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Ning Liao

Consultant

Biography

Ning Liao is a consultant at Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok as a secondee from AllBright Law Offices in Shanghai, where she advises clients on international investment, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, financial transactions, and intellectual property matters.

Ning has over 10 years’ experience in the legal industry. She also worked for another first-tier law firm in China and served as senior legal counsel in two global internet companies. She also did a secondment as in-house counsel in a major Hollywood studio.

She has represented many well-known multinational companies, state-owned enterprises, internet and technology companies, studios, and famous artists. She has also advised on numerous high-value transactions. Her extensive experience in outbound investment, copyright and M&A, and the TMT and entertainment industry and her excellent skills and abilities to resolve complex issues make her a valuable and trusted legal advisor.

Ning holds an LLB from Yangzhou University, an LLM from China University of Political Science and Law, an LLM from the University of Hamburg, and an LLM in Media, Entertainment, and Technology Law and Policy from UCLA School of Law. Ning is admitted to practice law in China and California.

Experience

  • Acted as lead counsel for a Chinese company to finance around RMB 200 million through a combined equity investment and loan from a Dubai investor via an intermediary established in Malaysia, advised on transaction compliance issues, and drafted, reviewed, and negotiated all transaction instruments.
  • Drafted and negotiated transaction instruments for various M&A deals, including a Chinese shipping company’s acquisition of a majority stake in a Singapore company, a Chinese company selling its shares in a state-owned enterprise (a listed transaction in the public equity transaction exchange), and a top food company in a couple of finance and M&A deals.
  • Acted as lead counsel for a well-known Singaporean company in setting up a fintech wholly owned foreign enterprise in China and establishing a fintech and supply-chain finance facilitation website and app. Services include advising on market entry, compliance, and licensing issues, and drafting and revising all relevant documents required for operation of the website and app (such as user agreement, privacy documentation, IP statement, etc.) as well as instruments for transactions with third-party suppliers.
  • Acted as the lead counsel for a state-owned enterprise to set up and operate a website to provide data exchange and verification services for cross-border shipping and transportation and related finance projects involving international sellers, buyers, and banks, with the aim of facilitating international trade and serving as a facilitation measure for the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.
  • Served as outside legal counsel for renowned entertainment companies and advised on various types of transactions, such as all agreements required for major film and television projects, from IP development and purchase agreements to finance agreements, film distribution agreements, derivative product license agreements, and other typical agreements for entertainment.
ABOUT Ning

