Asia Pacific Employers Forum 2023

Michael has more than 15 years' experience as an employment law and industrial relations lawyer, acting for clients in a range of industries, including banking and finance, insurance, health and pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, real estate, media and entertainment, information technology and professional services. He has developed and published compliance programs and best practice policies locally and within Asia Pacific. He is the author and a developer of CCH’s Employment Contracts Manager, a software package that builds and tailors smart employment contracts. He has also authored a large number of chapters in every edition of CCH’s Australian Master Human Resources Guide. Articles written by Michael on employment law topics have appeared in the Melbourne University Law Review, CFO Magazine, Human Capital, Lawyers Weekly, Human Resources, and CCH’s Employment Law Bulletin. He has also spoken at events arranged by the College of Law, Macquarie Graduate School of Management, and various professional associations. He wrote and produced “Dismissal Impossible,” a training video on unfair dismissal and sexual harassment, for the Australian Stock Exchange. Michael regularly conducts employment-related litigation before State and Federal courts and industrial tribunals at an original and appellate level.

Sean has more than 30 years' experience advising small and large corporations, multinational businesses and senior executives in relation to employment and industrial law.

Jonathan Isaacs heads Baker McKenzie's China Employment Practice. Jonathan is listed as a leading lawyer for China employment law in various legal publications and has shared insights on labor and employment issues with many publications and media outlets, including The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, LA Times, Reuters, The Economist Intelligence Unit, Voice of America, RTHK, LA Times and Fortune Magazine. He has also co-authored the leading treatise on Chinese employment law in English, Employment Law & Practice in China. He is admitted as a lawyer in the state of New York, USA.

Rowan McKenzie is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Hong Kong office and the head of the Firm's Employment Practice Group in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. He has extensive experience in all aspects of employment law. Rowan is regularly invited to chair and present at seminars and events and has authored numerous articles on Hong Kong employment law. He is an Editorial Board Member for LexisNexis Practical Guidance.

Alvira M. Wahjosoedibjo is an Associate Partner in Baker McKenzie, Jakarta office.

Tomohisa Muranushi is a member of the Firm's Corporate/M&A Practice Group in Tokyo and has eighteen years of legal experience working in Japan. He co-authored M&A Handbook on Conducting Business Practically and the Japan chapter on Cross-border Labour and Employee Benefits Handbook. Tomohisa has also worked at the San Francisco and Bangkok offices of Baker McKenzie.

Trishelea Sandosam is an Of Counsel in Wong & Partners, Kuala Lumpur office.

Kenneth Chuah is a principal in the Finance & Projects Practice Group of Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow in Singapore. Kenneth has more than 10 years of experience acting for banks, borrowers and sponsors in a wide range of cross-border finance transactions across Asia Pacific. Kenneth sits on the Firm's Global Trade Finance Steering Committee. He is recognised as a rising star in Banking & Finance: Singapore by IFLR1000 2019 and recognized in Legal 500 2019 and Legal 500 2020, the latter highlighting that he has "vast knowledge in receivables financing".

Eliseo Zuñiga, Jr. is the head of Quisumbing Torres' Dispute Resolution Practice Group and a member of the Employment Practice Group. He is also a member of the Industrial, Manufacturing & Telecommunications and the Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry Groups. He has over 20 years of experience advising clients on general employment issues, employee termination, executive compensation, benefits transfers and terminations, and general litigation. He actively participates as a speaker and presenter in various regional and local seminars and conferences on labor and employment-related issues. He served as a Chairperson of the People Management Association of the Philippines’ Labor Policy Reforms and Industrial Relations Committee and is currently the Co-Chairperson of the European Chamber of Commerce Human Capital Committee. He has been consistently cited as a Leading Individual for Employment by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2019-2023), Band 3 for Labor and Employment by the Chambers Asia Pacific (2018-2023), Litigation Star for Labor and Employment by Benchmark Litigation (2019 to 2023) and Notable Practitioner for Labor and Employment by asialaw Leading Lawyers (2020 to 2022). Eliseo is also recognized as a thought leader in the 2021 Q3 Lexology Legal Influencers for the Future of legal services - Asia-Pacific.

• Website

Celeste is a Principal in our Dispute Resolution and Employment Practice Groups. Her practice encompasses corporate and commercial dispute resolution, compliance and investigations. She has significant experience acting for global clients in cross-border disputes and advising clients on compliance and regulatory issues in the context of cross-border investigations. Celeste also has a particular focus in employment, particularly contentious employment work and employee investigations, and currently heads Baker McKenzie's Asia Pacific Employment & Compensation Practice. Celeste has been recognised as a 'Litigation Star' in the Labor and Employment space by Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific, 2021 and has been ranked Band 1 in Employment in Singapore by Chambers Asia-Pacific since 2019 to date. She is recognised as "highly regarded in Singapore for her employment law advice, handling unfair dismissal claims and retrenchments"; a "source praises her 'very responsive and practical advice'" and that "Celeste is a brilliant lawyer and is able to provide effective advice to clients in a timely manner." Celeste is also ranked as a Leading Individual in Labour and employment in Singapore by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 and noted as "a litigator with a strong record in employment disputes" and in the foreign firms section as "a dispute resolution specialist with an extensive record in contentious employment matters".

• Website

Ng Zhao Yang is a local principal in the Employment Practice Group of Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow in Singapore. He has over 7 years of experience advising regional and multinational clients on employment law and immigration matters in Singapore. He has been recognised by Chambers & Partners as the only Associate to Watch for the Singapore Employment section since 2017. Clients who spoke to Chambers described him as an "extremely effective individual" who is "very responsive, pragmatic and able to communicate in a very simple and effective style". He has also achieved Rising Star status in the "Singapore - Labour and employment - Local firms" category for the 2020 edition of the Legal 500 Asia Pacific.

Pradeep Nair is a Senior Associate in Baker McKenzie Singapore office.

Howard Shiu is a partner and member of the Employment Practice Group in Baker McKenzie, Taipei. He focuses on trust law and dispute resolution. He was recognized as a Notable Practitioner by Chambers Asia Pacific 2016.

Nam-Ake Lekfuangfu is a partner of the Labour and Employment practice group in Bangkok. Over 10 years of experience, his extensive legal expertise, combined with insights on industrial knowledge and practices have contributed to him being named a “Next Generation Lawyer for Labour and Employment” in Thailand by Asia Pacific Legal 500 in 2019. Mr. Lekfuangfu was lead lawyer for a wide range of employment matters involving high profile clients. He assists clients on employment and immigration work, ranging from day-to-day advice to complex matters, such as advising on employment trends impacting employers globally, including global mobility, the use of a modern workforce, and addressing the gender pay gap.

• Website

Theeranit joined Baker McKenzie in 2013 and is active in the Corporate and M&A and Labour and Employment practice groups. He focuses on labour law and trade regulations Theeranit has advised and assisted various multinational companies on a wide range of issues that concern labour and commercial and trade laws.

Thuy Hang Nguyen is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Ho Chi Minh office and the head of the Employment and Labor practice in Vietnam. She joined the Firm in 2006 and has been involved in a wide range of practice areas in various investment projects. She has extensive experience in employment and labor law, and has advised on corporate and regulatory compliance issues in Vietnam, including mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment licensing, corporate and commercial matters. Ms. Nguyen is a leading authority and frequent speaker on employment and labor law in Vietnam and the Asia Pacific region.

• Website