On August 19, Sher Hann Chua, a consultant in Tilleke & Gibbins’ Bangkok and Yangon offices, presented a session to the Thailand chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) titled “An Overview of Intellectual Property: What to Focus on in the Contract and the Field.” Moderated by Joseph Tomkiewicz, partner and co-chair of Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional energy practice, the session focused on the intellectual property (IP) rights and issues that are most relevant to the oil and gas industry. In discussing IP rights and how they function in the energy sector, Sher Hann presented an overview of trademarks, patents, industrial designs, and copyright, before emphasizing the crucial role that IP plays in major commercial transactions such as mergers and acquisitions. She also analyzed classic IP pitfalls that parties makes when working with others under a contractual arrangement, and providing practical tips on how to avoid these missteps.

Eric Meyer, a foreign consultant in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department, was profiled in the latest issue of Thai-American Business (T-AB), the quarterly magazine of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM). As co-chair of the AMCHAM Legal Committee, Eric is extremely active in the American business community in Thailand. He applies his unique combination of legal expertise and practical awareness of business concerns in Thailand to identify topics and organize events that are interesting and relevant to a broad range of people. In the T-AB profile, Eric recounts how he came to be involved in AMCHAM after joining Tilleke & Gibbins four years ago, and notes that participation in the group has been an excellent way to stay current with the business community and build connections with professionals across various industries. In response to a question on the outlook for ease of doing business in Thailand, Eric sounded a hopeful note, explaining that the country’s strides in the areas of streamlining and digitizing various aspects of doing business should be able to continue after COVID-19, which has actually hastened digitization in several legal areas that had previously been slower to adapt to recent technological advances. Eric now looks forward to continuing to provide important leadership to the AMCHAM Legal Committee as the country and its business community seek to overcome the persistent challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and move toward a sustainable economic recovery.

The latest “Women in Law” report from Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ) includes a profile of Tiziana Sucharitkul, co-managing partner and director of the Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group. The special report includes profiles of 20 highly accomplished female legal professionals from the Asia-Pacific region. Tiziana is the only person from Thailand to be included in the feature. Titled “View from the Top,” the profile of Tiziana focuses on her many leadership roles—not only at the helm of Tilleke & Gibbins but also in executive and advisory positions for various global legal associations. For instance, in 2018–2019 Tiziana served as chair of the board of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading global network of independent law firms, and she currently sits on the board of the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation and is an active participant in the organization’s Women’s Initiative Network to Success. Tiziana also sits on the International Bar Association’s Law Firm Management Committee, which functions as a global forum for leadership and management in the legal practice. Tiziana also spoke with ABLJ about the increasing profile of women lawyers that she has witnessed during her career, noting that she observed the concern about female representation in law firms grow throughout the 1980s and 1990s all the way until the present day, when more women can be seen in management positions, but are still somewhat underrepresented at the managing partner level overall. To read the full “Women in Law” report, please visit the ABLJ website.

Two associates from Tilleke & Gibbins’ Hanoi office shared their thoughts on the impact of blockchain technology on intellectual property in an in-depth article published by Asia IP magazine.