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Somboon Earterasarun

Partner

Biography

Somboon Earterasarun is a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional intellectual property (IP) group, handling a diverse range of IP matters across Southeast Asia and beyond. He is an expert in formulating strategies for the successful management of global trademark portfolios as well as employing customized techniques for protecting and enforcing clients’ trademark rights on a global basis. Somboon also specializes in international trademark registration, trademark licensing and commercialization, assignments, copyright recordal, software recordal, and distributorship contracts.

Somboon has long been recognized as one of the region’s leading IP practitioners. He was named one of Asia’s top 40 lawyers under 40 by Thomson Reuters publication Asian Legal Business in 2015 and is consistently ranked as a leading IP lawyer in Southeast Asia by legal directories such as Chambers Asia Pacific (2023-), IAM Patent (2016-), IAM Strategy (2023-), Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2017-), World IP Review (2016-), and World Trademark Review (2015-), among others.

Somboon represents several Thai conglomerates in managing and protecting their trademarks in both domestic and overseas markets, and he also devotes much time to teaching Thai entrepreneurs about the importance of IP rights. Somboon is an active member of the Intellectual Property Association of Thailand (IPAT), the Association of European Trade Mark Owners (MARQUES), the ASEAN Intellectual Property Association (AIPA), and the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA), and is a qualified patent agent certified by Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property.

Experience

  • Managing the global trademark portfolio for one of Thailand’s leading beverage producers, including handling trademark registrations, oppositions, and cancellations in 40 countries worldwide.
  • Appointed by Tao Kae Noi, a Thai publicly listed producer of crispy seaweed and other snacks, to manage its global IP portfolio (i.e., trademarks, invention patents, and design patents) across 10+ countries.
  • Assisted a Thai media company with carrying out global IP due diligence ahead of its acquisition of a global beauty pageant brand.
  • Assisted a multinational company with a complex IP transaction involving the intracompany transfer of more than 1,000 IP assets (300 trademarks, and 700 copyrights and industrial designs).
  • Successfully represented Formula One (F1) Group in a rare cross-class trademark opposition against a potential infringer in Thailand that had filed for registration of a mark that was confusingly similar to our client’s mark and name.
  • Represented a food manufacturer in carrying out an international raid in Laos against trademark violations by local retailers and coordinated with local authorities to carry out the raid, seize all counterfeit products, and destroy them.
  • Secured a preliminary injunction against an infringing trademark in Israel at the Israel Court of First Instance.
  • Secured a preliminary injunction order by the Düsseldorf Court to prohibit the use of the infringing mark at the ANUGA Fair in Cologne, Germany.
  • Collaborated with government authorities to seize two containers of infringing products at the Ho Chi Minh port.
  • Overcame a U.S. Trademark Examiner’s refusal to register the clients’ mark.
  • Registered a famous Thai beer brand as a well-known trademark in Thailand.
ABOUT Somboon

Languages

    Thai

    English

Education

    LLB, Chulalongkorn University

    Master of Management, Chulalongkorn University

    BA, Thammasat University

Insights

August 20, 2026
As part of its membership in Lex Mundi, Tilleke & Gibbins has released the latest edition of its Guide to Doing Business in Thailand, providing an overview of the legal, regulatory, and commercial considerations for companies establishing or expanding operations in Thailand. The 2026 edition offers practical insight into the country’s business environment, investment framework, and operational requirements. The guide covers a wide range of topics relevant to foreign and domestic investors, including: Investment incentives and promotion schemes Financial facilities and banking regulations Exchange controls and money transfers Import and export regulations Business structures and incorporation options Requirements for establishing a business Operational and compliance considerations Business cessation and insolvency procedures Employment and labor laws Taxation Immigration and visa requirements Prepared by Tilleke & Gibbins lawyers across multiple practice areas, the publication outlines key aspects of doing business in Thailand, including foreign investment restrictions, regulatory compliance obligations, corporate structures, employment requirements, and recent legal and economic developments affecting investors. The publication forms part of Lex Mundi’s Country Guides series, a global collection of jurisdiction-specific reference materials prepared by member firms around the world. Together, these guides help companies evaluate opportunities, compare regulatory environments, and plan international business activities across multiple markets. The full Guide to Doing Business in Thailand 2026 is available through the button below.
December 9, 2025
Tilleke & Gibbins is proud to announce that four litigation cases handled by the firm have been selected among the nine Distinguished Judgment Awards granted by Thailand’s Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court (IP&IT Court) for the period from October 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025. This recognition highlights the complexity, novelty, and legal significance of these cases, which were chosen based on stringent criteria including new legal issues, high evidentiary volume, and intricate legal arguments. Among these four cases, one was singled out as the “Most Distinguished Judgment” – the landmark trademark squatting case involving the trademark rights of our client, Thailand’s largest state-owned energy conglomerate, and its subsidiary. In this case, the defendants had filed 52 trademark applications mimicking our client’s marks, making it the largest trademark squatting dispute in Thai history. On April 30, 2025, the IP&IT Court ordered the cancellation of multiple infringing trademarks, setting a benchmark for IP enforcement against trademark squatters in Thailand. The other three recognized cases demonstrate Tilleke & Gibbins’ breadth of expertise in IP litigation: Patent infringement and invalidation involving trade secrets misappropriation. Trade dress infringement of a unique packaging. Landmark Luckin Coffee case involving trademark infringement and invalidation. The IP&IT Court handles approximately 200 IP civil litigation cases each year, and our IP litigation team has typically been involved in 25–30% of them, reflecting our dominant role in shaping IP jurisprudence in Thailand.
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.

