Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited > Bangkok, Thailand > Firm Profile

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited > The Legal 500 Rankings

Thailand > Dispute resolution: international arbitration Tier 1

Leveraging its expansive network of offices, Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited is capable of providing international arbitration and litigation services for clients situated in the transport, energy and infrastructure sectors. Notably, the team is also routinely engaged by litigation funders such as Augusta Ventures and Lighthouse. Steven Burkill, Kay Kian Tan, Ratthakarn Boonnua and Tossaporn Sumpiputtanadacha combine their vast experience to lead the practice. Burkill is well-versed in managing international disputes, while Tan counts a host of corporates and multinationals in his client roster. Boonnua bolsters the practice with his experience in international trade and business crime, among others, and Sumpiputtanadacha excels in international business law as well as international litigation and arbitration.

Thailand > Dispute resolution Tier 1

With notable expertise in the transport, energy and real estate sectors, Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited is experienced in handling Thai court proceedings, court judgments and arbitral awards. Key clients on its roster include leading energy corporations and government agencies. The practice, which is praised for its ‘wealth of experience and strong track record’, is jointly helmed by Steven Burkill, Kay Kian Tan, Ratthakarn Boonnua and Tossaporn Sumpiputtanadacha. Burkill is vastly experienced in oil and gas, power and large-scale projects, while Tan focuses on disputes arising from the power and energy, international trade, transport and insurance sectors. Boonnua is routinely entrusted by clients to assist with multi-jurisdictional cases and Sumpiputtanadacha specialises in international business law, litigation and arbitration.

Thailand > Transport Tier 1

Active across the aviation, maritime, automotive and logistics sectors, Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited has demonstrable experience in handling the full range of contentious and non-contentious mandates, in addition to regulatory issues. The team notably acts for clients on international marine matters, as well as domestic litigation cases. With noteworthy expertise in dry shipping, practice co-leader Kay Kian Tan handles disputes concerning bills of lading, charterparties and commodities, including crude oil products, coal and rice. Based in Sydney, fellow co-head Alan Polivnick advises on all aspects of aviation and airline operations, including finance and leasing, M&A, insolvency and restructuring and disputes.

Thailand > Insurance Tier 2

Counting local and global insurers in its client roster, Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited handles contentious and non-contentious insurance matters, with recent involvement in the hospitality, construction and logistics sectors. Jointly helming the practice is Kay Kian Tan, who advises international insurance and reinsurance companies on dispute resolution cases, and Sydney-based Alan Polivnick, who is routinely engaged in a broad array of insurance work, such as insurance and reinsurance litigation, as well as advising clients on regulatory requirements. Tossaporn Sumpiputtanadacha is another key contact in the group.

Thailand > Labour and employment Tier 3

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited's considerable experience extends from employment contracts and labour compliance mandates to employment disputes in the Labour Court. Ratthakarn Boonnua leads the practice, advising across the full suite of contentious and non-contentious matters, and counting maritime, insurance and energy sector clients in his roster. Piyanuj (Lui) Ratprasatporn's expertise spans corporate and commercial-related employment matters, as well as immigration and work permit-related issues.

Thailand > Projects and energy Tier 3

With notable expertise in the renewable energy arena, Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited advises clients on all stages of the lifecycle, from environmental compliance through to project finance documentation. The team is also noted for its litigation capability in the wind and solar energy spheres sectors. Steven Burkill leads the team, contributing his experience in the field of international litigation, while Ratthakarn Boonnua’s capabilities encompass litigation and arbitration proceedings.

Thailand > Real estate and construction Tier 3

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited fields a team of corporate and dispute resolution lawyers who service clients from across the industrial and commercial industries, attracting interest from developers, engineering companies and high-net-worth individuals. The practice is led by Kay Kian Tan, who advises corporates and multinationals in arbitration and litigation. The team is bolstered by the expertise of Lyle Andrews, who guides clients through engineering and construction contracts.

Thailand > Restructuring and insolvency Tier 3

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited is principally focused on representing international clients engaged in corporate restructuring for regulatory compliance concerns, as well as handling insolvency and voluntary liquidation proceedings. The team is well-equipped to advise on matters arising out of the aviation, energy and real estate sectors. Piyanuj (Lui) Ratprasatporn leads the practice, and is supported by Ivy Liu. Sydney-based Alan Polivnick is a key contact, contributing his broad capability in handling contentious and non-contentious matters.

Thailand > TMT Tier 3

Counting a range of online platforms, retailers and financial institutions among its key roster of clients, Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited’s varied offering includes patent, licensing and commercial contracts, with additional litigation and arbitration experience. Practice head Piyanuj (Lui) Ratprasatporn is regularly entrusted by clients to handle corporate and commercial operations in the TMT sphere.

Thailand > Banking and finance Tier 4

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited’s banking and finance practice is regularly engaged by global banks, private equity firms and multinational corporations active in the energy, aviation and TMT sectors.

Thailand > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

Piyanuj (Lui) Ratprasatporn leads the team at Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited, which centrally focuses on the energy, transport and infrastructure fields. The team’s variety of undertakings include cross-border M&A, post-closing integration matters, sale and purchase agreements and joint venture agreements. Ratprasatporn specialises in compliance and legal requirements in relation to corporate and commercial operations and foreign direct investment in Thailand. Key contact Ivy Liu assists clients with cross-border transactions, among other issues. Kasma Visitkitjakarn is another key member of the team.

Singapore > Shipping: foreign firms

Watson Farley & Williams LLP‘s group has a particular focus on transactional, financing, litigious and corporate shipping matters. The team acts on the full spectrum of financings, including JOLCO, asset finance, and sustainability backed loan-related matters. Its transactional work includes restructurings and acquisitions. The team’s client base consists of several major financial institutions, banks, and shipping companies. Hong Kong-based maritime finance specialist Madeline Leong, Bangkok-based Steven Burkill and international disputes expert Sumeet Malhotra all oversee the practice. Andrew Nimmo is experienced in offshore oil and gas matters, and Lizzie Roe is worthy of note also.