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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

Industries

Consumer Products

Practices

Intellectual Property

Locations

Languages

    Thai

    English

Education

    LLB, Chulalongkorn University

    Master of Management, Chulalongkorn University

    BA, Thammasat University

Insights

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.
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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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Awards & Rankings

June 11, 2026
A total of 11 Tilleke & Gibbins intellectual property practitioners have been recognized in World Trademark Review‘s WTR Global Leaders 2026, an exclusive ranking of the world’s top trademark professionals. This marks an increase from eight practitioners in 2025 and highlights the strength and depth of the firm’s IP team across Southeast Asia. The firm’s recognized practitioners are: Cambodia David Mol Sokmean Chea Indonesia Wongrat Ratanaprayul (New ranking) Myanmar Yuwadee Thean-ngarm Thailand Alan Adcock Darani Vachanavuttivong Somboon Earterasarun Suebsiri Taweepon (New ranking) Nuttaphol Arammuang (New ranking) Vietnam Linh Thi Mai Nguyen Loc Xuan Le WTR Global Leaders draws on research from the WTR 1000 and WTR 300 to identify the very best trademark practitioners worldwide, bringing together a select group of professionals recognized for their expertise, insight, and contributions to the field. The full list of ranked individuals in the private practice category can be viewed here.
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June 4, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has reinforced its position as one of Southeast Asia’s leading patent practices in the newly released IAM Patent 1000 2026, earning top-tier firm rankings in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, alongside 23 individual recognitions across the region. The firm achieved Gold rankings in Thailand and Vietnam and a Highly Recommended ranking in Indonesia—the highest tier available in the jurisdiction—highlighting the strength and consistency of its regional patent practice. This marks the firm’s 14th consecutive year in the top tier for Thailand, seventh consecutive year for Vietnam, and third straight year ranked among Indonesia’s leading firms. The firm’s strong regional performance is further reflected in the individual rankings, with the following Tilleke & Gibbins practitioners recognized for their expertise in patent law: Indonesia Irene Djalim Melinda Ambrizal Wongrat Ratanaprayul Thailand Alan Adcock Atthachai Homhuan Darani Vachanavuttivong Jakkrit Kuanpoth Napagate Triratana Nattriya Supmoon Nuttaphol Arammuang Peeyakorn Suparugbundit San Chaithiraphant Somboon Earterasarun Suebsiri Taweepon Sukontip Jitmongkolthong Wong Vorravitwattana Vietnam Dat Thanh Nguyen Giang Hoang Bach Hien Thi Thu Vu Hung Tuan Nguyen Linh Duy Mai Loc Xuan Le Thanh Phuong Vu The IAM Patent 1000 identifies the world’s leading patent firms and practitioners through extensive qualitative research based on feedback from clients, peers, and industry stakeholders. For more details, please see the IAM Patent 1000 rankings for Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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May 14, 2026
Asian Legal Business (ALB) has published the ALB Asia IP Rankings 2026, the latest edition of its annual guide recognizing leading intellectual property firms across the region. Continuing the approach introduced last year, the rankings present a unified table in each jurisdiction, combining patent and trademark/copyright work to provide a more holistic view of the IP market. Tilleke & Gibbins has retained strong rankings in all three jurisdictions covered by the survey: Thailand: Tier 1 Vietnam: Tier 1 Indonesia: Tier 2 The rankings are based on work conducted between February 2025 and February 2026, covering both ongoing and completed contentious and noncontentious matters. ALB’s research draws on firm submissions, client feedback, editorial resources, and market input to identify the region’s leading IP practices. Tilleke & Gibbins’ IP team has maintained a strong track record across all ranked jurisdictions since the inception of the ALB IP Rankings in 2018. To view the full rankings, please see the May 2026 issue of ALB.
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