Bretton G. Sciaroni, Senior Partner at Sciaroni & Associates has passed away from illness, according to local sources. He was 69 years old. One of the first foreign lawyers to come to Cambodia, he negotiated the first foreign investment in 1993 for a $60 million brewery.
Since 1996, he served as Legal Adviser to the Royal Government of Cambodia. The appointment was made by Royal Decree, and the position carried with it the rank of Minister.
In a 2016 article by FORBES, who dubbed him The Most Powerful American In Cambodia, he was, according the former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, William A. Heidt, a central figure in Phnom Penh’s foreign community: “Brett Sciaroni was one of the first foreign lawyers in Cambodia in the early 1990s, after Cambodian democracy was restored. He has been a pillar of the U.S. business community ever since, promoting U.S. investment in Cambodia through his law firm and in his role as the founder* and head of the American Chamber of Commerce”
EDIT: *Founding board member, not founder. The original headline has been amended as such.
An Am-Cham member who did not want to be named sent the following message:
It can be confirmed that Brett Sciaronni passed away early in the morning of Friday, 12 March. He has contributed greatly to the American business community during his almost thirty years living in Phnom Penh, and will be sorely missed.
Rest in Peace, Brett. You are always a gentleman and the original “elder statesman” of the ex-pat community here.
Brett was my friend. We first met in 1986, when I worked with the US Embassy in Thailand, and he was with the Reagan administration. We reconnected in 1995 in Phnom Penh, and have remained close ever since. Like so many others, I benefitted from his counsel – always honest, insightful, and free. Every visit to Phnom Penh since included good on discussions on many topics, but especially the Cambodia he loved. It may sound trite to say “an end to an era,” but Brett’s passing is exactly that. Brett will always hold a good place in my heart and history. See you again, my friend.