GLE Asia Briefing: Vietnam rewrites 200 laws overnight, India starts decriminalising its Companies Act

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Hong Kong widens its arbitration fast-track, Singapore settles a key procedural question, India's company law reform reaches committee, Vietnam remakes its regulatory landscape overnight, and Taiwan tightens data protection. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

June 30 – July 7 · July 2026 | Read online

Good morning from the GLE Editorial desk. Across Asia this week, the region's dispute-resolution machinery and its regulatory perimeter both moved at once. Hong Kong has widened its fast-track arbitration threshold, Singapore's High Court has settled a live question on how arbitration preconditions are treated, India's biggest corporate law reform in years has reached a joint parliamentary committee, Vietnam has brought its largest regulatory overhaul in years into force overnight, and Taiwan is tightening its data protection regime. For counsel running disputes, corporate and compliance work across the region, several regimes shifted together.
Joel Gordon, Editorial · Global Law Experts

Quick digest

Vietnam's 1 July overhaul brought around 200 legal documents into force at once, including some 29 laws, spanning e-commerce, digital transformation and wide-ranging regulatory reform.

Singapore's High Court has confirmed that a failure to follow an arbitration precondition affects admissibility, not jurisdiction, aligning the city-state with England and Hong Kong.

Taiwan's new Personal Data Protection Commission is now drafting the sub-regulations that will set binding security and data-lifecycle standards for the private sector.

Jurisdictions covered

Hong Kong · Singapore · India · Vietnam · Taiwan · South Korea · China · Malaysia · Thailand · Pakistan · Australia · New Zealand · Indonesia
Lawyers featured in this edition

Tushar Jarwal · Timothy Wu · Abhishek Singh Baghel · John Lumbantobing · Brent Yap Hon Yean · Eric Tan Choon Heong · Shuva Mandal · Dang Hong Son

What mattered this fortnight

HONG KONG · DISPUTE RESOLUTION

HKIAC Doubles Its Expedited-Arbitration Threshold to HK$50 Million
Since 1 January 2026, HKIAC's new fee schedule has doubled the monetary threshold for expedited arbitration procedures, now covering disputes up to HK$50 million (roughly US$6.4 million). The change extends a broader run of pro-arbitration developments in Hong Kong through 2025 and 2026, including continued judicial restraint from the courts and a new visa scheme for arbitration participants.
Why it matters for counsel: Parties with disputes in the newly-covered band should reassess whether the expedited track now suits their case, and build the shorter procedural timeline into strategy and cost estimates from the outset.

SINGAPORE · ARBITRATION

Singapore Settles a Key Question on Arbitration Preconditions
The Singapore High Court held in DRO v DRP [2025] SGHC 255 that a party's failure to comply with a precondition to arbitration, in that case a multi-tier dispute clause requiring escalation through project and senior management before arbitration, goes to the admissibility of the claim rather than the tribunal's jurisdiction. The ruling aligns Singapore with the position already adopted in England and Hong Kong, and with the prevailing international consensus on the point.
Why it matters for counsel: Parties drafting multi-tiered dispute clauses now have clearer guidance on how a skipped precondition will actually be treated if challenged, which should sharpen how those clauses get drafted and enforced going forward.

INDIA · CORPORATE

India's Corporate Laws Amendment Bill 2026 Reaches Joint Committee
The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha on 23 March, has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed examination. The Bill decriminalises a number of offences under the Companies Act 2013 and the LLP Act 2008, replacing imprisonment or fine with civil penalties, and pushes prescribed companies toward electronic-only shareholder communication.
Why it matters for counsel: Corporate counsel advising India-facing clients should track the Joint Committee's report closely, as the decriminalisation schedule and the digital-communication mandate will both require updates to internal compliance processes once the Bill passes.

