Practices
Employment

Location
Thailand

Languages
Thai
English

Education

LLM, University of Southampton

LLB, Chulalongkorn University

Pimvimol (June) Vipamaneerut
+66 2056 5588

Biography

Pimvimol (June) Vipamaneerut leads the teams handling non-contentious employment and transportation and logistics matters within Tilleke & Gibbins’ commercial group. Her major areas of practice are employment law and transportation and logistics. June has been recognized for her legal excellence by various publications and is ranked as a leading labor and employment lawyer in Thailand by Chambers Asia-PacificThe Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and Asialaw Leading Lawyers.

June advises clients on various aspects of labor and employment laws, with a focus on labor protection, employment agreements, termination of employment, labor unions, transfers of employment, due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, work rules and regulations, social security, and workmen’s compensation. She represents several major multinational clients ranging from automobile manufacturers, electronics manufacturers, insurance companies, international airlines, petroleum companies, pharmaceutical companies, shipping companies, and telecommunications companies.

In addition to her employment practice, June also advise clients on transportation and logistics matters. Her work in this space includes advising on maritime disputes, carriage of goods by sea, charterparties, cargo recovery, ship arrests, and release of ships. She also advises on ship financing, sale and purchase of ships, ship registration, and ship mortgage. June and her team of attorneys provide pragmatic, detail-oriented, and focused, advice.

For several years, June has been involved in drafting and revising numerous publications on Thai labor and employment law, including those for the World Bank, Lex Mundi, Multilaw, the American Bar Association, and the Centre for International Legal Studies, as well as business-focused articles that have run in such publications as Director Magazine and the Bangkok Post. She also writes legal content for Oxford Business Group and Oxford University Press publications.

A leader in business and law, June is a frequent contributor to various seminars and committees in Thailand and around the region. She is a regular speaker at hrmasia’s annual Asia Employment Law Congress and Tilleke & Gibbins’ Annual Employment Law Forum, and she has also contributed to events organized by the United Nations, the World Bank, the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand, the Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, the Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce, and the Bangkok Shipowners and Agents Association.  June is currently serving a three-year term as Jurisdictional Council Member for Thailand, and Vice-Chair of the Employment & Immigration Law Committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, having formerly sat as Vice-Chair of the Insurance Committee and Chair of the Membership Committee.


Experience
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Represented a multinational supplier and services provider to the petroleum industry in the establishment of their Thailand operations. Our client's goal was to take a regionally flexible approach that would ensure continued growth of the business in the region. We worked closely with our client to develop a strategy allowing for the minimization of tax exposure for the company, while ensuring compliance with applicable employment laws.
  • Assisted a well-known provider of tools and hardware in resolving executive employment issues. This situation was very sensitive, but we managed to provide for an amicable departure without litigation.
  • 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.
  • Acted on behalf of a global supplier of high-pressure cylinders in the establishment of company operations in Thailand. Ramping up to establish a factory in Thailand, the company wished to engage a highly-qualified engineer to handle various tasks related to initial operations and establishing the factory.  We developed a strategy to provide for a strong employment relationship, while providing for the flexibility and accountability necessary for the future.
  • Advised on a full range of employment and labor law issues following a major acquisition of a chain of retail stores. With a focus on employee benefits and rationalization of working conditions, the work also involved standardizing employment forms, policies, and contractual terms for thousands of employees.
  • Advised a large American supplier and manufacturer of semiconductors on employment issues for its Thai subsidiaries arising from flooding. More specifically, this dealt with restructuring employment, outsourcing arrangements, recovery planning as floodwaters receded, and laying off over 1,600 employees.
  • Advised a manufacturer of electronic transactions technology on termination of employment and transitional issues following an acquisition.
  • Represented a publicly traded conglomerate in the shipping liner and shipping energy industries with its interest in developing a strategy on retrenchment of employees in Thailand as a result of shutting down its agency.
  • Represented a reinsurer in negotiating a settlement with a leading Thai bank for property damages incurred during the 2010 riots.