On December 2, Michelle Ray-Jones and Ploynapa Julagasigorn hosted a Licensing Executives Society (LES) Thailand webinar titled “IP Valuation and IP Implications of Thailand’s New Trade Competition Act.” In the first part of the webinar, Michelle introduced the webinar and emphasized the importance of IP valuation as the digital economy flourishes. Ploynapa then joined two other speakers to provide insights on the latest trends in IP valuation, highlight trademark valuation matters, and share their knowledge and experience with IP valuation, from both financial and legal perspectives. The webinar gave LES members a better understanding of the actual value of their IP assets and their brands, and facilitated greater connections among Thailand’s IP commercialization community.

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

On November 25, Wiramrudee (Pink) Mokkhavesa, a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ intellectual property group in Bangkok, joined a panel in an ASEAN IPA webinar titled “Online Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights.” Together the panelists discussed the impact of internet-based technologies and possible strategies for tackling infringement in the ASEAN region. Wiramrudee, who represented Thailand, was joined on the panel by speakers from Singapore and Vietnam. The webinar provided an overview of the online counterfeit trade and how it affects all types of businesses, from multinationals to SMEs, and discussed the most relevant current and future online counterfeiting threats. Panelists then exchanged views on approaches to dealing with these emerging online infringement risks to ensure that attendees are prepared to face the latest counterfeiting and infringement trends. The session concluded with a Q&A session and a closing statement by the moderator.

Dr. Vinh Quoc Nguyen, a partner in the firm’s Ho Chi Minh City office,  has been formally recognized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice as a key contributor to the development of the country’s legal profession. In Decision No. 1709/QD/BTP dated November 12, 2021, the Minister of Justice issued commendations to 13 groups and 40 individuals for their “exceptional achievements in the process of implementing and summarizing 10 years of the strategy for developing the lawyer profession and the scheme for developing a team of lawyers to serve international economic integration through the year 2020.” Dr. Vinh, who in addition to his work for Tilleke & Gibbins has served as a lecturer at the Judicial Academy for many years , was one of only 14 private-practice lawyers among the 40 individuals highlighted, the majority of whom are employed by the Ministry of Justice or other government agencies.