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| Tilleke
& Gibbins
had its beginnings
as a sole proprietorship in 1890, the year when Mr. William
Alfred Tilleke, a Ceylonese, landed in Siam (now Thailand) to
start his career as a solicitor. He made a name for himself
in 1893 when he successfully defended Phra Yod Muang Kwang,
a Thai provincial governor, against accusations of murdering
a French military officer in a border skirmish. In later years,
Mr. Tilleke was bestowed a peerage and elevated by H.M. the
King to eventually become Maha Ammart Tho Phraya Attakarn Prasiddhi.
He was also appointed the second Attorney General of Siam. In
1902, he was joined in the Firm by Mr. Ralph Gibbins, an Englishman,
who remained for seven years before leaving in 1909 to become
a legal advisor in the Siamese Ministry of Justice, then in
1916 as an advisor to and then a judge of the International
Court. |
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Mr.
William Tilleke
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Mr.
Ralph Gibbins
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Mr.
S. Brighouse
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Mr.
R. D.
Atkinson
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Mr. Victor Jaques
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Mr.
S. Brighouse, followed by Mr. R. D. Atkinson and later
Mr. Victor Jaques, all British, carried on the Firm
from 1909 through 1941, retaining the original name.
All became prominent men in the local community assisting
the Royal Family, various agencies of the Siamese government,
and many companies which became household names in Siam
and the region. Danish and Thai staff maintained the
traditions of the Firm during World War II. Mr. Jaques,
a highly decorated officer in World War I, rejoined
the British Army in 1941 in India. He was assigned as
the senior British Officer in Force 136 attached to
the Free Thai Movement and was secreted into Thailand
as a Brigadier in 1945. After a brief stint as British
Military Governor of Bangkok, Mr. Jaques returned to
the Firm in 1946 as the only remaining partner. |
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Mr.
Albert Lyman |
Mrs.
Freda Lyman
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Mr. Albert Lyman, after
serving with the Justice Departments of U.S. military governments
in Okinawa, South Korea and Japan, acquired Tilleke &
Gibbins in 1951. He was later joined in the Firm by his wife,
Freda Ring Lyman, also an American lawyer. Both made substantial
contributions to the Thai community during their lifetimes.
Mr. Lyman was a founder of the American Association of Thailand
(now the American Chamber of Commerce), a founder and Chairman
of the Bangkok Stock Exchange (now the Stock Exchange of Thailand),
and recipient of the Spanish Civil Order of Merit. Mrs. Lyman,
who received the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
5th Class in 1961 for her work with the Foundation for Crippled
Children, was the first foreign woman to be decorated by H.M.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
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In 1973, as a result of the Alien Business Act, the Firm became
a registered ordinary partnership with Mr. Albert Lyman and
Mr. Rojvit Periera, a Thai, being partners in the Firm. Mr.
Periera joined the Firm in 1946 as a young attorney and during
his long career, he built a reputation as one of Thailand's
foremost trial lawyers. In addition to practicing law, he
took an active interest in business and civic affairs. He
played an instrumental role in the formation of the Franco-Thai
Chamber of Commerce in Paris and was also an active Rotarian,
achieving the distinction of becoming Rotary Club's first
District Governor for Thailand in 1982.
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Mr.
Rojvit Periera
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Carrying on the family's
legal tradition, Mr.
David Lyman joined the Firm in 1967 after a career
in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service. He became a partner in
1984, succeeding his father. He then became a Senior Partner
and Director until 2003, when he assumed the position of Chairman
of the Board. He has not only distinguished himself in the
law practice but has also become one of Thailand's best-known
American residents through his activities and services to
the Thai government and to the Thai and foreign business and
social communities. He has received several awards including
a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Department of
Commerce in 1987, Distinguished Service Award from the American
Chamber of Commerce in Thailand in 1990, and Certificate of
Achievement from the Prime Minister of Thailand as Chairman
of the Board of Investment in 1990 and 1992. He was a founder
executive board member of Lex Mundi in 1989 and an 18-year
member and a Program Fellow of the World Economic Forum; is
a member of the Anti-Corruption Commission of the International
Chamber of Commerce, Paris, a founder board member of the
Thailand Chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce,
and a member of the Environment Law Commission of the World
Conservation Union (IUCN). Since 2003, he has been on the
Advisory Board of the International Crisis Group, Brussels.
In 2006, the American Chamber of Commerce awarded Mr. Lyman
a plaque of appreciation in recognition of 50 years of service
and support given by him and Tilleke & Gibbins to the
Chamber.
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Mr. David Lyman
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Recognizing the expanding opportunities in Vietnam, the Firm,
in 1989, established Tilleke
& Gibbins Consultants Limited to provide investment
and legal consulting services for businesses engaged in commercial
activities in Vietnam. In 1992, Tilleke & Gibbins became
the first foreign law firm to receive a license to establish
a representative office in Vietnam. This was the Firm's first
office abroad. The office, situated in Ho Chi Minh City, was
followed by the establishment in 1994 of a representative
branch office in Hanoi. In 1996, both offices were awarded
full branch law office licenses.
The end of the
century ushered in some significant changes for the new millennium.
