On September 14, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins in Laos, spoke in a webinar titled “Starting a Business in Laos.” The webinar, which was hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Laos (ECCIL), featured four business and legal experts sharing insights on how entrepreneurs, investors, and multinationals can set up a company and obtain work permits in Laos. In his presentation, Dino focused on the legal framework for business establishment in Laos and offered some practical tips on how the process is conducted locally. Together, the speakers highlighted the significant opportunity available to business operations in Laos, and discussed the competitive advantages and challenges of carrying out business activities in the jurisdiction. They also discussed taxation and financial best practices, such as opening a corporate bank account. The well-attended webinar attracted many entrepreneurs, investors, executives, and others interested in potentially setting up business operations in Laos.

On August 5, Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh and Peerapong Pornpipatkul of Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group in Bangkok were welcomed as keynote speakers for a session entitled “Legal Unfolded” under the Startup Starter Kit series. Hosted by Global Startup Thailand—an initiative cofounded by Startup Thailand and the National Innovation Agency (NIA)—the Startup Starter Kit series is designed to provide practical business advice to local and international entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on new opportunities in Thailand. During the session, Athistha and Peerapong led attendees through an in-depth look at common legal concerns for startups in Thailand, including extensive discussions on: local laws and legal issues to consider before fundraising; negotiating term sheets, share subscription agreements, and shareholders’ agreements; Thai cybersecurity and data protection laws; and potential exit strategies for entrepreneurs. For more information on the webinar, which was delivered in Thai, please visit the event page.

Jay Cohen, partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins in Cambodia, is quoted in a recent Cambodia Investment Review article on the country’s amended Law on Investment. As the article explains, this new law, which replaces an earlier investment law passed in 1994, was approved in a recent meeting of the Council of the Ministers and offers a number of promising incentives, and streamlining some current procedures associated with establishing and operating a business in Cambodia. In the article, Jay notes that the new Law on Investment expands the number of industries eligible to seek investment incentives. He also discusses the law’s tax incentives, explaining that the key to understanding their effect is knowing how they function with other tax regulations in the country. For instance, the profit tax exemption could be largely negated by existing regulations if that profit is paid out in dividends, so this means that the full benefit of the exemption can only be received if the profits are kept in the business itself. Cambodia Investment Review is a local English-language news outlet reporting on issues related to investment in Cambodia, with articles intended for both local and international readers. The full article is available on the publication’s website.

Eric Meyer, a foreign consultant in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department, was profiled in the latest issue of Thai-American Business (T-AB), the quarterly magazine of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM). As co-chair of the AMCHAM Legal Committee, Eric is extremely active in the American business community in Thailand. He applies his unique combination of legal expertise and practical awareness of business concerns in Thailand to identify topics and organize events that are interesting and relevant to a broad range of people. In the T-AB profile, Eric recounts how he came to be involved in AMCHAM after joining Tilleke & Gibbins four years ago, and notes that participation in the group has been an excellent way to stay current with the business community and build connections with professionals across various industries. In response to a question on the outlook for ease of doing business in Thailand, Eric sounded a hopeful note, explaining that the country’s strides in the areas of streamlining and digitizing various aspects of doing business should be able to continue after COVID-19, which has actually hastened digitization in several legal areas that had previously been slower to adapt to recent technological advances. Eric now looks forward to continuing to provide important leadership to the AMCHAM Legal Committee as the country and its business community seek to overcome the persistent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and move toward a sustainable economic recovery.