In the annual meeting of the ASEAN Intellectual Property Association (ASEAN IPA) on May 19, 2021, Darani Vachanavuttivong, co-managing partner of Tilleke & Gibbins and managing director of the firm’s IP group, was announced as the next president of the ASEAN IPA. She will lead the association for a two-year term concluding with the annual meeting in 2023. The ASEAN IPA, which was founded in 1996 and granted official NGO status by the ASEAN Secretariat in 1998, brings together private-sector actors in the intellectual property space in the ASEAN region to promote the development and protection of intellectual property in ASEAN countries. The association organizes meetings and other events to spread awareness of intellectual property challenges and successes in the region, monitors and compiles relevant business and legal information, liaises with governmental parties and intergovernmental organizations regarding intellectual property concerns, and studies and proposes improvements to the legal and regulatory environment for intellectual property in ASEAN. The association has over 200 corporate and individual members from all 10 ASEAN member countries. Darani is widely recognized as one of the foremost intellectual property attorneys in Asia. She has served in executive and advisory roles for a number of national, regional, and global intellectual property associations, and for the ASEAN IPA has previously served as country head for Thailand and as a council member. For more information on the organization’s work and activities, please visit the ASEAN IPA website.

On May 13, 2021, Peeyakorn Suparugbundit, an attorney-at-law in Tilleke & Gibbins’ intellectual property group, will speak at an upcoming Pint of Science Thailand event to provide a legal perspective on scientific achievements and advancement today. Her presentation will explain how researchers and organizations can protect their important cutting-edge discoveries and ensure they are able to benefit from and apply their scientific developments. Peeyakorn will draw especially on her deep experience advising clients—many of whom are in the life sciences industry—on patent applications, management of patent portfolios, and patent enforcement matters. Peeyakorn will be joined by several scientists and researchers presenting on a diverse range of timely scientific topics, such as a study on the use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, an explanation of bacterial contagion and evolution, the importance of testing clinical advances through randomized controlled trials, and a look at the causes and impact of the annual “smoky season” in Chiang Mai. Pint of Science Thailand is an annual festival that brings interesting and relevant scientific talks to the public in an accessible and fun format. This year’s festival consists of multiple virtual events; the one on May 13 is being hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand and can be viewed live online with free registration. For more information and to register, please visit the Pint of Science Thailand website.

On April 28, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ office in Laos, was featured in a webinar hosted by the South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk in conjunction with the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Laos. The purpose of the session was to improve awareness among European SMEs and other public and private stakeholders about IP laws and practice in Laos, as well as to highlight the benefits of improving IP protection in the jurisdiction. In his presentation titled “Trademark Protection and Enforcement and Intellectual Property-Related Updates in Laos,” Dino led discussions on a wide range of topics, including: The local legal framework for trademarks; National and international trademark registration; Parallel imports and license agreements; Viable options for trademark enforcement; and Relevant practical case studies.

Tiziana Sucharitkul, co-managing partner and director of the Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, has been invited to speak at a webinar on May 7, 2021, on diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies and practices at law firms. The webinar is organized by the International Bar Association (IBA) Law Firm Management Committee and will feature insights from several members of IBA leadership as well as other senior professionals from leading law firms and companies around the world. Tiziana, who sits on the committee’s advisory board, will focus especially on how Tilleke & Gibbins develops and implements D&I policies. Her presentation will also be informed by her extensive experience fostering cooperation among law firms and legal practitioners at the international level through her work with IBA, her leadership of the Lex Mundi network, and her firm-to-firm relations as a co-managing partner of Tilleke & Gibbins. The growing push for effective law firm D&I practices not only comes from internal developments but also is driven by investors who demand that companies have sound D&I policies. Law firms have been responding to these various pressures by setting D&I strategies for their own operations as well as by incorporating a D&I perspective into their client advice. This webinar will therefore delve into the practicalities of developing D&I policies for law firms and successfully carrying out those policies. For more details on the webinar, please visit the IBA website.