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

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited
93/1 UNIT 902, 9F GPF WITTHAYU TOWER B
WIRELESS ROAD, PATHUMWAN
BANGKOK 10330
Thailand

Thailand > Dispute resolution: international arbitration Tier 1

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited is lauded for its ‘wealth of dispute resolution experience across a broad geographic and industry background’. The group is particularly active in industry sectors, notably energy, construction and infrastructure projects. Sitting at the head of the practice is Steven Burkill, Kay Kian Tan, Ratthakarn Boonnua and Tossaporn Sumpiputtanadacha. Burkill specialises in disputes of a cross-border nature, while Tan is well versed in power and energy disputes. Boonnua regularly represents energy and construction companies in arbitration work. Sumpiputtanadacha focuses his practice on international litigation and international arbitration. Bhavish Advani is also a key name within the group for his focus on interntional commercial arbitration.

Practice head(s):

Steven Burkill; Kay Kian Tan; Ratthakarn Boonnua; Tossaporn Sumpiputtanadacha

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘WFW is professional, hardworking, and innovative.’

‘Tossaporn is impressive and excellent. He actively and comprehensively provides suggestions and the legal strategy.’

‘WFW team has the unique strengths for internal and external collaborations such as ability to connect the relevant expert to our case with appropriate timing. Their internal collaboration is also excellent. They utilise their internal legal expertise from their international resources.’

‘Kay Kian is a qualified partner for team leader. His leadership skills are excellent to coordinate the different experts.

‘The team has a wealth of dispute resolution experience across a broad geographic and industry backgrounds.’

‘Steve Burkill as the lead partner is my main contact. Very experienced and very pragmatic. Looks for what’s best for the client.’

Key clients

Department of Mineral Fuels, Ministry of Energy, Government of Thailand

Supreme Treon Private Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising and acting for the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Energy in a arbitration, relating to decommissioning disputes with oil major concessionaries concerning assets in the Gulf of Thailand.
  • Acting for a Chinese state-owned construction company in a Hong Kong-seated HKIAC arbitration relating to construction and payment disputes with the developer of a luxury hospitality/residential resort development in Phuket.

Thailand > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited‘s team is well versed in court proceedings in Thailand, notably civil litigation, tort, employment, insurance, commercial and rehabilitation claims. The group is active in the energy, construction, hotel and infrastructure industries. Steven Burkill, Kay Kian Tan, Ratthakarn Boonnua and Tossaporn Sumpiputtanadacha jointly oversee the practice. Burkill specialises in international disputes involving oil and gas, power and large-scale projects. Tan enjoys a strong reputation in construction, hospitality, energy and shipping disputes. Boonnua is a key contact for matters involving international trade, employment and business crime. Sumpiputtanadacha specialises in international business law and international litigation matters.

Practice head(s):

Steven Burkill; Kay Kian Tan; Ratthakarn Boonnua; Tossaporn Sumpiputtanadacha

Testimonials

‘The team at WFW led by Tossaporn is a mixture of international and Thai counsel who work smoothly in cross boarder litigation. They truly understand the nature of international dispute resolution.’

‘Tossaporn is a go-to lawyer for dispute resolution. He understands the client and can come up with practical strategies which align with client’s expectation.’

‘The team is friendly yet professional, dedicated, organised, and knowledgeable.’

‘Ratthakarn Boonnua is the one you should go to for any disputes. He is simply a top-notch lawyer. His years of experience give you that peace of mind. You feel you are in good hands.’

‘The team consistently provide sound legal advice while maintaining a fair and objective perspective, ensuring all parties are heard and considered. Their professionalism and commitment to finding equitable solutions make them a valuable asset in resolving conflicts efficiently and fairly.’

‘Highly competent professionals in dispute resolution. The balanced approach and thorough understanding of the law are instrumental in navigating challenging disputes.’

Key clients

AGC Automotive (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

PTTEP Energy Development Company Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising and representing a leading Thai automotive manufacturer against a Thai supplier of solar roof equipment in a civil claim for breach of contract.

Thailand > Transport Tier 1

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited possesses notable strength in the aviation, maritime, infrastructure and logistics sectors. The team has been particularly active in advising on cross-border maritime matters and acting for creditors of major airlines with their restructurings following the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-head Kay Kian Tan enjoys a strong reputation in shipping disputes, and also handles mandates in the oil and gas and power sectors. Fellow co-leader Alan Polivnick is highlighted for his extensive aviation and airline operations expertise, and handles financing, leasing, M&A, restructuring and dispute resolution matters.

