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.

Doing business in the emerging markets of Southeast Asia can often be frustrated by seemingly loose protections afforded to intellectual property (IP) rights, and the proliferation of counterfeit goods. In response to this, the governments of Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar have taken great steps in recent years to protect these valuable commercial assets, strengthen IP laws, and build robust legal regimes for the registration, protection, and enforcement of IP rights. Although these legal frameworks are still developing, the current measures available are sufficient for many savvy companies to register and protect their IP rights and prevent the spread of harmful counterfeit products. To help companies navigate these measures, Tilleke & Gibbins’ IP team, in collaboration with the Australian Chambers of Commerce in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, will be hosting a webinar entitled, “Intellectual Property in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar” on Tuesday, February 02, starting at 10:00 a.m. (ICT) / 9:30 a.m. (MMT). This webinar will form part of a broader Legal Webinar Series on key legal topics for businesses that will take place throughout 2021. Chandavya Ing andDavid Mol, Advisors in Tilleke & Gibbins’ Cambodia office; Dino Santaniello, Head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Laos Office; and Yuwadee Thean–ngarm, Director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Myanmar office, will present an overview of the IP laws of Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, identify the measures available to companies seeking to protect their trademarks and other IP assets, and discuss some real-world case studies of successful IP enforcement in the region. The session will also include a Q&A session, where attendees will be able to put their questions to Tilleke & Gibbins’ IP teams in Phnom Penh, Vientiane, and Yangon. To register for this free-to-attend event, please complete this registration form. Should you have any queries, please email [email protected].

The U.S. Congress recently passed legislation banning the importation of products which use forced or indentured labor. Certain U.S. states, including California, have legislation which instead focuses on supply chain transparency and disclosures on the use of forced and indentured labor for imported goods. Major class-action lawsuits against distributors have arisen over failures to make these disclosures.