At the annual general meeting of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) on March 24, Pimvimol (June) Vipamaneerut, a partner in the firm’s corporate and commercial group in Bangkok, was elected as IPBA’s jurisdictional committee member for Thailand. In the role, Pimvimol will be responsible for membership issues in Thailand, and will be the key point of contact for matters concerning activities in the jurisdiction. She will serve as Thailand’s jurisdictional committee member for three years (2022–2025). The IPBA is a prestigious international association of business and commercial attorneys active or with a strong interest in the Pacific region. The IPBA has a membership of more than 1,500 legal professionals from over 65 countries and jurisdictions. Through its activities, the IPBA provides lawyers interested in the Asia-Pacific with opportunities to discuss legal, business, and policy issues affecting the region and grow in their legal practice through professional networking. For more information on the IPBA and its activities, please visit the IPBA website.

On December 8, Yuwadee Thean-ngarm, director of Tillke & Gibbins’ Myanmar office, delivered a Thai-language webinar entitled “Employment Law in Myanmar: Employee Contract, Public Holidays, and Returning Visas,” hosted by the Thai Business Association of Myanmar (TBAM). Joined by two distinguished speakers from leading Thai and Myanmar businesses, Yuwadee provided a comprehensive presentation on employment law in Myanmar and discussed the following matters: Overview of employment contracts; Mandatory entitlements; Taxation of employment income; Termination of employment; and COVID-19 vaccination issues. A video recording of the session (in Thai) is available on the TBAM Facebook page.

Tilleke & Gibbins’ 2021 Annual Employment Law Forum Webinar Series ran from November 17 to 30. This year, the forum offered 11 sessions on a range of in-demand topics related to labor law in Thailand and Vietnam. Video recordings of all session are linked to in the descriptions below. The sessions during the first week were led by lawyers from Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group: On November 17, Chusert Supasitthumrong and Jessada Anasura gave a Thai-language presentation on the legal framework for termination of employment, scope of duties, and liability of employees after employment contracts end, with a particular focus on COVID-19. On November 17, Piyawat Vitooraporn and Thatporn Vanajak highlighted practical issues related to employment conditions and risks that employers should be aware of in a Thai-language session titled “Employment Conditions: Practical Issues and Cautions.” On November 18, Dutsadee Dutsadeepanich and Jidapa Srisummacheep led a session on forced resignation under Thai law. On November 19, Pongpalin Chantrapirom and Pathanin Sornchangwat gave a presentation titled “Employers’ Commanding Power, Discipline, and Disciplinary Actions.” On the second week of the 2021 Annual Employment Law Forum, Tilleke & Gibbins’ Thailand corporate and commercial team delivered the following presentations: On November 24, Pimvimol Vipamaneerut and Ketnut Pukahuta presented a Thai-language session on transfer of employment issues. On November 25, Pimvimol Vipamaneerut and Dusita Khanijou delivered an English-language session titled “Transfer of Employment under Thai Labor Laws” in which they covered many similar issues as on the previous day. On November 26, Penrurk Phetmani concluded the second week in an English-language session titled “Update on Work Permits and Visas in Thailand” moderated by Nutavit Sirikan on work permit and visa updates. On the final week of the forum, Tilleke & Gibbins’ labor teams in Bangkok and Vietnam presented the following discussions: On November

Tiziana Sucharitkul, co-managing partner of Tilleke & Gibbins and director of the firm’s dispute resolution department, spoke in two International Bar Association (IBA) webinars on law firm management and strategic direction. Tiziana appeared in her capacity as a member of the IBA Law Firm Management Committee, first in an IBA Global Showcase session on October 28, 2021, and then again at an IBA Officers’ Briefing on November 9. The first event brought together two panels of law firm managing partners from around the world to discuss the matters of greatest concern to the legal industry in a session titled “What is the Future of our Law Firms?” Together, the panelists discussed issued such as the return to physical offices, how best to serve clients, how to encourage and support collaboration among lawyers, and what pricing strategies will look like in the future. This session formed part of the week-long IBA Global Showcase—a global conference sharing knowledge and celebrating successes in law firm policy and practice. In the second session, open only to officers of the IBA, Tiziana was one of three guests interviewed about law firm transitions and strategy. Alongside managing partners from leading firms in India and the USA, Tiziana discussed how established family-run firms can evolve into regional powerhouses, taking examples from her own experience with Tilleke & Gibbins’ regionalization and growth over the past two decades. For more details on the IBA and the 2021 Global Showcase, please visit the IBA website.