The Legal Industry Reviews (LIR) recently released their January 2024 edition of LIR Japan, featuring an interview with Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution practice, on arbitration in the region. In the interview, Noppramart discusses recent trends in arbitration in Asia, future possibilities for the field, the impact of artificial intelligence and other new technologies on the practice of arbitration, and the role of women in arbitration in Asia. She also spoke about the importance of building strong bonds with the global community of arbitration professionals, particularly in relation to the Asia Pacific Arbitration Group, of which Noppramart is vice chair. “International arbitration necessitates more than just a profound understanding of foreign laws; it also entails cultivating strong ties with the global community of international arbitrators and arbitration practitioners,” said Noppramart. The Legal Industry Reviews is a content platform featuring insights from leading lawyers and law firms around the world. The full interview with Noppramart can be found on page 20 of the January 2024 edition of LIR Japan.

Leading full-service Southeast Asian law firm Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce the promotion of two outstanding lawyers to the firm’s partnership. Nopparat Lalitkomon leads the firm’s data privacy and cybersecurity practice in Thailand and Vietnam. His expertise in technology, media, and telecommunications has earned him recognition as a “Rising Star” by The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific and as an “Up and Coming” lawyer by Chambers Asia-Pacific. Nopparat is a trusted advisor to domestic and multinational companies alike, advising clients across industries on a wide range of tech-focused matters in Southeast Asia, including cybersecurity, data protection, e-commerce, e-payments, e-transactions, fintech, gaming, and insurtech. He also advises clients on general corporate and commercial matters, including banking, direct marketing, foreign direct investment, investment incentives, labor and employment, M&A, and joint ventures. Nopparat hold degrees from Thammasat University and the University of Glasgow, and is a member of the Thai Bar Association. Wongrat Ratanaprayul is the director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Indonesia operations, based in Jakarta. Wongrat is recognized as a leading practitioner in Indonesia by IAM Patent 1000 and WTR 1000, and in 2023 she was named to Managing Intellectual Property’s list of the Top 250 Women in IP globally. She advises clients on all aspects of IP prosecution in Indonesia, as well as in multiple jurisdictions throughout Southeast Asia, to ensure efficient and effective IP portfolio management. Wongrat’s practice benefits from her exceptional breadth of expertise and her international reach. Wongrat is a particularly adept patent practitioner, and is much sought-after in highly technical fields including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, automotive, electronics, and computer-related technology. She is also a leader in regional pharmaceutical patent litigation. Furthermore, Wongrat oversees the firm’s regulatory affairs practice in Indonesia, serving clients in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and related industries with respect to product registration and compliance. Wongrat

Jay Cohen, partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins in Cambodia, is quoted extensively in a recent Asian Legal Business (ALB) article on Cambodia’s plans to establish a commercial court to adjudicate business disputes. As the article explains, this new judicial body will help relieve pressure on Cambodia’s court system by handling all business disputes, which currently add to the docket of the country’s criminal courts. In the article, Jay provides some context for the planned development, outlines some of the most notable changes that will result from the move, and explains how the establishment of the court will likely strengthen investor confidence by adding a measure of predictability. The article also includes Jay’s thoughts on how the new judicial structure will relate to the use of commercial arbitration, as well as the possibility of procedural changes that will make dispute resolution easier for foreign investors, such as submission of documents in English. ALB, owned by Thomson Reuters, is a leading source of information on commercial law in Asia for businesses and professionals. To read more about Cambodia’s planned establishment of a commercial court, as well as Jay’s comments on this, please see the December 2023 issue of ALB.

Thomas J. Treutler, partner and managing director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Vietnam offices, was interviewed for an Asia IP article on the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm intellectual property enforcement. The provocatively titled “Will AI bring the death of IP enforcement work?” explores the impact of AI in the IP space, and the delicate balance between helping and replacing IP professionals. In the article, Thomas is quoted as saying that “AI-powered algorithms can be trained to detect and monitor IP infringements more rapidly than a single human can, as they are able to analyze vast amounts of data on online platforms, social media and ecommerce marketplaces. This can preliminarily help rights owners and IP agents in data scraping to identify potential targets.” However, he further explained, “taking legal action requires human actions; for example, filing a complaint with the police or handling litigation proceedings in court. Therefore, it will not replace IP professionals in enforcement actions.” The full article can be read at the Asia IP website. Asia IP  is a publication of the Apex Asia Media Group, an independent publisher based in Hong Kong. The magazine aims to provide informed analysis of IP–related issues for Asian and international law firms.