Dr. Ross Taylor, head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional financial services industry group and counsel in the firm’s corporate and commercial team in Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, provided the basis for a recent article by OneTrust DataGuidance on certain legislative changes in Myanmar since the military’s seizure of power in the country on February 1, 2021. Specifically, Ross described changes to the country’s laws governing privacy and security, as well as legislation on electronic transactions. The Supreme Administrative Council, the highest executive authority in Myanmar’s military government, made amendments that allow the government to conduct surveillance and investigations in a range of situations, while also eliminating certain safeguards of individual privacy and widening the state’s ability to obtain personal data from private operators. A versatile foreign consultant who provides legal guidance across multiple jurisdictions in Southeast Asia, Ross has extensive experience in Myanmar advising local and international companies on banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, energy and infrastructure projects, real estate, regulatory compliance, and other corporate legal matters. For more details, please see the full article on the OneTrust DataGuidance website.

On May 20, Tilleke & Gibbins collaborated with Clyde & Co to offer a webinar entitled “Data Protection Updates and Data Breach Lessons in Asia Pacific.” During the session, partner Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh shared an overview of Thailand’s upcoming Personal Data Protection Act and related data breach requirements. She also detailed the responsibilities of data controllers, key compliance requirements for handling personal data, and cross-border transfer restrictions according to Thai legislation. Following this Thailand-themed presentation, Giang Thi Huong Tran, a consultant in the firm’s corporate and commercial team in Hanoi, gave the latest updates on pending personal data protection legislation in Vietnam. In her part of the webinar, she outlined key issues of Vietnam’s draft decree, pointed out notable changes and concerns regarding the upcoming regulations, and provided practical guidelines for adapting to the expected changes.

On May 13, Charuwan Charoonchitsathian and Nopparat Lalitkomon, attorneys in Tilleke & Gibbins’ Bangkok office, presented a webinar entitled “How e-signatures can streamline Thai business operations,” in collaboration with True Digital Park—one of Southeast Asia’ largest tech hubs. During the hour-long online session, Charuwan and Nopparat discussed the increased acceptance and use of e-signatures in Thailand over the past few years, provided an overview of the local regulatory framework applicable to e-signatures that business operators must comply with, and explored how companies in Thailand can use e-signatures to streamline interactions with their customers, suppliers, and other contractual counterparties. A recording of the webinar, which was presented in Thai, is available on Tilleke & Gibbins’ YouTube channel.

On May 13, 2021, Peeyakorn Suparugbundit, an attorney-at-law in Tilleke & Gibbins’ intellectual property group, will speak at an upcoming Pint of Science Thailand event to provide a legal perspective on scientific achievements and advancement today. Her presentation will explain how researchers and organizations can protect their important cutting-edge discoveries and ensure they are able to benefit from and apply their scientific developments. Peeyakorn will draw especially on her deep experience advising clients—many of whom are in the life sciences industry—on patent applications, management of patent portfolios, and patent enforcement matters. Peeyakorn will be joined by several scientists and researchers presenting on a diverse range of timely scientific topics, such as a study on the use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, an explanation of bacterial contagion and evolution, the importance of testing clinical advances through randomized controlled trials, and a look at the causes and impact of the annual “smoky season” in Chiang Mai. Pint of Science Thailand is an annual festival that brings interesting and relevant scientific talks to the public in an accessible and fun format. This year’s festival consists of multiple virtual events; the one on May 13 is being hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand and can be viewed live online with free registration. For more information and to register, please visit the Pint of Science Thailand website.