Andrew Stoutley, chief operating officer of Tilleke & Gibbins, provided a lengthy quote to Asian Legal Business (ALB) for a recent feature on how law firms in Southeast Asia are increasingly using data analytics and information to drive their business strategy. The article featured contributions from a number of partners and executives from firms across Southeast Asia on the different ways that their firms are applying data to their operations and incorporating information and analytics into their strategic decision-making processes. In his contribution, Andrew explained that as technology has become central to virtually all operations at Tilleke & Gibbins, metrics and data have been harnessed to inform decisions at all levels. To illustrate this, he gave the example of a broad strategic planning process that the firm has undertaken to lay out strategy for the coming years. Identifying and gathering key quantitative and qualitative data points was crucial to the process, which considers every element of the firm’s planned operations for the next several years. Andrew went on to discuss the importance of determining how best to share the data with the relevant stakeholders, such as through visualizations or dashboards that allow staff to monitor the progress of operations. The other informants for the article reported a similar uptick in reliance on data—such as in competitive intelligence, billing, and matter management—and emphasized the necessity for firms to recognize the value of data as a resource that must be protected and used wisely. The full article is available on page 4 of the September 2021 issue of ALB.

On September 10, Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, a counsel in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group in Bangkok, participated in a session on the Ashton Asoke condominium dispute, hosted by YTHAC, the young members group of the Thailand Arbitration Center. The discussion was held on the Clubhouse platform and focused on the long-running dispute over the Ashton Asoke luxury high-rise condominium, which has recently returned to the spotlight after a Central Administrative Court ruling on July 30, 2021, revoked the condominium’s construction permit and other related governmental authorizations. As the condominium has already been completed and is occupied by residents, the stakes of the dispute are very high. The speakers in the YTHAC session addressed the role of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the Ashton Asoke dispute, and explained how ADR practices such as arbitration can potentially lead to a solution to the impasse.

On September 9, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins in Laos, will speak in a construction and real estate webinar hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Laos (ECCIL). In the webinar, which will feature expert speakers from the legal and real estate industries, Dino will focus on the legal and regulatory environment regarding land ownership, commercial investment in Laos, real estate due diligence, and other real estate project-related activities. Dino and his fellow speakers will provide entrepreneurs, investors, project managers, and other interested parties with key insights on real estate and construction in Laos, as well as an understanding of the new Law on Land and related investment opportunities in the country. For more details and registration information, please visit the ECCIL website.

On September 7, 2021, Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, counsel in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, will be a panelist in a webinar about how alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods such as arbitration function in relation to bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. Titled “The Interplay between Insolvency Proceedings and International Arbitration,” the webinar is jointly sponsored by the Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) as part of the THAC International ADR Webinar Series and Thailand ADR Week 2021. Joining Noppramart on the panel will be arbitration experts and professionals from Thailand and abroad. Together they will discuss the conflicts that frequently arise between international arbitration and insolvency law, as arbitration typically seeks to uphold agreements to settle disputes exclusively through arbitration regardless of the position of the contracting parties, while insolvency law aims to distribute the assets of the insolvent party between all creditors through a centralized process. The panelists will address how this tension plays out across the world, giving attendees a view of the experiences of arbitration practitioners from different jurisdictions and the challenges they have faced in relation to insolvency proceedings. The webinar is free to attend and will be held from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ICT (UTC+7). For more details, please see the event registration page.