You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

October 11, 2018

Michelle Ray-Jones and Tu Ngoc Trinh to Speak at South Korea’s Largest Franchising Show

On October 19, attorneys Michelle Ray-Jones and Tu Ngoc Trinh will speak on franchising in Southeast Asia at International Franchise Seoul (IFS) 2018, a three-day exhibition hosted by the Korea Franchise Association and organized by Reed Exhibitions and Coex. IFS is South Korea’s largest international franchise show, and is expected to welcome over 20,000 visitors for informational seminars and business matching opportunities.

Tu, from Tilleke & Gibbins’ Hanoi office, will speak at a session called “Vietnam Retail, Franchise, and Legal Update,” while Michelle, based in Bangkok, will participate in a panel discussion on “Successful Case Studies of Taking Your Franchise Global.” Both seminars are organized by VF Franchise Consulting, Tilleke & Gibbins’ strategic partner for franchising.

The exhibition will take place from October 18 to 20 at the Coex convention and exhibition center in Seoul. Tu’s seminar will start at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 19, with Michelle’s following at 1 p.m.

For more details and registration information, please visit the IFS 2018 website.

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

December 9, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins is proud to announce that four litigation cases handled by the firm have been selected among the nine Distinguished Judgment Awards granted by Thailand’s Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court (IP&IT Court) for the period from October 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025. This recognition highlights the complexity, novelty, and legal significance of these cases, which were chosen based on stringent criteria including new legal issues, high evidentiary volume, and intricate legal arguments. Among these four cases, one was singled out as the “Most Distinguished Judgment” – the landmark trademark squatting case involving the trademark rights of our client, Thailand’s largest state-owned energy conglomerate, and its subsidiary. In this case, the defendants had filed 52 trademark applications mimicking our client’s marks, making it the largest trademark squatting dispute in Thai history. On April 30, 2025, the IP&IT Court ordered the cancellation of multiple infringing trademarks, setting a benchmark for IP enforcement against trademark squatters in Thailand. The other three recognized cases demonstrate Tilleke & Gibbins’ breadth of expertise in IP litigation: Patent infringement and invalidation involving trade secrets misappropriation. Trade dress infringement of a unique packaging. Landmark Luckin Coffee case involving trademark infringement and invalidation. The IP&IT Court handles approximately 200 IP civil litigation cases each year, and our IP litigation team has typically been involved in 25–30% of them, reflecting our dominant role in shaping IP jurisprudence in Thailand.
August 21, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce that the firm has adopted Harvey, a leading enterprise-grade AI platform for the global legal industry. The firm is proceeding with a rollout of Harvey’s legal AI solutions, which are supported by robust security and confidentiality protections, across the firm’s full-service regional practice in Southeast Asia. This initiative builds on the firm’s recent deployment of Microsoft Copilot and represents another advancement in Tilleke & Gibbins’ commitment to leveraging technology for enhanced legal service delivery. Under the program, legal professionals across the firm’s offices in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam will have access to the full Harvey platform, equipping them to deliver practical, impactful, and results-driven legal services for clients throughout the region. The firm will also develop bespoke agentic workflows within Harvey tailored to the firm’s core practices and the unique requirements of Southeast Asian legal markets. Commenting on the initiative, Managing Partner Tiziana Sucharitkul stated, “At Tilleke & Gibbins, we have consistently invested in developing and adopting technology to improve the speed, precision, and overall excellence of our legal services. The firm’s decision to invest in Harvey exemplifies our commitment to innovation, further differentiating Tilleke & Gibbins within Southeast Asia’s legal landscape.” Managing Partner Darani Vachanavuttivong remarked, “By combining the deep regional expertise of our lawyers with Harvey’s market-leading domain-specific AI, we are empowering our regional team to streamline drafting, research, and review processes for complex legal matters, all while maintaining the high standards of quality and security our clients expect from us.” Harvey’s Chief Business Officer John Haddock added, “It’s clear Tilleke & Gibbins is investing heavily in innovation, and it’s clear their global clients will benefit significantly from their focus and investment. The Harvey team is thrilled to support the firm’s journey with our platform.”
October 1, 2024
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce the addition of Patcharaporn Pootranon and Saravut Krailadsiri as partners in the firm’s Bangkok office, further strengthening its capital markets and tax practices. Patcharaporn Pootranon joins the firm’s capital markets practice, bringing almost 20 years of experience in capital markets, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and taxation. She has been involved in many significant domestic and international M&A transactions, including securities offerings under Rule 144A/Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act and under Thai securities law across different industries, including energy, food and beverages, retail, and others. Patcharaporn is ranked in the capital markets practice area by Chambers Asia-Pacific, and she was named one of Asia’s 40 Under 40 by Asian Legal Business in 2018. Joining the firm’s capital markets team alongside Patcharaporn will be Veerakorn Samranweth (senior associate) and Narita Sakunchotikarote (associate). Saravut Krailadsiri joins as a partner in the firm’s tax and corporate restructuring practice. His primary focus for the past two decades has been on tax, corporate restructuring, and cross-border M&A. Saravut provides comprehensive legal and tax counsel, including risk management advice for group restructuring and entire business transfers (EBT). He also offers tax management and planning advice for setting up proper investment entities and development projects in ASEAN countries. He has particular expertise in the energy industry, having represented some of the largest investments in petroleum exploration and production in Thailand. Saravut is recognized as a Notable Practitioner in Tax and in Restructuring and Insolvency by Asialaw and also as Notable Practitioner by IFLR1000. Tilleke & Gibbins managing partner Tiziana Sucharitkul said, “The addition of Patcharaporn and Saravut to our partnership strengthens our ability to serve clients on complex capital markets transactions and tax matters. Their impressive track records align perfectly with our aim of helping our