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.

On August 5, Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh and Peerapong Pornpipatkul of Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group in Bangkok were welcomed as keynote speakers for a session entitled “Legal Unfolded” under the Startup Starter Kit series. Hosted by Global Startup Thailand—an initiative cofounded by Startup Thailand and the National Innovation Agency (NIA)—the Startup Starter Kit series is designed to provide practical business advice to local and international entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on new opportunities in Thailand. During the session, Athistha and Peerapong led attendees through an in-depth look at common legal concerns for startups in Thailand, including extensive discussions on: local laws and legal issues to consider before fundraising; negotiating term sheets, share subscription agreements, and shareholders’ agreements; Thai cybersecurity and data protection laws; and potential exit strategies for entrepreneurs. For more information on the webinar, which was delivered in Thai, please visit the event page.

On June 30, 2021, Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, counsel in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department, gave an online presentation on the role of arbitration in the construction sector—particularly in reference to disputes arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Noppramart’s presentation was part of a webinar titled “Investment Treaty Arbitration in the Construction Sector.” Organized by the Thai Arbitration Institute (TAI) and Thailand’s Court of Justice, the webinar featured insights on navigating disputes that can arise in connection with international construction projects. During the session, legal experts from Europe and Asia discussed how arbitration can help resolve investment claims in the construction sector that may arise after the COVID-19 pandemic, and explained how host states can benefit from arbitration in settling COVID-19-related disputes involving foreign investors in infrastructure or construction projects. The speakers also shared some of their own experiences related to treaty arbitration in the construction industry and pointed out how investors can benefit from treaty protection. Following the success of last year’s TAI-sponsored webinar on construction arbitration, this webinar was very well attended, with over 300 participants joining the virtual event to hear from the speakers, all of whom are experienced arbitration practitioners.

Jay Cohen, partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins in Cambodia, is quoted in a recent Cambodia Investment Review article on the country’s amended Law on Investment. As the article explains, this new law, which replaces an earlier investment law passed in 1994, was approved in a recent meeting of the Council of the Ministers and offers a number of promising incentives, and streamlining some current procedures associated with establishing and operating a business in Cambodia. In the article, Jay notes that the new Law on Investment expands the number of industries eligible to seek investment incentives. He also discusses the law’s tax incentives, explaining that the key to understanding their effect is knowing how they function with other tax regulations in the country. For instance, the profit tax exemption could be largely negated by existing regulations if that profit is paid out in dividends, so this means that the full benefit of the exemption can only be received if the profits are kept in the business itself. Cambodia Investment Review is a local English-language news outlet reporting on issues related to investment in Cambodia, with articles intended for both local and international readers. The full article is available on the publication’s website.