from Bond University School of Law in Queensland, Australia
  • Member of Cambodian Bar
  • Member of Pennsylvania Bar (inactive status)

 

Languages:

 

  • English
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Khmer (native)

 

Awards:

 

  • Leading Lawyer | Cambodia – IFLR1000, 2015-2017
  • Band 1 | General Business Law | Cambodia – Chambers Asia Pacific, 2013-2016 “Siphana Sok is a respected lawyer who is widely considered a prominent figure in the market.” – Editorial feedback
  • Recommended Individual | Cambodia – Asialaw Profiles, 2015-2016 “Sok Siphana is praised by peers as a leading lawyer in Cambodia who brings unique knowledge of the Cambodian legal system.” – Editorial feedback
  • Grand Cross / Grand-Croix / or Mohasereivadh awarded H.M. King Norodom Sihamoni
  • 2 Royal Medals (Class ‘Asarith’ and ‘Sena’) by H.M. King Norodom Sihanouk
  • Royal Medal (Class ‘Moha Sena’) awarded by H.M. King Norodom Sihamoni
  • National Medal ‘Class Thipdin’ by Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen