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Employment

Employment

Key Contacts

Cambodia

Laos

Myanmar

Thailand

Vietnam

Jay Cohen

     +855 23 964 210

     [email protected]

Prisna Sungwanna

     +66 2056 5656

     [email protected]

Yuwadee Thean-ngarm

     +95 9 772 440 002

     [email protected]

Chusert Supasitthumrong

     +66 2056 5793

     [email protected]

Pimvimol (June) Vipamaneerut

     +66 2056 5588

     [email protected]

Kien Trung Trinh

     +84 24 3772 5567

     [email protected]

OVERVIEW

We help you get the most from your best and brightest.

Business conditions, labor sentiment, and new opportunities evolve swiftly in the growing economies of Southeast Asia. Tilleke & Gibbins’ first goal is to help employers formulate long-term, yet flexible, strategies on conditions of employment, labor-management relations, and other critical employment issues. When conflict cannot be avoided, we assist our clients with employment claims in court.

We combine the strength of our dispute resolution and litigation team with the expertise of our employment attorneys to offer the following services:

  • Strategic Employment Advice.   Conditions of employment, work rules and regulations, employment agreements, benefit plans, executive compensation, labor protection, workers’ compensation, social security, provident funds, and safety issues.
  • Commercial Transactions.   Issues related to labor expansion, contraction, and integration due to mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring.
  • Labor-Management Relations.   Conflicts in the workplace, strike management and control, lockouts, and labor demands.
  • Immigration.   Work permits, visas, and permanent residence permits.
  • Employment and Labor Litigation.   Enforcement of restrictive covenants related to competition and trade secrets, termination of employment claims, and sexual harassment claims.
Case Studies
Thailand | Employment

Supreme Court Overrules THB 1.5 Million Unfair Termination Judgement

Represented a global clothing company in appeals before the Supreme Court in two related wrongful termination claims. As a result of our representation, the Supreme Court overruled the Labor Court’s judgement, saving our client's employer reputation and THB 1.5 million in damage awards.

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Experience

  • Assisted a client in its global restructuring, which required a reduction in the headcount of its Thai operations. The client sought our expertise in reducing the number of employees, while avoiding the potential for litigation relating to unfair termination. We crafted a multi-tiered solution involving voluntary resignation packages that employees would happily accept. As part of this solution, we advised the client on strategies for communicating with its employees regarding the restructuring. Ultimately, the client met its goal in headcount reduction and continues to operate in Thailand.
  • Developed a restructuring strategy to effect proportionate employee terminations at the intermediate management level for a  multinational financial services company. The restructuring would also give greater responsibility to senior managers. This created the dual objectives of (1) negotiating fair severance packages for intermediate-level management personnel in the face of strict labor laws and (2) imposing greater work requirements on senior-level managers without incurring claims of effective termination. We were successful in implementing the changes without any employee objection, and today our client’s employee culture is much improved.
  • Negotiated a favorable settlement of a highly contested termination of a company director involving our client, the director, and the company of the spouse of the director. The dispute included two criminal cases and two civil cases (one of which involved a claim of THB 20,000,000). We successfully gathered evidence of the director’s misconduct and leveraged that evidence to secure a favorable settlement for our client.
  • Prevailed in a highly publicized termination case wherein the client sought court permission to terminate the president of a labor union based on her television appearance while wearing a controversial T-shirt. The president maintained that she had given such interview on her own time and that her actions were protected by the Constitution. Although she was supported by many NGOs, the court ruled in favor of our client.
  • Defended a leading apparel company in a THB 50,000,000 labor claim and in a criminal case brought against the client’s director. We prevailed in both claims brought by the client’s former HR manager.
  • Advised a global telecommunications company on various labor and employment matters. Among them, we helped this client to rationalize a broad range of global employment policies. In addition, we consulted on the many issues inherent to multi-jurisdictional expatriate employment matters.
  • Concluded a case involving an employee safety allegation by a governmental authority against a multinational corporation.
  • Planned the layoff of approximately 1,000 persons and created a multifaceted strategy to manage the response of the employees and the labor union. The labor union mounted a strong challenge to our client’s activities. Nonetheless, we successfully responded to the opposition and completed the downsizing of the company without any employee claim.
  • Represented a manufacturer in negotiations with a labor union on strike. We successfully negotiated the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and, thus, expedited the conclusion of the strike. In the CBA, we secured favorable terms for our client and the return of certain management rights.
  • Advised a leading high-tech company on HR matters, including drafting labor contracts, registering new staff members, preparing documents for employment termination, and registering staff resignations.
  • Prevailed in a labor dispute wherein a managerial-level employee claimed that he had been wrongfully terminated and sought severance and other monetary entitlements. Representing the employer, we proved that the employee had in fact resigned from the company.
  • Planned and executed the layoff of 1,900 employees. Thereafter, 279 of the affected employees submitted claims against the client in the total amount of THB 300,000,000. We successfully proved that our client had cause to terminate its employees and that such was done fully within applicable Thai law, resulting in judgment in our client’s favor. This was a high-stakes matter because, if we had lost the labor cases, the approximately 1,600 additional employees would have filed claims totaling approximately THB 2,000,000,000. We also act as ongoing labor compliance counsel.
  • Obtained a favorable judgment for the Thai affiliate of a leading animal health company in a case filed against a group of former executives who left to work for our client’s chief competitor. We secured this successful result even though there is still debate among Thai legal scholars as to whether noncompetition clauses are fair to employees.
  • Advised a multinational computer components manufacturer in Vietnam on the labor and workforce implications of its acquisition of a key supplier’s manufacturing facilities.
  • Consulted an international logistics services company in Vietnam on employee transfer and retention issues arising from the acquisition of its logistics services subsidiary.
  • Advised, negotiated, and successfully concluded several executive separations for numerous top-tier companies in Vietnam.

PROFESSIONALS

RELATED INSIGHTS

March 31, 2026
On December 10, 2025, the National Assembly of Vietnam adopted Law on Vocational Education No. 124/2025/QH15, which took effect on January 1, 2026, replacing Law on Vocational Education No. 74/2014/QH13 of 2014. The new law broadens the categories of institutions eligible to deliver vocational training, introduces vocational upper secondary schools, and shifts governance structures for private institutions from ownership-representative boards of management to stakeholder-based school councils. These reforms aim to diversify training providers, align programs with labor market needs, and create a more flexible, open vocational education ecosystem, offering expanded opportunities for foreign and domestic investors, universities, and enterprises. Some highlights of the new Law on Vocational Education are presented below. Expansion of Vocational Training Levels and Programs In addition to elementary, intermediate, and college—the three levels of vocational training program set out under the 2014 Law on Vocational Education—the new law expands the structure by introducing two new levels: Vocational high school training programs are placed between elementary and intermediate levels, and are aimed at combining upper secondary education with vocational training, expanding options for learners after graduating from the lower secondary level. Other vocational training programs are not specified in detail under the new law, but aim to equip learners with the capability to perform and handle one or several simple tasks of an occupation. Expansion of Vocational Education Providers The new law reclassifies and extends vocational education providers by classifying them into two distinct categories: Vocational education institutions, which include colleges, intermediate schools, and vocational high schools. Establishments participating in vocational education activities, which include vocational education centers, vocational-continuing education centers, continuing education centers, other centers with vocational education functions, enterprises, cooperatives, and higher education institutions. Vocational education providers may provide one vocational training level only, or several/all levels, depending on the type of provider. The
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January 16, 2026
Employment law specialists from Tilleke & Gibbins in Vietnam have contributed the Vietnam chapter to the Guide to Restructuring a Cross-Border Workforce from International Employment Lawyer. This comprehensive global guide, covering 50 jurisdictions worldwide, addresses the complex issue of workplace restructurings, with a particular focus on the needs of multinational companies. The Vietnam chapter was authored by partner Kien Trung Trinh, counsel Sarah Galeski, and associates Dung Thi Phuong Le and Nguyen Thi Huong Nguyen. The Q&A-style chapter provides in-depth analysis of key areas related to workplace restructuring, including: Reduction in workforce; Restructuring or reorganization of the business; Changing terms and conditions; and Areas to watch. A PDF of the Vietnam chapter can be downloaded through the button below. Tilleke & Gibbins also contributed the Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand chapters to the Guide to Restructuring a Cross-Border Workforce 2026. To browse the full guide for all 45 jurisdictions, please visit the International Employment Lawyer website.
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January 16, 2026
Employment law specialists from Tilleke & Gibbins’ office in Bangkok have contributed the Thailand chapter to the Guide to Restructuring a Cross-Border Workforce from International Employment Lawyer. This comprehensive global guide, covering 50 jurisdictions worldwide, addresses the complex issue of workplace restructurings, with a particular focus on the needs of multinational companies. The Thailand chapter was authored by Pimvimol (June) Vipamaneerut, Chusert Supasitthumrong, Dusita Khanijou, and Chomanut Arif. The Q&A-style chapter provides in-depth analysis of key areas related to workplace restructuring, including: Reduction in workforce; Restructuring or reorganization of the business; Changing terms and conditions; and Areas to watch. A PDF of the Thailand chapter can be downloaded through the button below. Tilleke & Gibbins also contributed the Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam chapters to the Guide to Restructuring a Cross-Border Workforce 2026. To browse the full guide for all 45 jurisdictions, please visit the International Employment Lawyer website.
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January 16, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins’ office in Yangon has contributed the Myanmar chapter to the Guide to Restructuring a Cross-Border Workforce from International Employment Lawyer. This comprehensive global guide, covering 50 jurisdictions worldwide, addresses the complex issue of workplace restructurings, with a particular focus on the needs of multinational companies. The Myanmar chapter was prepared by Kyaw Min Tun, an associate in the firm’s Myanmar office. The Q&A-style chapter provides in-depth analysis of key areas related to workplace restructuring, including: Reduction in workforce; Restructuring or reorganization of the business; Changing terms and conditions; and Areas to watch. A PDF of the Myanmar chapter can be downloaded through the button below. Tilleke & Gibbins also contributed the Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam chapters to the Guide to Restructuring a Cross-Border Workforce 2026. To browse the full guide for all 45 jurisdictions, please visit the International Employment Lawyer website.
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AWARDS & RANKINGS
January 15, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has demonstrated continued excellence across all six jurisdictions where the firm operates in the 2026 edition of the Legal 500 Asia-Pacific rankings. The recently released rankings showcase the firm’s outstanding performance with 29 practice area recognitions and 34 individual rankings—an increase from 30 individual recognitions in 2025.
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December 17, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce that Jay Cohen and John Frangos have been recognized in the Lexology Index: Client Choice 2026 report as two of the world’s leading practitioners in their respective fields. Jay Cohen is recognized for his work in franchising, while John Frangos is cited for outstanding work in investigations. The Client Choice awards highlight lawyers who stand out for excellence in client care and the quality of their service. Established in 2005, Client Choice is distinctive in that winners are selected solely based on nominations from corporate counsel. Only one lawyer per practice area is recognized in each jurisdiction. This recognition reflects sustained commitment that Jay and John have shown to delivering practical, client-focused advice and achieving strong outcomes across complex and often sensitive matters. The full Lexology Index: Client Choice 2026 results are available on the Lexology website.
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December 12, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins has maintained its strong market position in the newly released Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026 rankings, with six Band 1 honors in core practices and consistently strong performance across the entire region. In addition to the exceptional practice-area rankings, 33 lawyers were recognized across 11 practice areas.
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December 1, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce that the firm has been honored with two awards at the 2025 Lexology Index Awards in London, this time picking up both the Thailand and Vietnam Country Awards. Formerly known as the Who’s Who Legal Awards, the Lexology Index Awards celebrate outstanding achievements by firms and individuals identified through Lexology’s extensive global research process. Tilleke & Gibbins’ continued success in this forum reflects the exceptional expertise and dedication of its team, whose commitment to delivering the highest caliber of legal services continues to set a benchmark in the industry. The firm extends its gratitude to its talented professionals and valued clients for their continued trust and support. A full list of the winners of the 2025 Lexology Index Awards is available on the Lexology website.
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