Industries

Fintech

Technology

Practices

Banking and Finance

Corporate/M&A

Intellectual Property

Location

Languages

    Chinese

    English

Education

    LLM, UCLA School of Law

    LLM, China University of Political Science and Law

    LLM, University of Hamburg

    LLB, Yangzhou University

Insights

August 21, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce that the firm has adopted Harvey, a leading enterprise-grade AI platform for the global legal industry. The firm is proceeding with a rollout of Harvey’s legal AI solutions, which are supported by robust security and confidentiality protections, across the firm’s full-service regional practice in Southeast Asia. This initiative builds on the firm’s recent deployment of Microsoft Copilot and represents another advancement in Tilleke & Gibbins’ commitment to leveraging technology for enhanced legal service delivery. Under the program, legal professionals across the firm’s offices in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam will have access to the full Harvey platform, equipping them to deliver practical, impactful, and results-driven legal services for clients throughout the region. The firm will also develop bespoke agentic workflows within Harvey tailored to the firm’s core practices and the unique requirements of Southeast Asian legal markets. Commenting on the initiative, Managing Partner Tiziana Sucharitkul stated, “At Tilleke & Gibbins, we have consistently invested in developing and adopting technology to improve the speed, precision, and overall excellence of our legal services. The firm’s decision to invest in Harvey exemplifies our commitment to innovation, further differentiating Tilleke & Gibbins within Southeast Asia’s legal landscape.” Managing Partner Darani Vachanavuttivong remarked, “By combining the deep regional expertise of our lawyers with Harvey’s market-leading domain-specific AI, we are empowering our regional team to streamline drafting, research, and review processes for complex legal matters, all while maintaining the high standards of quality and security our clients expect from us.” Harvey’s Chief Business Officer John Haddock added, “It’s clear Tilleke & Gibbins is investing heavily in innovation, and it’s clear their global clients will benefit significantly from their focus and investment. The Harvey team is thrilled to support the firm’s journey with our platform.”
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May 2, 2025
Attorneys from Tilleke & Gibbins have updated the latest edition of Doing Business in Thailand, a Q&A-style guide from Thomson Reuters Practical Law that offers an overview of key legal considerations for companies operating in jurisdictions worldwide. The contribution outlines the country’s legal and regulatory framework for foreign investment and business operations and reflects the latest legislative developments. The chapter addresses the following core topics: Legal system: Structure of the courts and the codified nature of Thai law. Foreign investment: Business restrictions under the Foreign Business Act, sector-specific regulations, exchange control rules, and investment incentives. Business vehicles: Overview of partnerships, private and public limited companies, and other legal entities. Employment: Labor protections, employment contracts, foreign worker requirements, and termination procedures. Tax: Corporate and personal income tax, indirect taxes, and tax obligations for residents and non-residents. Intellectual property: Registration and enforcement of patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights. Data protection: Key provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act and related compliance obligations. Competition law: Regulatory framework under the Trade Competition Act. Anti-bribery and corruption: Relevant legislation and enforcement mechanisms. E-commerce and digital business: Legal regime for online transactions and digital platforms. Marketing and advertising: Consumer protection laws and regulations affecting advertising and marketing practices. Product regulation and liability: Safety standards, liability regimes, and roles of enforcement authorities. Practical Law, a legal reference resource from Thomson Reuters, publishes a range of guides for hundreds of jurisdictions and practice areas. The insurance and reinsurance guide is a valuable resource for legal practitioners, covering numerous jurisdictions worldwide. To view the latest version of the guide, please visit the Practical Law website and enroll in the free Practical Law trial to gain full access.
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December 4, 2024
Thailand Legal Basics, a valuable primer for foreign investors, explores all aspects of living and doing business in Thailand. Written by specialists at Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok, it is the only comprehensive English-language guide to the Thai legal system with a focus on the concerns of foreign business and investment.
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December 15, 2023
As part of its membership in Lex Mundi, Tilleke & Gibbins has published an updated edition of its Guide to Doing Business in Thailand for 2023. This guide outlines the key factors for starting and operating a business in the Thai market. Issues covered include: Investment incentives Financial facilities Exchange controls Import and export regulations Structures for doing business Requirements for the Establishment of a Business Operation of the Business Cessation or Termination of the Business Labor legislation, relations, and supply Tax Immigration requirements This publication is part of Lex Mundi’s Country Guides series prepared by member firms in more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide. The guides serve as a useful resource for planning international business strategy and researching new markets. The full Guide to Doing Business in Thailand is available through the button below.
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Awards & Rankings

