On September 22, employment law specialists from Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok held a seminar to address current issues relating to employment regulations in Thailand for companies at Gemopolis Industrial Estate in eastern Bangkok. The presentations were on two main topics—employment conditions and termination of employment. Chusert Supasitthumrong, partner and director of the firm’s dispute resolution department, led the first presentation. In the session, Chusert gave an overview of employment conditions and agreements, discussed strikes and lockouts, noted some illustrative case studies, and provided practical advice on how companies can alter their employees’ contracts in compliance with Thai law. The second installment of the seminar was delivered by Piyawat Vitooraporn, an associate from the dispute resolution department. He explained for attendees the key considerations in termination of employment, including procedures, consequences, and causes of unfair termination.

On September 28, Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group in Bangkok hosted a hybrid seminar entitled “Complex Commercial Litigation,” comprising three main topics—solutions for delay and disruption claims in construction disputes, product liability, and insurer liability in policies relating to product liability and construction. The sessions were presented in Thai language and were moderated by associate Jamorn Pornponwat. In the first presentation, Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, counsel, walked attendees through causes of delay and disruption in construction, went over notable case studies, shared practical tips for making a successful claim, and covered claims under delay and disruption. In the second session, Chusert Supasitthumrong, partner and director of the dispute resolution department, addressed product liability issues. In his presentation, Chusert covered topics such as liability of entrepreneurs, burden of proof, liability and exceptions, disclaimer agreements between consumers and entrepreneurs, representatives of damaged parties, damages, and prescription periods. He also explained some of the legal procedures and steps that accused parties can take to settle a case successfully. In the final presentation, Pongpalin Chantrapirom, associate, covered insurer liability. Pongpalin addressed notable characteristics of insurer liability in insurance policies for product liability and construction. He also raised some illustrative case studies and examples of relevant court judgments.

Charuwan Charoonchitsathian, a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group in Bangkok, was featured in a recent Asian Legal Business article on M&A trends and how firms are adapting their transactional legal work to embrace new technologies. The interview was part of their September 2022 issue, in which the magazine announced their annual Asia M&A rankings. Charuwan represented Tilleke & Gibbins (which received rankings in both Thailand and Vietnam) to offer insight into how the firm has seen various new technologies gain prominence in the M&A space in Southeast Asia. She noted that companies around the world are getting more deeply involved in technological approaches such as DeFi, blockchain, and various other Web3 innovations. She also explained why it is important for lawyers to understand these technologies in order to provide relevant and effective legal services to facilitate deals between companies in these sectors. She raised the example of Tilleke & Gibbins, which has a “dedicated technology practice group which brings together commercial, IP, and disputes lawyers who each have extensive knowledge and expertise in these emerging business areas. Our experts provide regulatory advice and analysis on how the governments in our jurisdictions will regulate Web3 technologies – not just how they are doing so now, but how they are likely to do so in future – to help future-proof transactions with a substantial technology element.” Asian Legal Business, owned by Thomson Reuters, is a leading source of information for businesses and professionals active in the region. To see Charuwan’s full comments, please see the September issue of Asian Legal Business.

On July 27, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ office in Laos, spoke at a breakfast talk on intellectual property law. The breakfast talk, which was held in a hybrid format to accommodate remote attendees, was organized in collaboration with Department of Intellectual Property, the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Laos (ECCIL), and the South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk. Dino was joined by the director of the Department of Intellectual Property in Laos, who discussed the benefits of trademark registration, principles and functions of a geographical indication. Dino then highlighted current enforcement measures as well as the importance of registered trademarks for international and Lao companies to ensure that brands are well-aware of their rights and protections under the law. The ECCIL promotes the interests of the European business community in Laos and serves its members by organizing events and networking opportunities and assisting European companies with market entry into Laos. For more details, please see the ECCIL website.