Recently revised policies have introduced incentives to raise the local birthrate. Meanwhile, the Taiwan government has issued clarifications regarding the treatment of migrant workers during the pandemic. Taiwan’s low birthrate has been attracting attention for several years as the island moves ever closer to becoming a super-aged society, in which at least 20% of the…
A review of the essential regulations, plus some caution on dangers for the unwary. Is your business handling personal data? Of course, it is. You don’t have to be an e-commerce giant, financial institution, or medical clinic to fall under Taiwan’s laws regarding the protection of personal information. Just the act of having employees means…
The novel coronavirus or COVID-19 brings numerous potential and actual legal risks, ranging from the supply chain to human resource matters. Following the declaration by the World Health Organization (where Taiwan unfortunately has neither membership nor observer status) of a public health emergency at the end of January, businesses need to take precautions regarding affected…
Advice from a long-time in-house counsel on arranging for external legal support. Working with outside counsel can be frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive. But when done right, the advice and services outside counsel provide are invaluable. Through 20 years of trial and error, and after spending millions of dollars on outside counsel fees, I have learned…
Companies need to pay proper attention to trademark registration and licensing on a global basis. By Richard L. Thurston and Christopher M. Neumeyer Strategies that companies employ to increase revenue and improve competitiveness often focus on promoting and protecting a company’s image, reputation, and branding. An obvious cornerstone of such strategies is the strategic development,…
BY NATHAN SNYDER AND JEFFREY LIEN Early this year, Taiwan’s legislature passed a set of amendments to the Labor Standards Act (LSA), Taiwan’s core statute governing labor and employment. These amendments, which were officially implemented on March 1, 2018, feature changes intended to provide greater flexibility to employers whose business needs may make compliance with the…
BY JOHN EASTWOOD, HEATHER HSIAO AND JEFFREY LIEN It’s never pleasant when a company needs to get rid of a senior manager, but many practical issues arise when a termination has to occur. American companies operating in Taiwan and in the larger Asia-Pacific region have started placing greater emphasis on legal, ethical, and office-conduct compliance,…
Criminal cases are moving through the courts, but companies see the need for still more education of judges and prosecutors. China is pushing rapidly to meet ambitious targets for developing its high-tech industries in its quest to move its economy up the global value chain and achieve greater self-sufficiency. As it does so, though, leading…
BY PAUL J. CASSINGHAM AND JEFFREY LIEN Like many jurisdictions, Taiwan has long imposed restrictions on the enforceability of employee post-termination noncompetition agreements. For many years, Taiwan courts have enforced such agreements only if the employer had a business interest worthy of protection, and only if the scope and duration of the noncompetition obligation were…
Controversy rages in the United States over the likely fate of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP was signed on February 4, 2016, but to take effect it must be ratified by at least six of the signatories, including the United States and Japan. U.S. President Obama has written that the TPP would level the…
