On March 22, John Frangos, partner and deputy director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, together with aviation lawyers and bankruptcy specialists on the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Aerospace Council and Legal Committee, presented a webinar entitled “Bankruptcy Issues in the Aviation Industry.” In the session, John discussed airline bankruptcy, addressed debtor and creditor rights in Thai bankruptcy reorganization proceedings, explained how other aviation industry stakeholders have fared in Thai bankruptcy reorganization proceedings, and offered a comparative look at how other countries handle airline bankruptcies. As co-head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ dedicated aviation practice, John is well versed in the procedural and technical issues surrounding aviation-related disputes in Thailand, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. He is frequently sought out by foreign and domestic media to comment on high-profile aviation disputes.

Kobkit Thienpreecha, partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial department, was quoted by Asian Legal Business (ALB) in a recent article looking at the trade competition regulatory regime in Thailand. This legal landscape has undergone significant changes in recent years, with developments such as an amended Trade Competition Act coming into force in 2017 and merger control requirements being implemented in December 2018. The article includes Kobkit’s insights on all of these issues, commenting especially on how businesses—and legal professionals—are adjusting to the new measures. He also addressed the introduction of sector-specific guidelines covering modern trade, franchising arrangements, fruit trading, and food delivery, and cautioned that more industry-specific rules are likely to follow. Similarly, Kobkit explained that Thailand’s Trade Competition Commission has been active in providing “stimulus initiatives for SMEs and operators in the agricultural sector—two cornerstones of Thailand’s economy—both to provide COVID-19 relief and to protect from unfair trade practices of large firms with superior bargaining power.” ALB, which is owned by Thomson Reuters, provides news and analysis covering regulatory, commercial, and legal developments across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, in addition to a selection of awards and networking activities for the legal industry. To read the full article, please visit the ALB website.

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.