Awards & Rankings

September 30, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has been named a finalist in two categories at the IFLR and International Tax Review (ITR) Asia-Pacific Awards 2026. The firm is shortlisted for Thailand National Firm of the Year at the IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards, which recognize innovative cross-border transactions and the firms, teams, and transactions shaping the region’s legal and financial landscape. Tilleke & Gibbins is also shortlisted for Thailand Tax Firm of the Year at the ITR Asia-Pacific Tax Awards. The awards recognize leading firms and practitioners across the region for their work in direct tax, indirect tax, tax disputes, and transfer pricing. The winners will be announced at a joint awards ceremony on November 12, 2026, at the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong. For more information, please see the full shortlists for the IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards 2026 and the ITR Asia-Pacific Awards 2026.
September 29, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has been named a finalist in four categories at the ALB Indonesia Law Awards 2026, highlighting the strength of the firm’s Indonesia practice across intellectual property, life sciences, and technology. The firm has been shortlisted in three firm categories: Intellectual Property Firm of the Year Medical and Healthcare Firm of the Year TMT Firm of the Year In addition, Wongrat Ratanaprayul, partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Indonesia operations, has been shortlisted for Woman Lawyer of the Year (Law Firms). The ALB Indonesia Law Awards recognize outstanding law firms, in-house teams, legal professionals, and transactions in Indonesia. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 22, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta. For more information, please see the full shortlist for the ALB Indonesia Law Awards 2026.
September 24, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has earned firm and individual recognition across Southeast Asia in the inaugural edition of the Copyright 1000, a new guide to the world’s leading copyright professionals published jointly by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) and World Trademark Review (WTR). The firm’s offices in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam were each recognized in the rankings. These results highlight the strength of Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional copyright practice and its capabilities in helping clients protect, commercialize, and enforce their copyright assets across Southeast Asia. Six Tilleke & Gibbins practitioners also received individual recommendations: Indonesia Wongrat Ratanaprayul Thailand Alan Adcock Somboon Earterasarun Suebsiri Taweepon Vietnam Linh Duy Mai Loc Xuan Le Dedicated exclusively to copyright law and practice, the Copyright 1000 rankings identify leading firms and practitioners across key jurisdictions worldwide. The rankings are based on qualitative research assessing factors such as depth of expertise, market standing, and the sophistication of firms’ and practitioners’ work. For more information, please see the full Copyright 1000 rankings.
September 23, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has received eight nominations for the Managing IP Asia-Pacific Awards 2026, recognizing the strength of the firm’s intellectual property practice across Southeast Asia. The firm has been shortlisted in the following categories: Asia-Pacific Firm of the Year (Domestic) 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 In addition, Darani Vachanavuttivong, managing partner and managing director of the firm’s intellectual property practice, has been shortlisted for Asia-Pacific Practitioner of the Year (General Law Firms). The eight nominations reflect the continued recognition of Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional capabilities in intellectual property protection, commercialization, and enforcement. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on November 5, 2026. For more information, please see the full Managing IP Asia-Pacific Awards 2026 shortlist.

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