Practice head(s):

Kay Kian Tan; Alan Polivnick

Testimonials

‘Very responsive, collaborative, commercially orientated and knowledgeable.’

Key clients

Air Charter Services

Air Lease Corporation

Chromalloy

LATAM Airlines Group

ACIA Aero Leasing (Ireland) Company Limited

Agoda

Unical Air

Minsheng Commercial Aviation (Ireland) Company Limited

Crowell & Moring

El Al Israel Airlines

DAC Beechcroft LLP

CTS International Logistics Corporation Limited

Atlantic Forwarding Ltd.

Shanghai Minsheng shipping Co., Ltd.

Work highlights

  • Advising Chromalloy on a global restructuring and a corporate restructuring.
  • Advising Shanghai Minsheng shipping Co., Ltd. on an annual retainer basis in relation to the daily operations of the joint venture in Thailand.
  • Advising Air Charter on the establishment of its Thai operations.

Thailand > Insurance Tier 2

With specialist expertise in the banking and finance, hospitality, construction, and logistics sectors, Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited frequently assists insurers and reinsurers with claims in these areas. Sitting at the head of the practice is Kay Kian Tan, who is regularly relied upon by international insurance and reinsurance companies on dispute resolution matters. Tan is ably supported by Rachapol Sirikulchit who regularly represents individual high-net-worth clients and corporates in the insurance space before the Thai courts.

Practice head(s):

Kay Kian Tan

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Agoda

Work highlights

Thailand > Projects and energy Tier 3

With a strong focus on power, renewable energy, oil and gas, mining and commodities, the group at Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited is well positioned to advise on project finance, EPC agreements, site due diligence and environmental compliance. Co-head Steven Burkill excels in arbitrations involving oil and gas and power projects, demonstrating notable strength in renewable energy disputes. Fellow co-leader Linh Doan has significant experience working on the development and financing of power plants and renewable projects. Ratthakarn Boonnua is another key contact in the practice.

Practice head(s):

Steve Burkill; Linh Doan

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Department of Mineral Fuels, Ministry of Energy, Government of Thailand

Wind Energy Holdings

PTTEP Energy Development Company Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising and acting for the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Energy in a multi-billion US dollar arbitration, relating to decommissioning disputes with oil major concessionaries concerning assets in the Gulf of Thailand.
  • Advising Wind Energy Holdings (WEH) on the construction of Turbine Supply and Operations and Maintenance agreements for WEH’s wind farm project companies.

Thailand > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

Watson Farley & Williams (Thailand) Limited regularly handles cross-border M&A and joint ventures in the energy, transport, and infrastructure sectors. Linh Doan and Piyanuj (Lui) Ratprasatporn are both of those responsible for leading the practice. Ratprasatporn is a specialist in compliance and legal requirements in relation to a range of corporate operations and foreign direct investment in Thailand.

Practice head(s):

Linh Doan; Piyanuj (Lui) Ratprasatporn

Other key lawyers:

Kasma Visitkitjakarn

Key clients

Shanghai Minsheng shipping Co., Ltd.

Pindao Holdings Hong Kong Limited

Newtech Textile (Cayman) International

CTS International Logistics Corporation Limited.

Atlantic Forwarding

Thai Rent a Car Holding

Guardforce AI

Infinity Spa Services Company Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised Thai Rent a Car Holding on its acquisition of a strategic stake in the Electric Vehicle Company Ryde Culture.
  • Advising Atlantic Forwarding on the corporate restructuring, capital increment, and shares allocation among the shareholders of its Thai freight forwarding operations.
  • Advising Guardforce AI on its NASDQ underwritten public offering & uplisting.

Australia > Dispute resolution: litigation

Established in 2021, Watson Farley & Williams LLP‘s Sydney offering handles dispute and litigation matters involving both English and Australian law within the Asia Pacific region. The team’s clientele includes companies from the transport, energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. Steven Burkill leads the team from Thailand, while Alan Polivnick and Nathan Eastwood are key names in Australia.
The Firm

Watson Farley & Williams is a leading international law firm advising clients operating in the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors. With a network of offices spanning Asia, Europe and the USA, we bring together technical excellence and deep industry knowledge to deliver unparalleled advice on complex transactions and disputes.

Principal Areas of Work

In all our core sectors, we provide integrated and commercially focussed advice across a broad range of capital markets, corporate, finance, dispute resolution, employment, real estate, regulatory and tax matters.

