The Asian Registration and Licensing Authority is the established international accepted standard for registration and regulatory matters regarding Merger and Acquisition markets. With a membership of over two thousand, ARLA affects changes on some of the most important markets in Asia for Merger and Acquisition transactions.

ARLA was founded in 1995, by 5 of the leading Merger and Acquisition regulatory agencies from around Asia, enabling its predecessor the inter-Asian Regional Mergers and Acquisitions Association (created in 1988) to adapt into the true regulatory body it now is.

Together with the founding members Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), ARLA's membership put together in 2003, a complete and wide ranging code of conduct, standards and fully binding legal set of, by laws encompassing policies and procedures affecting its member states. Among these standards are the entry requirements for members, limiting eligibility to conforming to all constituent values set by the commission and its members, including the financing of the Authority which consists of fees paid by all members on a quarterly basis.