"Decriminalisation is a governance reset, not deregulation. Civil penalties may reduce compliance friction, but boards must ensure accountability and shareholder protections do not weaken."
Shuva Mandal · Anagram Partners · India

VIETNAM · REGULATORY

Vietnam's 1 July Overhaul: Around 200 Legal Documents Take Effect at Once
On 1 July, Vietnam brought roughly 200 legal documents into force simultaneously, including around 29 laws, 49 decrees and 72 circulars, spanning tax administration, customs, product quality, e-commerce, civil aviation and high technology. The new Law on E-commerce is the country's first sector-specific e-commerce framework, and the Digital Transformation Law takes effect alongside it.
Why it matters for counsel: Businesses operating in Vietnam should prioritise which of the 29 changes touches their sector most directly, given the scale of simultaneous change makes a blanket compliance sweep impractical in the short term.

"Businesses relying on technology, brands, or innovation should assess how the new legal framework affects the management and commercialisation of their IP assets, allowing them to proactively capitalise on new opportunities while mitigating regulatory risks."
Dang Hong Son · DN Law · Vietnam

TAIWAN · DATA PROTECTION

Taiwan's Data Protection Commission Moves From Law to Enforcement
Taiwan's amended Personal Data Protection Act, promulgated in November 2025 and in force since January 2026, established the island's first independent Personal Data Protection Commission and mandatory breach notification. Through 2026 the Commission's Preparatory Office has been issuing draft sub-regulations, including new security and lifecycle-management standards for personal data, as it builds out enforcement capability.
Why it matters for counsel: Businesses handling personal data in Taiwan should track the Commission's draft sub-regulations closely, as the security and lifecycle-management standards they set will become binding compliance obligations once finalised.

East Asia

SOUTH KOREA – CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
South Korea's Board Independence Deadline Lands 22 July
South Korea's amended Commercial Act raises the independent-director threshold for large listed companies from one-fourth to one-third of the board, with the reconstitution deadline landing on 22 July 2026 and full compliance required by 22 July 2027. A separate 3% cap on controlling shareholders' combined voting rights for audit committee appointments takes effect the following day. Counsel advising large Korean issuers (assets of KRW2 trillion or more) should confirm board composition and audit committee voting arrangements are ready for both deadlines.

CHINA – OUTBOUND INVESTMENT
China's New Outbound Investment Rules Take Effect With a Security Review
China's State Council Regulations on Outbound Investment took effect 1 July, adding a national-security review, integrating export-control and data-transfer compliance, and extending oversight across the whole life of an investment. Chinese-linked outbound deals and their counterparties should build the new review and compliance checks into deal timelines now.

South East Asia

MALAYSIA – TAX & COMPLIANCE
Malaysia Doubles Its E-Invoicing Exemption Threshold, Cancelling the Next Phase
Malaysia's Cabinet raised the mandatory e-invoicing exemption threshold from RM500,000 to RM1 million in annual turnover, cancelling the phase that had been due to bring businesses in that band into the regime on 1 July. Businesses that already crossed RM1 million as new entities incorporated between 2023 and 2025 still face a 1 July compliance date. Tax and compliance counsel should re-confirm which of their clients remain in scope now the exemption threshold has moved.

THAILAND – WHITE-COLLAR & TRAFFICKING
Thai Court Hands Down Lengthy Sentences in Commercial Surrogacy Network Case
Thailand's Criminal Court sentenced four obstetricians and four brokers to prison terms of up to 15 years for running a transnational commercial surrogacy network, ruling that they treated the human body as a commodity in deliberate circumvention of the law. The ruling signals continued aggressive enforcement against cross-border healthcare and reproductive-services schemes operating out of Thailand.

South Asia

INDIA – SECURITIES
India's Securities Law Developments Continue Through June
A June roundup of India's corporate and commercial law developments documents ongoing SEBI enforcement activity and securities-law updates running alongside the Corporate Laws Amendment Bill's own progress. Securities counsel should track both threads together, as compliance timelines are converging.

PAKISTAN – TAX & DIGITAL SERVICES
Pakistan Extends Sales Tax to Foreign Digital Platforms Under Finance Act 2026
Finance Act 2026 extends Pakistan's sales tax net to digital platforms, online marketplaces and cross-border digital service providers, with foreign companies serving Pakistani consumers now required to register under a new simplified non-resident regime. Foreign digital businesses serving Pakistani customers should confirm their registration obligations under the new regime without delay.