  • Senior Partner: George Paleokrassas
  • Managing Partner: Lindsey Keeble
  • Energy (Mining; Oil and Gas; Power and Renewables; and Commodities and International Trade) – key contacts: Henry Stewart; María Pilar García Guijarro; and Clarinda Tjia-Dharmadi
  • Infrastructure (Airports; Digital and E-Infrastructure; Ports and Terminals; Roads, Bridges and Tunnels; and Social Infrastructure) – key contacts: Florian Kutzbach and José María Anarte
  • Transport (Aviation and Aerospace; Maritime; and Rail) – key contacts: Jim Bell and George Macheras
Energy – Mining

We leverage the wealth of experience across our global network to support industry players across the whole mining life cycle, including in the emerging sectors of seabed and space mining, as well as investor-state dispute settlement.

We are the go-to advisors for all mining participants from owners/licensees, developers and sponsors to financiers, contractors and governments. Operating globally and in areas beyond national jurisdiction enables us to advise on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters in all the major mineral-producing areas of the world, from Africa and Australasia to Asia and the Americas.

Energy – Oil & Gas

We have over 30 years’ direct industry experience advising clients across the whole of the oil and gas value chain, covering upstream, midstream and downstream. We also have in-depth knowledge of new fuels and gases such as LNG, hydrogen, ammonia and SAF to help support the industry’s energy transition.

Clients include exploration, development and production companies, traders, offshore services, storage and distribution companies, refinery developers and operators, funds and investors, banks and governments.

Energy – Power and Renewables

With an international offering of sector specialist lawyers, we are the natural choice for clients across the power and renewables space. We have long been at the forefront of new technology and developments in the industry and have a successful track record advising on all aspects of the value chain and life cycle of projects from conventional power to renewables such as onshore and offshore wind, solar, biomass, and waste to energy.

By leveraging our regulatory, transactional, ESG and dispute resolution experience, we offer an unrivalled full service in sector to clients including developers, investors, sponsors, financiers, contractors and both governments and government entities.

Energy – Commodities and International Trade

We offer a comprehensive sector offering covering disputes, structured trade finance, sanctions and regulatory, ESG, project development & finance, and corporate matters.

Our historical focus on the energy, infrastructure and maritime sectors, which each have strong synergies with commodities and international trade, give us a unique 360-degree perspective, allowing us to support our clients operating in these sectors across all key service lines.

Clients include major corporates, trading houses, mining majors, energy traders, banks, independent trade financiers, investment funds and agricultural and food companies.

Infrastructure

With the global demand for infrastructure rapidly increasing, we support our clients on major projects around the world.

We act for a broad range of participants across transport-relevant infrastructures ranging from airports, ports and terminals, rail and roads, bridges and tunnels. We also work on energy-relevant projects ranging from transmission and storage, water and waste management and renewable energy assets, as well as social infrastructure to emerging sub-sectors such as smart and digital infrastructure.

Our multi-disciplinary team, based across our global network of offices, provides first-rate advice and guidance to all participants in the infrastructure sector.

Transport – Aviation and Aerospace

Always abreast of trends within the aviation and aerospace sectors, we have over 40 years’ experience advising key industry stakeholders. These include aircraft and engine leasing companies, banks and financial institutions, funds and investors, export credit agencies, airlines, tour operators and manufacturers.

What propels our service beyond that of our competitors is our active involvement in making impactful changes to the industry at a global level. This includes being the principal advisors to the Aviation Working Group (AWG) and the prime choice for legal advice focussing on the decarbonisation of the industry, alternative fuels and emissions reduction.

Transport – Maritime

With the largest dedicated maritime legal practice worldwide, we have been helping clients address the industry’s ups and downs for over 40 years.

Our unrivalled shipping experience attracts clients including shipowners, charterers, ship managers, P&I and FD&D insurers, investors, banks and financiers with substantial shipping portfolios. Areas of special expertise include maritime infrastructure, commercial shipping, container shipping and logistics, offshore oil & gas, cruise, commercial contracts, sanctions, disputes and regulatory, loan portfolios and restructuring.

We are at the forefront of the industry move towards decarbonisation, including having advised on the development of the Poseidon Principles to support the IMO’s goal to reduce shipping’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050.

Photo Name Position Profile
Ratthakarn Boonnua photo Ratthakarn Boonnua Ratthakarn has served as lead trial lawyer in high profile multi-jurisdictional cases…
Steven Burkill photo Steven Burkill Steven specialises in complex international disputes, in particular, London and Asia-based arbitrations…
Kay Kian Tan photo Kay Kian Tan Kay Kian specialises in the energy, maritime and insurance sectors, where he…
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