Attorney Waewpen Piemwichai, a key member of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Technology Industry Group, was recently quoted by MLex in an article on Vietnam’s draft personal data protection decree. The draft decree, which, as Waewpen noted, “appears to create barriers that may impede the promotion and development of the digital economy in Vietnam,” has been a topic of much discussion in recent weeks in the business community. The MLex story examines the potential impact on businesses in Vietnam if the draft decree is issued in its current form. Among the various challenges, Waewpen mentioned the data localization requirement implied by the draft decree’s Article 21, which requires that, for the transfer of data, “in addition to obtaining prior approval from the Personal Data Protection Commission for the transfer, the data transferor must also retain the original data in Vietnam and build a system to store data transfer history [containing the type of information required by law] for three years.” The article is available in full on the MLex website (login required).

On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military declared a state of emergency in the country and took control of the government, arresting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other senior government officials from the National League for Democracy. The seizure of power, and the government’s subsequent actions to suppress public protest and dissent, have received widespread international condemnation.  The USA, Canada, and the UK have reacted by imposing economic sanctions on certain companies and individuals, and more sanctions are expected as the situation in Myanmar evolves. These sanctions pose a major concern for foreign investors with interests in Myanmar—concern which is exacerbated by the lack of clarity about the current situation on the ground. To address these issues, Lex Mundi is bringing together leading legal authorities on the topic from Myanmar, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom for a special webinar on March 23, 2021. The speakers, which include Tilleke & Gibbins counsel Ross Taylor, will discuss the situation on the ground in Myanmar; how the sanctions imposed this time differ from previous restrictions on Myanmar under earlier regimes; the impact of the sanctions imposed by each country; and the practical impact of sanctions on companies with operations in or relating to Myanmar. The session will be followed by a Q&A with all speakers, where attendees will be able to address any specific queries they might have. For more details and to register for this free webinar, please visit the event information page.

Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce the addition of Sarah Galeski to the firm’s corporate and commercial team in Ho Chi Minh City, in the role of counsel. With over 12 years of professional legal experience, including almost eight in Vietnam, Sarah focuses primarily on matters of employment and labor law, as well as compliance and dispute resolution. Sarah was previously the associate director of KPMG Legal in Ho Chi Minh City, and an associate with Baker & McKenzie. A native of Canada, where she is a licensed barrister and solicitor, Sarah began her legal career with Fraser Milner Casgrain in Vancouver (now Dentons Canada) before moving to Vietnam. In Vietnam, Sarah has been actively involved with the European Chamber of Commerce, serving terms as Co-Chair of the Human Resources & Training Sector Committee and as a member of EuroCham’s Executive Committee.

On February 26, 2021, Yuwadee Thean-ngarm was the moderator for a finance- and technology-focused online discussion on the current situation in Myanmar, organized by the Thai Business Association (TBAM). She was joined by three distinguished panelists: Chana Sindhvananda, minister counsellor from the Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon; Nuttaphong Visitkitchakarn, chief representative from Kasikornbank PCL’s Yangon office; and Passakorn Hongsyok, general manager of Myanmar Information Highway Ltd. Together, they discussed how banking and finance operations, technology and social media usage, and Thai citizens’ daily lives are faring during the current political turmoil in the country. The Thai-language event, which was streamed live on Facebook, provided valuable practical business insights that have been difficult to find amid the intense interest and speculation on political developments since the military took power in February 2021. The speakers’ insights included detailed information on how banking activities are functioning during this time, the various government orders causing fluctuations in the availability of internet and social media services, and how the Thai government is caring for its citizens in Myanmar and keeping abreast of the situation. The recording of the discussion is available on the TBAM website.