On August 5, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) named Dutsadee Dutsadeepanich as one of 89 regional representatives worldwide in its Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF). Dutsadee, who will be serving a two-year term, is joining the YAF’s South Asia Regional Chapter as the only representative from Thailand among the chapter’s 16 representatives. The YAF is responsible for the promotion of ICC’s dispute resolution services and development of the organization’s extensive network of members. The forum, which is open to representatives up to age 40, helps young professionals build up their skills and knowledge of alternative dispute resolution such as the ICC’s arbitral procedures and disputes services. The representatives also oversee events that offer young arbitration practitioners in the region the chance to foster connections with one another and learn from experienced practitioners. Dutsadee will officially assume her new role as a representative in the YAF South Asia Regional Chapter in a ceremony at the biennial ICC YAF Global Conference, which will take place virtually on September 29.

On July 29, Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, in collaboration with the Thai Listed Companies Association (TLCA), hosted the second installment of a two-part Thai-language webinar series titled “COVID-19: Business Interruption and Insurance Policy,” which covered perspectives of the insured, insurers, and reinsurers. During the presentation, Thawat Damsa-ard, partner; Anyamani Yimsaard, associate; Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, counsel; Nuanchun Somboonvinij, senior associate; and Suruswadee Jaimsuwan, counsel, jointly discussed legal interpretation of insurance policies, analyzed examples of business interruption policies (including standard clauses such as closure and infection clauses), covered considerations from insurers and reinsurers regarding claim defenses and insurance claims, and provided example cases from other jurisdictions. A full video recording of the webinar is available on the Tilleke & Gibbins YouTube channel.

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.