On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military declared a state of emergency in the country and took control of the government, arresting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other senior government officials from the National League for Democracy. The seizure of power, and the government’s subsequent actions to suppress public protest and dissent, have received widespread international condemnation.  The USA, Canada, and the UK have reacted by imposing economic sanctions on certain companies and individuals, and more sanctions are expected as the situation in Myanmar evolves. These sanctions pose a major concern for foreign investors with interests in Myanmar—concern which is exacerbated by the lack of clarity about the current situation on the ground. To address these issues, Lex Mundi is bringing together leading legal authorities on the topic from Myanmar, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom for a special webinar on March 23, 2021. The speakers, which include Tilleke & Gibbins counsel Ross Taylor, will discuss the situation on the ground in Myanmar; how the sanctions imposed this time differ from previous restrictions on Myanmar under earlier regimes; the impact of the sanctions imposed by each country; and the practical impact of sanctions on companies with operations in or relating to Myanmar. The session will be followed by a Q&A with all speakers, where attendees will be able to address any specific queries they might have. For more details and to register for this free webinar, please visit the event information page.

Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce the addition of Sarah Galeski to the firm’s corporate and commercial team in Ho Chi Minh City, in the role of counsel. With over 12 years of professional legal experience, including almost eight in Vietnam, Sarah focuses primarily on matters of employment and labor law, as well as compliance and dispute resolution. Sarah was previously the associate director of KPMG Legal in Ho Chi Minh City, and an associate with Baker & McKenzie. A native of Canada, where she is a licensed barrister and solicitor, Sarah began her legal career with Fraser Milner Casgrain in Vancouver (now Dentons Canada) before moving to Vietnam. In Vietnam, Sarah has been actively involved with the European Chamber of Commerce, serving terms as Co-Chair of the Human Resources & Training Sector Committee and as a member of EuroCham’s Executive Committee.

On November 26, 2020, Joseph Tomkiewicz, partner and co-head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional energy industry group, will lead a panel discussion at the ASEAN Clean Energy Week (ACEW) 2020. Taking place on Day 3 of the four-day virtual conference, Joseph’s session will feature a panel of energy industry thought leaders from around the region discussing Myanmar’s first procurement exercise for large-scale photovoltaics—a 1GW solar tender which launched in May 2020.

On November 19, 2020, Tiziana Sucharitkul, co-managing partner at Tilleke & Gibbins and director of the firm’s regional disputes resolution practice, will join a panel of managing partners from leading law firms around the world for a special roundtable seminar at the International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference. Originally due to be held in Miami, the 2020 conference has moved online this year under the theme “Virtually Together,” in light of the ongoing global health crisis.