Practices
Intellectual Property

Location
Thailand

Languages
Thai
English
French

Education

LLM, University of Strasbourg

LLB, Chulalongkorn University

Waralee Sripawadkul
+66 2056 5869

Biography

Waralee Sripawadkul is a senior associate in Tilleke & Gibbins’ intellectual property group in Bangkok. She assists clients with trademark and copyright matters, covering prosecution, enforcement, and litigation across various industries. Additionally, Waralee plays a key role in shaping IP strategies, offering guidance on complex cross-border licensing and commercialization initiatives. Her expertise also encompasses advising on legal compliance in advertising and media, as well as conducting thorough due diligence on IP assets.

Waralee graduated with an LLB from Chulalongkorn University and obtained an LLM in Intellectual Property Law and International Business from the Center for International Intellectual Property Studies at the University of Strasbourg in France. She is an admitted member of the Thai Bar Association and the Lawyers Council of Thailand and has completed the barrister-at-law requirements of the Thai Bar Association’s Institute of Legal Education.


Experience
  • Assisted a US-based multinational corporation’s in relation to television streaming services by providing comprehensive support through all development and production phases for producing shows, films, and TV series. The work involved ensuring legal compliance with local laws and international standards and addressing various legal considerations (such as IP protection, employment regulations, PDPA compliance, NDAs, leasing agreements, right to publicity issues, anti-harassment policies, and anti-discrimination protocols).
  • Advised a world-leading American multinational e-commerce platform and cloud computing on the legal framework necessary for delivering cloud storage services.
  • Assisted a prominent Japanese global manufacturer specializing in agriculture, water, and living environment products by reviewing legal compliance for all of its advertisements and promotional activities in Thailand.
  • Assisted in a monumental THB 1.6 billion IP asset acquisition project for one of the globe’s top three most influential multinational leaders in the music-based entertainment industry, involving the music asset acquisition of over 10,000 master recordings and 6,000 copyrights, publishing rights, and licenses spanning from 1981 to 2022, showcasing the artistic endeavors of over 960 creators, from Thailand’s second-largest music record label.
  • Assisted one of the world’s most renowned and rapidly expanding audiovisual streaming entertainment companies, headquartered in the United States, by analyzing and providing expert advice on the legal landscape and local protocols for music licensing in Thailand.
  • Assisted a prominent Hong Kong-based panregional over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service company by reviewing its program license agreements and publishing license agreements with a local Thai production company to facilitate the launch of featured content in Thailand.
  • Assisted one of the world’s largest restaurant brands, a leading chain based in the US with over 44,000 locations, in reviewing its franchise agreements and managing the trademark licensing process for all franchisee branches in Thailand.
  • Assisted a Swedish-based retail giant operating 422 stores in over 50 countries by reviewing agreements with its local distributors for operating both physical and online retail outlets.
  • Assisted one of the UK’s most iconic lifestyle footwear brands by reviewing and negotiating franchise agreement contracts for the operation of stores in Thailand.
  • Assisted an American multinational world-class hospitality company, specializing in managing and franchising a broad portfolio of hotels, resorts, and timeshare properties, in reviewing its intellectual property license agreements for the use of its marks in local operations in Thailand.
  • Assisted a Thailand-based international diversified energy provider by reviewing its software license agreement, and advised the company on measures to safeguard copyright ownership of IP rights arising from the public/end user’s use of the software.
  • Assisted the world’s premier Italian-based conglomerate in the chocolates and confectionery industry by safeguarding its renowned brands and distinctive packaging through comprehensive trademark registrations, management of trademark portfolios, enforcement of intellectual property rights against infringers, and negotiation for mutually beneficial coexistence agreements with counterparties.
  • Assisted one of the world’s highest-grossing multimedia companies, headquartered in China, by reviewing and providing strategic advice on the potential risks associated with using music copyrights in one of Asia’s most widely broadcast game shows.
  • Assisted the world’s #1 beauty app developer in safeguarding its software copyright and providing strategic advice on enforcement measures to protect its most valuable business assets.
  • Assisted Thailand’s largest record label by counseling on copyright protection matters in relation to master recordings, scrutinizing and refining various service agreement templates to safeguard the label’s interests in compliance with Thai legislation, and fostering equitable relationships with counterparties.