The most important of these was the creation, on January 1,
2000, of a new limited company, Tilleke & Gibbins International
Ltd., to accommodate the increased involvement of the Firm's
lawyers in running the Firm and expand its capacity to meet
the needs of its rapidly growing client base. All the assets,
personnel, and professional service functions of the Firm
were transferred to the new company. In 2002, a major reorganization
led to the naming of new partners.
In 2005, having observed
an increase in clients requiring advice on real estate and
other projects in Phuket and being aware of the expanding
commercial opportunities in the province, Tilleke
& Gibbins International Phuket Ltd. was incorporated
and the firm opened an office there in June 2005.
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In August 2006, Mrs.
Darani Vachanavuttivong (the former Ms. Vipa Chuenjaipanich)
and Ms.
Tiziana Sucharitkul were appointed as Co-Managing
Partners of the Firm. Their appointments represented
the fifth generation of leadership of the firm since its founding
in 1890, the first time the firm has been led solely by Thais,
and the first time that the firm has been led by professional
women. Under their leadership,
the various support groups implement the policies made by the
Board of Directors in conducting the affairs of the Firm. |
Mrs. Darani Vachanavuttivong
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Ms. Tiziana
Sucharitkul
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On August 1, 2008,
the Firm and Pacific Legal Group (Thailand) Ltd. merged their
practices, operating under the name of Tilleke & Gibbins
International Ltd. This combination allowed the Firm to offer
clients Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Ministry
of Agriculture (MOA) registration and regulatory compliance
services of the highest quality rendered by the largest and
most experienced group of Thai FDA and MOA registration and
regulatory compliance specialists.
For two decades, the
Firm operated from the Tilleke & Gibbins Building, its
four-story headquarters purposely designed and built in 1987
in a green zone opposite the American Embassy, and since 2000
leased additional office space in nearby Tonson Building to
accommodate its rapidly growing number of lawyers and staff.
Upon the expiration of the lease on the Tilleke & Gibbins
Building from the Crown Property Bureau and without an option
to renew, the Firm searched for and found a new home in Supalai
Grand Tower. In September 2008, the Firm moved to its new,
spacious state-of-the-art offices at the Supalai Grand Tower
consisting of 7 floors to house its big family of more than
300 members.
MULTI-SERVICE LAW
FIRM
More than 5,000 corporate
and business clients from over 109 countries are currently
sending a wide variety of work to the Firm. These clients
include national government agencies; banks and other financial
institutions; P&I Clubs, shipping, freight forwarding,
and courier companies; airlines and travel-related companies;
the construction and engineering industries; environmental
services and equipment suppliers; electrical, electronics,
communications, computer, and hi-tech manufacturers; software
developers; information technology services; pharmaceutical
and chemical companies; cosmetics firms; garment manufacturers,
fashion houses, and retailers; food and beverage companies;
toy, jewelry, farm equipment, business equipment, and other
types of manufacturers, marketers, and distributors; insurance
brokers; petroleum drilling and service companies; commercial
and trading houses; advertising and other service firms; collection
agencies; religious groups; news bureaus; and private social
clubs and foundations.
Tilleke & Gibbins
is the exclusive member firm for Thailand of Lex
Mundi, the world's leading association of independent
law firms with more than 160 member firms;
Multilaw, a multinational association of
66 independent law firms; State
Capital Global Law Firm Group, an international
association of over 130 independent law firms; TAGLaw,
a worldwide network of more than 140 independent law firms;
and Pacific Rim Advisory
Council, a strategic worldwide alliance of 32 top-tier
independent law firms. It is also the law firm member for
Thailand of World
Services Group, a global multidisciplinary network
of the world's leading professional service firms. In addition,
the Firm is the partner firm in Thailand of TRACE,
a worldwide non-profit membership association committed to
anti-bribery compliance. These memberships and alliances promote
the professional exchange of information about local and global
practice and create opportunities for referral of work, which
enhances the Firm's ability to serve the needs of clients.
Efficient and responsive
service to international clients is expedited by the Firm's
modern communications and computer facilities. Reference and
research assistance is provided by professional librarians
in the Firm's library and resource center, one of the best
and most current legal libraries in Thailand. Technical and
marketing consultations, commercial collections, and investigative
and technical language translation services are available.
Solicitors and professional
business counselors provide advice and assistance regarding
trade with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China, and the
development of new and expanding commercial interests and
business investments in these countries. The Firm's specialists
in real estate and construction provide much needed services
arising from the continued boom in these sectors. The Firm
is also a leader in environmental law practice and has co-authored
for the Thai government major law reforms in this field. As
for maritime practice, the Firm has for more than 50 years
served the maritime world for shipping activities in Thai
waters.
The Firm's top-ranking
intellectual property practice is one of the largest and most
active in Thailand, registering the rights of intellectual
property owners and protecting them against infringement,
counterfeiting, and piracy. As a result of the Firm's successes
in these activities, it was invited to join the Counterforce
Network of the Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau
of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Rounding out its full
client services, the Firm has a large dispute resolution and
litigation department to secure and defend clients' interests
in the courts throughout the nation and arbitration tribunals.
The Firm's outstanding
reputation in the legal community led to its designation by
Martindale-Hubbell as revisers of the Thailand and Vietnam
Law Digests since 1995 and 1997 respectively.
Tilleke
& Gibbins practices law independently and not in a relationship
for the joint practice of law.
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