Charuwan Charoonchitsathian, a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group in Bangkok, was featured in a recent Asian Legal Business article on M&A trends and how firms are adapting their transactional legal work to embrace new technologies. The interview was part of their September 2022 issue, in which the magazine announced their annual Asia M&A rankings. Charuwan represented Tilleke & Gibbins (which received rankings in both Thailand and Vietnam) to offer insight into how the firm has seen various new technologies gain prominence in the M&A space in Southeast Asia. She noted that companies around the world are getting more deeply involved in technological approaches such as DeFi, blockchain, and various other Web3 innovations. She also explained why it is important for lawyers to understand these technologies in order to provide relevant and effective legal services to facilitate deals between companies in these sectors. She raised the example of Tilleke & Gibbins, which has a “dedicated technology practice group which brings together commercial, IP, and disputes lawyers who each have extensive knowledge and expertise in these emerging business areas. Our experts provide regulatory advice and analysis on how the governments in our jurisdictions will regulate Web3 technologies – not just how they are doing so now, but how they are likely to do so in future – to help future-proof transactions with a substantial technology element.” Asian Legal Business, owned by Thomson Reuters, is a leading source of information for businesses and professionals active in the region. To see Charuwan’s full comments, please see the September issue of Asian Legal Business.

On August 6, Thawat Damsa-ard, a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department, will give a speech to incoming law students at Thammasat University Lampang Campus in northern Thailand. Thawat’s address will be part of the orientation activities for new students in the university’s Faculty of Law. Thawat will discuss important concepts such as legal philosophy and thought at the intersection of law, language, and human behavior. He will also complement the theoretical and academic side of his talk with insights and anecdotes from his broad experience preparing cases, serving clients, and litigating in the courtroom. Thawat is widely recognized for his successful record as a litigator and is a sought-after speaker and panelist on issues surrounding litigation and legal ethics in Thailand. He is a strong supporter of legal education and frequently shares his insights and professional observations with students and new lawyers.

On July 27, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ office in Laos, spoke at a breakfast talk on intellectual property law. The breakfast talk, which was held in a hybrid format to accommodate remote attendees, was organized in collaboration with Department of Intellectual Property, the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Laos (ECCIL), and the South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk. Dino was joined by the director of the Department of Intellectual Property in Laos, who discussed the benefits of trademark registration, principles and functions of a geographical indication. Dino then highlighted current enforcement measures as well as the importance of registered trademarks for international and Lao companies to ensure that brands are well-aware of their rights and protections under the law. The ECCIL promotes the interests of the European business community in Laos and serves its members by organizing events and networking opportunities and assisting European companies with market entry into Laos. For more details, please see the ECCIL website.

Following the success of the Future Energy Asia Exhibition and Summit event preview held at the firm’s Bangkok Office on June 16, Tilleke & Gibbins participated in the official three-day forum at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre on July 20-22, 2022 Under the theme “Decarbonizing ASEAN’s Energy Transition and Transformation,” Joseph Tomkiewicz, partner and chair of the firm’s regional energy industry team (and member of the conference committee), moderated a strategic panel discussion titled “Global Leaders Panel: Decarbonisation & GHG Commitment – Gas and LNG as Cleaner Fuels to Bridge ASEAN’s Energy Transition.” Together with distinguished speakers, Joseph led the session through noteworthy strategies and initiatives toward significant transformation of the industry. On the last day, Sher Hann Chua, a consultant in the firm’s intellectual property group, delivered a presentation titled “Harnessing the Power of Your Intellectual Property in Energy Industry Joint Ventures.” Tilleke & Gibbins also welcomed thousands of energy professionals to the firm’s booth over the course of three days to exchange potential ideas for future collaboration and business opportunities in the electric vehicle, LNG, renewables, and power sectors in ASEAN.