Tilleke & Gibbins was recently named a Tier 1 patent practice, for both the patent prosecution and patent contentious categories, in Thailand in Asia IP’s annual Patent Survey. The Patent Survey issue features patent news, analysis, key individuals in the practice area, and a list of firms they consider the top ten for contentious and non-contentious work in 16 jurisdictions. The annual Asia IP survey is based on interviews and feedback from in-house counsel and lawyers across Asia.

In the editorial accompanying the rankings, lawyers from Tilleke & Gibbins discussed the current challenges for design patent examination, which often faces extensive delays in Thailand. Recently, however, Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property has recognized this shortcoming and is “committed to reorganizing the Patent Office in order to separate the examination of inventions from the examination of designs under a separate group. It is hoped that this will improve both the efficiency and the effectiveness of the design examination process.”

Asia IP is a specialist monthly magazine providing in-depth coverage of challenges faced in the practice area when investing and doing business in Asia, and potential solutions available. The magazine is published by Apex Asia.