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 18, John Frangos, partner and deputy director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution and litigation group, spoke in an online session for the Practising Law Institute (PLI) titled “Investor-State Dispute Settlement: Strategic Enforcement of Arbitral Awards.” The session was part of a three-day PLI program on international investment law and settlement of disputes between investors and the state. The program was organized to provide an overview of the relevant law and practice in the area of international investment disputes, and to facilitate consideration of dispute resolution mechanisms such as international arbitration proceedings against states under international investment agreements. During the session, John was joined by experts from Europe, the Americas, and Africa and the Middle East. Each outlined strategic enforcement of arbitral awards in their respective region, and shared insights on how enforcement of arbitral awards can bring a conclusion to long-running international investment disputes with state actors. In attendance were attorneys and others investor representatives from around the world who were looking to better understand the process of international arbitration proceedings in investor-state disputes. For more details on the program, please see the PLI website.

On November 18, 2021, John Frangos, partner and deputy director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department, spoke in an online session for the Practising Law Institute (PLI) titled “Investor-State Dispute Settlement: Strategic Enforcement of Arbitral Awards.” The session was part of a three-day PLI program on international investment law and settlement of disputes between investors and the state, organized to provide legal and investment professionals with an overview of the relevant law and practice in the area of international investment disputes, and to facilitate consideration of dispute resolution mechanisms such as international arbitration proceedings against states under international investment agreements. In his session, John was joined by experts from Africa and the Middle East, the Americas, and Europe. Each outlined strategic enforcement of arbitral awards in their respective region, and shared insights on how enforcement of arbitral awards can bring a conclusion to long-running international investment disputes with state actors. In attendance were attorneys and others investor representatives from around the world who were looking to better understand the process of international arbitration proceedings in investor-state disputes. For more details on the program, please visit the PLI website.

On November 12, 2021, Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, a counsel in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department, was invited by the director of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) to become an honorary faculty member of the AIAC Academy for a term of one year. The AIAC recently formed the AIAC Academy to provide wide-ranging skills-based training for alternative dispute resolution (ADR) professionals. The AIAC Academy features certification programs and training courses on arbitration, mediation, adjudication, domain name dispute resolution, and other specialized and emerging ADR procedures. The AIAC Academy faculty is an honorary advisory committee of the AIAC Academy. Its members, consisting of regional specialists from across the ADR spectrum, shape, monitor, and direct the academy’s course offerings as well as its strategic long-term direction. They also rely on their expertise and experience to advise on the academy’s teaching-related policies and procedures, and meet periodically to discuss progress and developments. The AIAC is the key arbitral institute in Malaysia, offering a broad range of comprehensive and holistic ADR services. Known as the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration until 2018, the AIAC has evolved into a hub for ADR, with supporting facilities in one of Kuala Lumpur’s most historic buildings. Please see the AIAC website for more details on the organization and its latest news and announcements.