On September 14, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins in Laos, spoke in a webinar titled “Starting a Business in Laos.” The webinar, which was hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Laos (ECCIL), featured four business and legal experts sharing insights on how entrepreneurs, investors, and multinationals can set up a company and obtain work permits in Laos. In his presentation, Dino focused on the legal framework for business establishment in Laos and offered some practical tips on how the process is conducted locally. Together, the speakers highlighted the significant opportunity available to business operations in Laos, and discussed the competitive advantages and challenges of carrying out business activities in the jurisdiction. They also discussed taxation and financial best practices, such as opening a corporate bank account. The well-attended webinar attracted many entrepreneurs, investors, executives, and others interested in potentially setting up business operations in Laos.

On September 9, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins in Laos, will speak in a construction and real estate webinar hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Laos (ECCIL). In the webinar, which will feature expert speakers from the legal and real estate industries, Dino will focus on the legal and regulatory environment regarding land ownership, commercial investment in Laos, real estate due diligence, and other real estate project-related activities. Dino and his fellow speakers will provide entrepreneurs, investors, project managers, and other interested parties with key insights on real estate and construction in Laos, as well as an understanding of the new Law on Land and related investment opportunities in the country. For more details and registration information, please visit the ECCIL website.

Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution team members delivered a three-day Thai-language webinar series from August 24 to 26, focusing primarily on complex civil litigation in the construction sector. Pathanin Sornchangwat, associate, and Suruswadee Jaimsuwan, counsel, presented the first session titled “Lawyers and a Solution to Construction Business and Contracts.” During the event, they discussed common problems in the construction sector, provided practical advice on how companies can examine contracts to prevent unexpected complications, and addressed the role of lawyers in settling disputes. On the next day, Chusert Supasitthumrong, partner, and Pongpalin Chantrapirom, associate, discussed termination of business contracts. Chusert first explained principles of termination, including cause, methods, results, damages, and key issues businesses should be aware of. Pongpalin then addressed bases for termination of a logistics contract, pointed out particularly notable elements of a contract, highlighted key differences between contract types, and shared precedent cases from the Supreme Court. In the final webinar, Dutsadee Dutsadeepanich, associate, and Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, counsel, discussed issues related to permit withdrawal—informed by previous condominium cases. They noted some consequences of the action, and shared  legal defenses that condominium project owners might use when facing such an obstacle. They also shared their insights on the ongoing case regarding a recent court ruling on the construction permit of Ananda Development’s Ashton Asoke condominium project. Video recordings of all three sessions (in Thai) are available to watch on the Tilleke & Gibbins YouTube channel.

On August 16, Tilleke & Gibbins collaborated with the Thai Listed Companies Association (TLCA) to organize a Thai-language webinar titled, “Temporary Business Shutdown during the COVID-19 Outbreak” to assist business that have opted to temporarily shut down in order to alleviate financial difficulties due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand In this webinar, Chusert Supasitthumrong, partner, and Piyawat Vitooraporn, associate, both in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, discussed the criteria for temporary business shutdown under section 75 of the Labor Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), addressed employers’ right to government subsidies, and offered suggestions to business owners about how they can benefit from various relief measures. A video recording of the webinar (in Thai) is available on the Tilleke & Gibbins YouTube channel.