On March 29–31, Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution experts offered a three-episode Thai-language webinar series covering key legal information related to white-collar crime. In the first episode, titled “White-Collar Crime: Theft and Forgery,” Kasamesunt Teerasitsathaporn, a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, focused on tools available in Thailand for fighting the most common types of white-collar crime—theft and forgery—including the penalties that can be imposed. The following day, Chusert Supasitthumrong, partner and specialist in labor and employment law, continued with a presentation entitled “Investigating White Collar Crimes,” in which he addressed a wide range of offenses that can occur in a company. He also provided practical guidelines for companies to identify potential internal criminal breaches, and outlined steps the can take to confirm or dismiss the allegations. In the final episode, titled “Prosecuting White Collar Crime,” Suruswadee Jaimsuwan, a counsel in the firm’s dispute resolution department, provided an overview of what employers can do to bring cases against employees who commit financial and economic crimes, and offered a detailed discussion of criminal court proceedings. The recordings of all three sessions (in Thai) are available on the Tilleke & Gibbins YouTube channel.

On March 26, Tilleke & Gibbins and the Thai Listed Companies Association (TLCA) teamed up to offer a Thai-language webinar entitled “Business Rehabilitation: Steps and Procedures after Filing an Application for Debt Repayment.” Alongkorn Tongmee, senior associate; Jamorn Pornponwat, associate; and Nuanchun Somboonvinij, senior associate, jointly presented their insights in the webinar, which aimed to help creditors of Thai companies properly navigate the debt recovery process in Thailand and understand what to expect after filing a debt repayment application. The speakers discussed the following topics: Standard rehabilitation proceedings in Thailand; Classification of creditors in proceedings; and How rehabilitation plans are considered and approved. A full video recording of the webinar (in Thai) is available on the Tilleke & Gibbins YouTube channel.

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.