Welcome Message

  Mr Glenn Ferguson, President, LAWASIA

As President of LAWASIA I am delighted to extend an invitation to attend our premier legal event, the 22nd LAWASIA conference held this year in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and hosted by our colleagues at the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association.

The challenging times presented by the global financial crisis have created a need for legal professionals to remain informed of developments in the immediate region.  We anticipate this conference will provide for each of us the opportunity to learn from the experience of our neighbours and in Turn provide more informed advice to our clients and colleagues.

The LAWASIA Conference has always and continues to provide an excellent platform for such discussion encouraging the participation of lawyers, judges, academics and other leading professionals of the region.

On the occasion we are pleased to be bringing a significant LAWASIA presence to Vietnam, a rapidly developing jurisdiction. Those who have visited Vietnam before will undoubtedly be eager to return and those who have not yet had the experience will be delighted by the warm and friendly hospitality.

Mr Nguyen Dang Trung, President, Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association

On behalf of the Ho Chi Minh City Bar, I warmly welcome you to our home Ho ChiMinh City, which was once known as the Pearl of the Far East region.

This city of 300 years history is a young city in comparison with our Ha Noi capital, a city 1,000 years old. However, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest commercial center in Vietnam but retains the unique charm of a city situated on the banks of Saigon river and surrounded by many canals. The city is inhabited by more than 10 million people who are renowned for their dynamic and progressive thinking.

In the past decades, Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City has become an attractive investment destination. With WTO accession, we are truly interactive with the world economy.

As you all know the world is currently suffering from economic crisis and its consequence. All countries are doing their best to overcome the challenges. Vietnam is not an exception. There is no better time to discuss and share the experience and to turn difficulties into catalysts for closer cooperation and sustaining our existing relationship.

We are honoured to host the 22nd LAWASIA Annual Conference from 9 to 12 November 2009 in our home city. This is a great opportunity for law practitioners and scholars to gather together in a friendly atmosphere to discuss the relevant issues within the theme “Competition and Cooperation”.

This is the second time our bar association has organised a LAWASIA conference. With the support from our distinguished colleagues and friends, we successfully organised the LAWASIA International Trade Law conference in 2005 and the 19th POLA conference in 2008.

I believe that the continued support from all of distinguished colleagues and friends will again guarantee a big success this time. I hope you have interesting discussion and networking opportunities with your counterparts at the conference and enjoy your stay in the pleasantly warm Ho Chi Minh City.

I look forward to welcoming you to Ho Chi Minh City this November.