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January 5, 2026

Tilleke & Gibbins Appoints New Partners in Thailand, Further Boosting Dispute Resolution Bench Strength

Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce the promotion of Chitchai Punsan and Suruswadee Jaimsuwan to partner in the firm’s Bangkok office, reinforcing the strength of the firm’s dispute resolution practice.

Chitchai has over 15 years of experience representing multinational corporations in complex disputes throughout Thailand and Southeast Asia. With a broad-ranging practice of contentious matters, he brings particular depth in customs violations, economic crime and regulatory investigations, product liability disputes, and civil and criminal litigation. Beyond his client work, Chitchai is recognized as a thought leader on customs and trade disputes, regularly sharing his insights as clients look to navigate a complex, geopolitical environment.  He has also provided his expertise to a wide range of research projects for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank, playing an active role in shaping policy discussions on legal and regulatory issues impacting the region. Chitchai holds an LLB from Ramkhamhaeng University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kasetsart University, and is a member of the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Thai Bar Association.

Suruswadee has been serving clients with Tilleke & Gibbins since 2020. A former judge of the Thai Courts of Justice, she has extensive legal experience on and off the bench, bolstered by a deep knowledge of Thai law and court procedure. She uses her expertise to help clients develop strong and practical legal strategies, as well as to provide flawless advocacy in the courtroom. She is recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a commercial and transactions Litigation Star in Thailand and by Asialaw as a dispute resolution Distinguished Practitioner in Thailand. Suruswadee holds an LLM from Monash University, an LLM from King’s College London, and an LLB from Thammasat University. She is a barrister-at-law qualified by the Thai Bar Association, a notary public, an arbitrator on the rosters of both the Thai Arbitration Institute and Thailand Arbitration Center. She has been actively involved in legal education and policy engagement, including teaching law and providing substantive commentary on proposed legislation, and also supports a number of important diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Tilleke & Gibbins managing partner Darani Vachanavuttivong said, “Chitchai and Suruswadee exemplify the proactive, results-oriented advocacy that our clients rely on across courts, tribunals, and regulatory forums. Their promotion reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional dispute resolution services, and we are delighted to welcome them to the partnership.”

Tilleke & Gibbins managing partner Tiziana Sucharitkul said, “Chitchai and Suruswadee are trusted advisors to businesses navigating complex disputes across Southeast Asia. Their commercial acumen and deep legal expertise further strengthen our full-service capabilities and reinforce Tilleke & Gibbins’ reputation in dispute resolution.”

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

September 30, 2021
Dutsadee Dutsadeepanich, an associate in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group, joined two webinars organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC), respectively. On September 29, Dutsadee appeared as a guest speaker in two panels as part of the 8th ICC YAF Global 24-Hour Event. In the discussions, she shared her extensive experience, laid out best practices, and addressed some current issues in arbitration to the audience of young arbitration practitioners, counsel, corporate counsel, and academics from around the world. On September 30, she participated in a THAC webinar titled “Gender Diversity in International Arbitration: Trends and Developments in Thailand and Asia.” Together with four female arbitrators, she discussed the state of gender diversity in the industry, addressed gender parity according to cultural differences, and shared how COVID-19 has brought new challenges and opportunities for female professionals in the field.
September 17, 2021
On September 30, 2021, Dutsadee Dutsadeepanich, an associate in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department in Bangkok, will speak in a webinar titled “Gender Diversity in International Arbitration.” The webinar, which is being jointly hosted by ArbitralWomen and the Thailand Arbitration Center (THAC), will offer various perspectives on gender parity in international arbitration and foster conversations on how to promote gender diversity in Thai and Asian international arbitration. Dutsadee, who is currently the secretary of the Thailand branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is Thailand’s only representative on the Young Arbitrators Forum of the International Chamber of Commerce, will be joined by several other arbitration experts from countries throughout Asia. Together the speakers will form an interactive panel discussing various perspectives on the progress that has been made and what areas of the arbitral profession are still in need of greater gender diversity. For more details and to register for the panel discussion, please see the registration page. The event organizers are also asking interested participants to submit questions for the panelists ahead of time in order to encourage a lively and interactive panel discussion. Questions can be submitted to [email protected].
September 17, 2021
Andrew Stoutley, chief operating officer of Tilleke & Gibbins, provided a lengthy quote to Asian Legal Business (ALB) for a recent feature on how law firms in Southeast Asia are increasingly using data analytics and information to drive their business strategy. The article featured contributions from a number of partners and executives from firms across Southeast Asia on the different ways that their firms are applying data to their operations and incorporating information and analytics into their strategic decision-making processes. In his contribution, Andrew explained that as technology has become central to virtually all operations at Tilleke & Gibbins, metrics and data have been harnessed to inform decisions at all levels. To illustrate this, he gave the example of a broad strategic planning process that the firm has undertaken to lay out strategy for the coming years. Identifying and gathering key quantitative and qualitative data points was crucial to the process, which considers every element of the firm’s planned operations for the next several years. Andrew went on to discuss the importance of determining how best to share the data with the relevant stakeholders, such as through visualizations or dashboards that allow staff to monitor the progress of operations. The other informants for the article reported a similar uptick in reliance on data—such as in competitive intelligence, billing, and matter management—and emphasized the necessity for firms to recognize the value of data as a resource that must be protected and used wisely. The full article is available on page 4 of the September 2021 issue of ALB.
September 13, 2021
On September 10, Noppramart Thammateeradaycho, a counsel in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group in Bangkok, participated in a session on the Ashton Asoke condominium dispute, hosted by YTHAC, the young members group of the Thailand Arbitration Center. The discussion was held on the Clubhouse platform and focused on the long-running dispute over the Ashton Asoke luxury high-rise condominium, which has recently returned to the spotlight after a Central Administrative Court ruling on July 30, 2021, revoked the condominium’s construction permit and other related governmental authorizations. As the condominium has already been completed and is occupied by residents, the stakes of the dispute are very high. The speakers in the YTHAC session addressed the role of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the Ashton Asoke dispute, and explained how ADR practices such as arbitration can potentially lead to a solution to the impasse.