On August 27, Darani Vachanavuttivong, co-managing partner of Tilleke & Gibbins and managing director of the firm’s intellectual property group, moderated an International Trademark Association (INTA) Flash Briefing titled “IP Developments in the ASEAN Region.” The briefing was organized to provide analysis of the ASEAN IPR Action Plan 2016–2025, which aims to harness IP to support the regional grouping’s drive to be an innovative and competitive location for business. As moderator, Darani welcomed attendees and presented both an overview of economic trends in ASEAN and detailed statistical insights on trademarks, patents, designs, and utility models in member countries. She then welcomed the assistant director of the Consumer Protection and IPR Division in the Market Integration Directorate of the ASEAN Secretariat to share insights on the action plan—and the more recent ASEAN IPR Action Plan 2.0, which was developed after the mid-term review. A new initiative that just began in early 2021, INTA Flash Briefings are interactive conversations with IP experts and brand owners on emerging policy changes affecting trademarks and related rights across the globe.

Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution team members delivered a three-day Thai-language webinar series from August 24 to 26, focusing primarily on complex civil litigation in the construction sector. Pathanin Sornchangwat, associate, and Suruswadee Jaimsuwan, counsel, presented the first session titled “Lawyers and a Solution to Construction Business and Contracts.” During the event, they discussed common problems in the construction sector, provided practical advice on how companies can examine contracts to prevent unexpected complications, and addressed the role of lawyers in settling disputes. On the next day, Chusert Supasitthumrong, partner, and Pongpalin Chantrapirom, associate, discussed termination of business contracts. Chusert first explained principles of termination, including cause, methods, results, damages, and key issues businesses should be aware of. Pongpalin then addressed bases for termination of a logistics contract, pointed out particularly notable elements of a contract, highlighted key differences between contract types, and shared precedent cases from the Supreme Court. In the final webinar, Dutsadee Dutsadeepanich, associate, and Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, counsel, discussed issues related to permit withdrawal—informed by previous condominium cases. They noted some consequences of the action, and shared  legal defenses that condominium project owners might use when facing such an obstacle. They also shared their insights on the ongoing case regarding a recent court ruling on the construction permit of Ananda Development’s Ashton Asoke condominium project. Video recordings of all three sessions (in Thai) are available to watch on the Tilleke & Gibbins YouTube channel.

On August 19, Sher Hann Chua, a consultant in Tilleke & Gibbins’ Bangkok and Yangon offices, presented a session to the Thailand chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) titled “An Overview of Intellectual Property: What to Focus on in the Contract and the Field.” Moderated by Joseph Tomkiewicz, partner and co-chair of Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional energy practice, the session focused on the intellectual property (IP) rights and issues that are most relevant to the oil and gas industry. In discussing IP rights and how they function in the energy sector, Sher Hann presented an overview of trademarks, patents, industrial designs, and copyright, before emphasizing the crucial role that IP plays in major commercial transactions such as mergers and acquisitions. She also analyzed classic IP pitfalls that parties makes when working with others under a contractual arrangement, and providing practical tips on how to avoid these missteps.

On August 5, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) named Dutsadee Dutsadeepanich as one of 89 regional representatives worldwide in its Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF). Dutsadee, who will be serving a two-year term, is joining the YAF’s South Asia Regional Chapter as the only representative from Thailand among the chapter’s 16 representatives. The YAF is responsible for the promotion of ICC’s dispute resolution services and development of the organization’s extensive network of members. The forum, which is open to representatives up to age 40, helps young professionals build up their skills and knowledge of alternative dispute resolution such as the ICC’s arbitral procedures and disputes services. The representatives also oversee events that offer young arbitration practitioners in the region the chance to foster connections with one another and learn from experienced practitioners. Dutsadee will officially assume her new role as a representative in the YAF South Asia Regional Chapter in a ceremony at the biennial ICC YAF Global Conference, which will take place virtually on September 29.