Over the past several months, the Lao government has been introducing a number of measures aimed at promoting foreign investment, from implementing Notification No. 2633/Cabinet/MOIC to abolish minimum registered capital requirements for certain foreign investors, to enacting the new Law on Investment Promotion No.

Multilaw has launched the 2018 edition of its Global Real Estate Guide, including chapters for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam provided by Tilleke & Gibbins.

Attorneys from Tilleke & Gibbins have written the Vietnam chapter for Getting the Deal Through – Licensing 2008, a comparative guide to licensing law and practice in 23 countries around the world. This is the first year the book has included a chapter on Vietnam. Tilleke & Gibbins also provided the chapter for Thailand.

Getting the Deal Through – Licensing 2018,  published by Law Business Research, provides a comprehensive guide to licensing in more than 20 countries in Asia, Europe, and the US with contributions by several leading international law firms.

Myanmar’s Trademark Bill is currently being considered by the Lower House of the Myanmar Parliament. Pending the enactment of the bill into law, trademark owners who plan to file applications under the new framework can begin their preparatory work by collating the necessary filing information and documents.While the exact mechanics of trademark applications, official forms, and execution modalities of application documents are not yet known, Chapter 7 of the Trademark Bill does stipulate the information and documents required for filing trademark applications.

In January 2018, the government called for the fourth public hearing of the draft Personal Data Protection Act. There were no substantial changes in this draft as compared to the prior version published in March 2015, although minor changes were made. This article reviews some of the key provisions in the latest draft bill, noting where changes have been made from the previous draft.§5: Definition of “Personal Data” – unchanged

A new Penal Code (the “New Penal Code”) came into effect in Vietnam on January 1, 2018. Important for foreign and domestic investors alike, the New Penal Code introduces a number of provisions on corporate criminal liability and anti-corruption, increasing the risks for businesses in the country.

Anyone who has had a hand in starting or running a social enterprise will know that determining which corporate structure is the most appropriate can be one of the trickiest parts of launching their business. Making the right structuring decision at the right time can be the difference between success and failure, and the decision is often complicated by a lack of clearly defined legal structures specifically aimed at social enterprises.