October 23, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins has once again earned top recognitions in Asialaw Profiles, which highlights the leading domestic and regional firms operating across Asia. In the newly released 2025 edition, the firm secured rankings in 39 total categories spanning practice areas and industry sectors, with 19 of these in the highest available tiers. The firm’s Thailand practice continued to perform strongly, leading all Thailand-ranked firms with 19 total rankings. A particular highlight of this year’s results was the rise of the firm’s Thailand rankings in Banking & Financial Services and Capital Markets, both of which advanced from Recommended to Highly Recommended—reflecting the growing strength of the firm’s financial sector capabilities. Across other Southeast Asian jurisdictions, Tilleke & Gibbins maintained consistently strong rankings: In Cambodia, the firm was recognized for its strengths in corporate, financial, and IP work, with Highly Recommended rankings for Consumer Goods and Services and General Business Law (now reclassified as Finance and Corporate in collaboration with IFLR). In Laos, the firm continued to be recognized for its energy, regulatory, and IP capabilities, maintaining Highly Recommended status in key areas. In Vietnam, Tilleke & Gibbins retained Outstanding recognition for Intellectual Property and Highly Recommended rankings across several corporate and employment-related categories. In Indonesia, the firm continued to be Highly Recommended for IP, where it remains one of the most prominent practices in the market. Individual Recognitions In addition to the firmwide rankings, Asialaw Profiles 2025 recognized 27 individual lawyers from Tilleke & Gibbins—up from 22 in 2024. These include six new or promoted recognitions in Thailand: Charunun Sathitsuksomboon – Promoted to Distinguished Practitioner for Corporate and M&A Kasama Sriwatanakul – Rising Star for Intellectual Property (new) Patcharaporn Pootranon – Notable Practitioner for Capital Markets (new) Pongpalin Chantrapirom – Rising Star for Dispute Resolution (new) Saravut Krailadsiri – Distinguished
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September 12, 2025
The 2025/2026 edition of the IFLR1000 Asia-Pacific rankings, released by International Financial Law Review (IFLR), highlights Tilleke & Gibbins’ continued excellence in financial and corporate transactional work. The firm has maintained its strong rankings across multiple jurisdictions and practice areas while achieving notable upgrades and new recognitions, reaffirming its position as a leading firm in the Asia-Pacific region. This year, Tilleke & Gibbins received firmwide rankings in key jurisdictions, including: Thailand Banking & Finance—Tier 3 Capital Markets: Debt—Tier 3 Capital Markets: Equity—Tier 3 M&A—Tier 2 Project Development—Tier 2 Restructuring & Insolvency—Tier 3 Vietnam Banking & Finance—Tier 4 M&A—Tier 3 Project Development—Tier 3 Cambodia Financial & Corporate—Tier 2 Project Development—Tier 2 Laos Financial & Corporate—Tier 2 In addition to these firmwide rankings, Tilleke & Gibbins had several standout individual recognitions, with 12 lawyers honored in the 2025/2026 individual rankings—an increase from last year’s 10. This year’s results include upgraded rankings for John Frangos and new rankings for Charupat Boon-Long, Derrick Khoo, Prisna Sungwanna, and Saravut Krailadsiri. The full list is as follows: Charunun Sathitsuksomboon—Highly Regarded, M&A, Thailand; Women Leader Charupat Boon-Long—Rising Star, M&A, Thailand (new ranking) David Mol—Rising Star, Corporate and M&A, Cambodia Derrick Khoo—Rising Star (Partner), Financial and Corporate, Thailand (new ranking) Jay Cohen—Highly Regarded, Banking, Cambodia John Frangos—Highly Regarded, Restructuring & Insolvency, Thailand (upgraded ranking) Niti Muangkote—Rising Star, Financial & Corporate and Project Development, Laos; Highly Regarded, Banking & Finance, Thailand Prisna Sungwanna—Highly Regarded, Financial & Corporate, Laos (new ranking) Saithong Rattana—Notable Practitioner, Project Development and M&A, Laos Santhapat Periera—Highly Regarded, Banking & Finance and M&A, Laos; Highly Regarded, Banking & Finance, Thailand Saravut Krailadsiri—Notable Practitioner, Thailand (new ranking) Tram Ngoc Bich Nguyen—Highly Regarded, M&A, Vietnam To see the full set of IFLR1000 rankings for Tilleke & Gibbins’ jurisdictions, please see the Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam pages
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September 3, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins has been shortlisted for several major honors at the upcoming Managing IP Asia-Pacific Awards 2025, reflecting the firm’s exceptional intellectual property work across the region. The firm has been shortlisted for Asia-Pacific Firm of the Year (Domestic), a prestigious category that highlights regional leadership among Asia-headquartered firms. Tilleke & Gibbins has also been recognized in six firm-of-the-year categories: Cambodia Firm of the Year Indonesia Firm of the Year Thailand Patent Firm of the Year Thailand Trademark Firm of the Year Vietnam Patent Firm of the Year Vietnam Trademark Firm of the Year Managing Partner Darani Vachanavuttivong has also been nominated for Asia-Pacific Practitioner of the Year in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the intellectual property field. For more information on the Managing IP Asia-Pacific Awards 2025 and to browse a full list of the nominees, please see the Managing IP website.
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July 2, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins has been recognized once again as a leading intellectual property firm in Southeast Asia in the 2025 rankings from Managing IP. In the newly released patent rankings, the firm achieved top-tier recognition in both Thailand and Vietnam, reflecting the strength of its patent practice in these key jurisdictions. The firm was also ranked among the leading patent firms in Indonesia. In addition to the patent rankings, Managing IP published its general intellectual property rankings for Cambodia, with Tilleke & Gibbins listed among the recommended firms for IP work in the country. Managing IP is a respected global publication covering the intellectual property industry. Its annual rankings are based on extensive research, including market feedback, client input, and case analysis. For more details on Managing IP and its various rankings, please visit the Managing IP website.
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