Dispute Resolution Department

Partner and Chief Litigator Practice Areas: Competition and Trade; Compliance and Investigations; Customs; Insolvency, Bankruptcy, and Restructuring; Litigation; Mediation and Arbitration; Product Liability; Tax; Transportation

Thawat Damsa-ard is a partner and the chief litigator in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution group. Widely regarded as foreign investors’ attorney of choice for legal conflicts where the outcome directly impacts future operations in Thailand, Thawat litigates fast-moving, high-stakes matters involving product liability, customs, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, white-collar crime, transportation and logistics, and cross-border disputes.

Together with his team of experienced trial lawyers, Thawat prosecutes and defends complex civil and criminal claims and matters of first impression through all stages of litigation, from seeking preliminary injunctions to negotiating settlements to appeals to the Supreme Court of Thailand. Thawat has been recognized as a leading lawyer in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Chambers Asia-Pacific, and other definitive legal publications. In 2022, Asian Legal Business named Thawat to its Asia’s Top 15 Litigators list—the only lawyer in Thailand to receive such a recognition.

His extensive experience in transnational litigation has made Thawat a sought-after advisor by multinational corporations as well as Thailand’s Legal Execution Department, which recruited the firm to represent the state authority in high-profile extraditions.

Thawat has completed the Thammasat Leadership Program, organized by the Thammasat University Alumni Office, and is a strong supporter of legal education, such as through his membership on the committee in charge of curriculum development for Thammasat University’s LLB program. He is also a member of ICC FraudNet, an international network of leading asset recovery specialists.

LLB, Thammasat University BBA, Thammasat University