  • Advised an esteemed Australian luxury cosmetics and skincare brand on securing appropriate music copyright licenses for the purpose of in-store music utilization.
  • Assisted one of the most influential and prolific street artists in safeguarding their iconic street art copyrights, while also negotiating merchandising contracts and service agreements with prospective partners.
  • Assisted an esteemed Italian-based beverage company, renowned for its production of world-class sparkling wines, in safeguarding the use of its geographical indications and enforcing its exclusive rights against infringers in Thailand.
  • Assisted one of the world’s industry-leading suppliers of programming, with over 70 series currently in production across US-based broadcast networks, in safeguarding and managing portfolios of its brands, which involved enforcing exclusive copyright and trademark rights for its TV show names and characters in Thailand.
  • Assisted one of the globe’s most esteemed designers in safeguarding his signature red-soled shoes and fashion accessories, including executing measures to uphold his IP rights against unauthorized use and providing comprehensive training to enforcement officers on detecting counterfeit merchandise.
  • Assisted one of the world’s leading office equipment manufacturers, based in Japan and renowned as the largest copier manufacturer globally, in safeguarding and effectively managing the portfolios of its brands within Thailand.
  • Assisted one of the world’s foremost US-based oil and gas corporations in safeguarding its esteemed brands, overseeing its extensive trademark portfolio, and vigorously defending its intellectual property rights against infringement, in addition to advocating for the client in groundbreaking cases to secure nontraditional trademark registrations for its gas stations and fuel dispensers.
  • Assisted a renowned UK-based producer of tea and beverages in safeguarding and managing its extensive portfolio of brands, products, and packaging designs across sweets and beverage items.
  • Assisted a US-based leader in computer-drive and data-storage technology and solutions manufacturing by analyzing infringement cases, implementing enforcement actions to protect its intellectual property rights against infringers, and providing training sessions for IP enforcement officers on identification of counterfeit products.
  • Assisted a Japan-based world-leading manufacturer of personal care and pet care products in safeguarding its copyright for product packaging in Thailand.
  • Assisted a Swedish multinational manufacturer of luxury vehicles, trucks, buses, construction equipment, and marine and industrial engines, in safeguarding and overseeing its brand portfolio in Thailand, in addition to enforcing rights against numerous infringers in Thailand.
  • Assisted a Belgium-based company globally renowned for its iconic Biscoff cookie in safeguarding and overseeing the portfolio of its brand and product designs, particularly focusing on the distinctive Biscoff cookies and packaging, recognized as both trade dress and nontraditional trademarks in Thailand.
  • Represented one of the world’s foremost US-based oil and gas corporations in groundbreaking cases to secure nontraditional trademark registrations for its gas stations and fuel dispensers, culminating in a triumph at the Intellectual Property and International Trade Court, further advancing to the Supreme Court.
  • Represented an American multinational mass media, and entertainment conglomerate specializing in TV programming and broadcasting in litigation against Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property to protect its TV show name, securing favorable judgments at the Intellectual Property and International Trade Court and the appeals court.
  • Represented a prominent supply chain technology and service provider headquartered in China in litigation proceedings against Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property, aimed at safeguarding its platform brands in Thailand, culminating in a triumph at the Intellectual Property and International Trade Court, further advancing to the Supreme Court.
  • Represented a renowned global sports footwear and apparel manufacturer in litigating against Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property to safeguard its paramount position mark, which adorns every one of the client’s shoes sold in Thailand. This case garnered significant attention, given the intricate challenges associated with obtaining and enforcing protection for the position mark within Thailand.
  • Represented a distinguished Canada-based hospitality conglomerate, renowned for its management of hotels, resorts, and residential properties across 47 countries, in legal proceedings against Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property and an infringing party who used the client’s iconic trademark without authorization.
  • Assisted the World Bearing Association in coordinating and facilitating annual training sessions aimed at raising awareness among Thai legal enforcement agencies, including the Department of Special Investigation, Customs, and the Department of Intellectual Property, regarding the identification of counterfeit goods.