Partners

Pimvimol (June) Vipamaneerut

Partner, Employment

Key Practices

Qualifications

  • LLM, University of Southampton
  • LLB, Chulalongkorn University

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 include employment law, transportation law, and insurance regulation. 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-Pacific, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, and Asialaw Leading Lawyers.

June represents major multinational clients—including automobile manufacturers, electronics manufacturers, insurance companies, international airlines, petroleum companies, pharmaceutical companies, shipping companies, and telecommunications companies—and advises them 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 is also involved in all legal aspects of transportation and insurance. Her work includes advising clients with respect to maritime disputes, carriage of goods by sea, charterparty, cargo recovery, arrest, and release of ships. She also advises on ship financing, sale and purchase of ships, ship registration, and ship mortgage.

June regularly contributes to 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.

  • 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.

Chambers Asia-Pacific
Employment 2023 – Band 1 for 3 consecutive years

  • Pimvimol is “very responsive, pragmatic and practical.”
  • “She is a very capable lawyer and we have had a good experience dealing with her. She listens to our needs and is able to deliver advice that is sound and easy to understand.”
  • “She is very responsive and provides clear and concise advice that is commercial.”

The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific
Labour and Employment 2023 – Leading Individual for 6 consecutive years

  • “Pimvimol Vipamaneerut leads the team and is our primary point of contact. She is always available and gives very commercial and sound advice.”
  • “Pimvimol Vipamaneerut is very responsive and pragmatic in her advice.”

Asialaw Leading Lawyers
Labor and Employment 2024 – Distinguished Practitioner for 5 consecutive years

Asia Business Law Journal
Thailand's Top 100 A-List Lawyer 2023 for 3 consecutive years

Who’s Who Legal
Labor and Employment 2023 – Winner/Outstanding Lawyer
Benefits 2023 - Winner/Outstanding Lawyer

  • Jurisdictional Council Member for Thailand and Vice-Chair of Insurance Committee, Inter-Pacific Bar Association
  • Past Vice-Chair of Insurance Committee, Inter-Pacific Bar Association