Pacific

AUSTRALIA – AML/CTF & CLIMATE DISCLOSURE
Three Major Regimes Land in Australia on the Same Day, 1 July
Australia's AML/CTF Tranche 2 obligations commenced 1 July for roughly 90,000 newly regulated professionals including lawyers and accountants, alongside the second wave of mandatory climate disclosure for Group 2 entities. Professional-services firms and Group 2 reporting entities should confirm both compliance programmes are live, not still in build.

NEW ZEALAND – REGULATORY REFORM
New Zealand's Regulatory Standards Board Comes Into Full Operation
Part 2 of New Zealand's Regulatory Standards Act 2025 came into full operation on 1 July, establishing the Regulatory Standards Board it creates. Businesses navigating New Zealand regulation should watch how the new Board begins exercising its oversight role in practice.

Member spotlight

Tushar Jarwal
DMD Advocates · India · Tax Planning
"Over the last two decades, what I have noticed as a tax lawyer is that the world is now shrinking into one specific jurisdiction with respect to tax."
On cross-border tax convergence, on a GLE Q&A. Watch.

Abhishek Singh Baghel
DSK Legal · India · M&A
"As a matter of practice, I deep dive into understanding a client's and target's businesses, their cultures, and the objective of the deal."
On how he approaches cross-border M&A and joint-venture structuring, on a GLE Q&A. Watch.

John Lumbantobing
Rifdaan Novarazka & Prabowo · Indonesia · Commercial Litigation
"Many disputes can be better settled as long as the commercial terms are acceptable, rather than just dragging on until litigation or endless arbitration."
On his settlement-first approach to Indonesian commercial disputes, on a GLE Q&A. Watch.

Timothy Wu
LP LAW Corporation · Singapore · Intellectual Property
Timothy Wu of LP LAW Corporation worked on amendments to Singapore's 2026 trademark framework and takes clients from startups to multinationals through IP protection and expansion across Southeast Asia. Watch his GLE Q&A.

Brent Yap Hon Yean
Viknesh & Yap, Advocates & Solicitors · Malaysia · Cross-border Corporate
"Clients often come to me because they want clarity, they want speed and advice which can be executed immediately, and not just theoretical answers."
On what draws clients to his cross-border practice across Malaysia, China and the UAE, on a GLE Q&A. Watch.

Eric Tan Choon Heong
Evalon Group Law Practice · Malaysia · Corporate & Insolvency Litigation
"We were successful in arguing it for the first time in Malaysia, because this is a case that has never been decided before until it was argued by us at the High Court."
On winning a first-of-its-kind ruling on shareholders' right to convene company meetings, on a GLE Q&A. Watch.

What we're tracking next

India's Joint Parliamentary Committee report on the Corporate Laws Amendment Bill, watch for the decriminalisation schedule and the passage timeline through the next parliamentary session.

Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Commission finalising its sub-regulations on security and lifecycle management, these will set the binding compliance standard once issued.

Vietnam's 1 July reforms bedding in, watch for early sector-by-sector guidance on how the licensing eliminations are actually applied in practice.

Open calls for commentary
Every edition of this briefing reaches senior lawyers across the global legal community, together with the in-house counsel and business decision-makers who turn to Global Law Experts for verified intelligence on the developments shaping their markets.
When you contribute, your reading of a development becomes the practitioner voice that audience reads, published under your name, your firm and your jurisdiction. It is a direct way to be seen by your peers and by prospective clients as a leading authority on the issues moving in your market.
If a legal or regulatory development in your jurisdiction is worth flagging for the next edition, reply to this email with your jurisdiction and your take. We attribute every contributor by name, firm and country.

Contributors this fortnight
Tushar Jarwal, DMD Advocates, India
Abhishek Singh Baghel, DSK Legal, India
John Lumbantobing, Rifdaan Novarazka & Prabowo, Indonesia
Timothy Wu, LP LAW Corporation, Singapore
Brent Yap Hon Yean, Viknesh & Yap, Malaysia
Eric Tan Choon Heong, Evalon Group Law Practice, Malaysia
Shuva Mandal, Anagram Partners, India
Dang Hong Son, DN Law, Vietnam