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Biography

Charya Kong is an associate in Tilleke & Gibbins’ Phnom Penh office, where she assists clients with a wide range of intellectual property work and other legal needs, including legal documentation, regulatory matters, and dispute resolution. She regularly helps both multinational and local companies protect their intellectual property in Cambodia by drafting and advising on various legal documents, preparing and filing necessary submissions, and developing strategies for brand protection and commercialization.

Prior to joining Tilleke & Gibbins, Charya spent several years in private practice and as a legal advisor to a leading provider of property trust and due diligence services. Her work frequently involved drafting sale and purchase agreements and notification letters, translating legal documents, and advising clients on their business and investment strategies. She also regularly assisted in various civil and criminal matters.

Charya is a licensed and qualified attorney in Cambodia. She holds an LLB from Cambodia’s Royal University of Law and Economics, and has completed a training course from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Cambodia.

Experience

  • Assisted clients with trademark-related matters such as filing trademark applications, performing trademark searchers, and preparing documents for filing with the Department of Intellectual Property Rights within Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce.
  • Represented clients in civil cases by guiding them through the legal procedure; preparing legal documents, evidence, and witnesses; and participating in hearings on behalf of the clients.
  • Reviewed sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) and other related documents in connection with trust agreements, and advised on associated risks.
  • Represented clients in criminal cases by preparing legal documents, submitting evidence and supporting documents to the prosecutor, and participating in courtroom pleadings.
  • Provided legal assistance to investors by preparing contracts with proportionate conditions for both parties, developing and executing strategies to minimize risk, and advising parties on procedural requirements.
ABOUT Charya

Location

Languages

    Khmer

    English

Education

    LLB, Royal University of Law and Economics

Insights

January 13, 2022
Intellectual property experts from Tilleke & Gibbins were engaged by ARISE+ IPR, a regional support program funded by the European Union and implemented by the European Intellectual Property Office, to craft a series of IP enforcement guides for Southeast Asian countries, aimed at raising local awareness of the importance of IP protection. The five-year, EUR 5.5 million ARISE+ IPR program supports regional integration through IP cooperation and aims to upgrade national IP systems for creation, protection, utilization, administration, and enforcement to be in line with international best practices and standards and the strategic objectives of the ASEAN Intellectual Property Rights Action Plan 2016-2025. The guides were developed by Tilleke & Gibbins’ lawyers in cooperation with the IP offices of each participating country, and cover issues related to trademarks, industrial designs, and geographical indications. Each guide was produced in a compact leaflet form in English as well as the local language, and is considered an official publication of the respective national IP office. The guides can be accessed from the ARISE+ IPR site (under “Leaflets, brochures and booklets”), or by clicking on the links below: Cambodia: English | Khmer Indonesia: English | Bahasa Indonesia Thailand: English | Thai Vietnam: English | Vietnamese
June 29, 2018
Leading intellectual property practitioners from Tilleke & Gibbins have contributed the Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam chapters of the Lex Mundi ASEAN Intellectual Property Guide: Overview of Regulatory Framework for Patent and Trademark Protection in the ASEAN Countries. The guide provides a Q&A-style overview of patent and trademark protection and compares relevant laws and procedures from throughout the ASEAN region.

Awards & Rankings

April 3, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce that the firm has been shortlisted in two categories at the Financial Times (FT) Innovative Lawyers APAC 2026 awards: Innovative Lawyers in Cyber and Data Privacy – “Digital Identity & Cryptocurrency Compliance” Innovative Practitioner – Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh The FT Innovative Lawyers APAC Awards recognize law firms and practitioners who are driving innovation in legal services and delivering innovative client solutions across the Asia-Pacific region. This recognition marks our third acknowledgment in the Innovative Lawyers category and, notably, our first-ever nomination in the Innovative Practitioner category at the FT Innovative Lawyers APAC awards. It reflects our team’s continued ability to support clients on groundbreaking, forward-looking projects across the region. The awards ceremony will take place on May 14, 2026, in Hong Kong. To learn more about the FT Innovative Lawyers APAC 2026 awards and to view the full list of shortlisted organizations, please visit the FT website.
March 9, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has been shortlisted in multiple firmwide and individual categories at the Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards 2026, including Regional Firm of the Year, reflecting the firm’s work across Southeast Asia and the continued development of its regional practices. In the individual categories, Aye Thuzar Hlaing has been shortlisted for Myanmar Associate of the Year (Corporate and M&A), and Linh Duy Mai has been shortlisted for Vietnam Associate of the Year (Intellectual Property). Tilleke & Gibbins has also been shortlisted in the following firm categories: Regional Firm of the Year Thailand – Law Firm of the Year Thailand – Law Firm of the Year (Litigation) Myanmar – Law Firm of the Year Vietnam – Law Firm of the Year Vietnam – Law Firm of the Year (Labor and Employment) Laos – Law Firm of the Year The winners will be announced on April 30, 2026, at the Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards ceremony in Singapore. To browse the full shortlist for the Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards 2026, please see the Legal 500 website.
January 15, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has demonstrated continued excellence across all six jurisdictions where the firm operates in the 2026 edition of the Legal 500 Asia-Pacific rankings. The recently released rankings showcase the firm’s outstanding performance with 29 practice area recognitions and 34 individual rankings—an increase from 30 individual recognitions in 2025.
December 12, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins has maintained its strong market position in the newly released Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026 rankings, with six Band 1 honors in core practices and consistently strong performance across the entire region. In addition to the exceptional practice-area rankings, 33 lawyers were recognized across 11 practice areas.

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