PwC’s Taiwan managing director looks for silver linings

PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal, the PwC network’s Taiwan member firm, has promoted Kent Chong from senior manager to managing director from 1 July. Chong has been with PwC Taiwan since 2008. A specialist in cross-border corporate and M&A transactions, he is the lead legal contact for PwC’s Southeast Asia and India practices.

With more than 10 years of experience, he has advised numerous Taiwanese and multinational corporations on domestic or cross-border M&A, international corporate restructuring, and general corporate and commercial transactions.

Chong told Asia Business Law Journal he sees the ongoing pandemic as a good opportunity for companies with a strong cash balance or financial position to take advantage of this uncertain time and expand or diversify, through acquisition or entering into joint venture with third parties, both domestically and internationally.

“Despite doubts about a deep recession and the volatility caused by the pandemic, we expect buyers or investors to be in a better position to negotiate more favourable terms, especially in this unprecedented time,” he said.

“We also see a surge of interest from Taiwanese companies in undertaking cross-border M&A, although the social disruption caused by the pandemic has challenged the way that a transaction has traditionally been handled.”