Suphamit Watnoppakhun

Associate

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Suphamit Watnoppakhun plays a pivotal role in the firm’s China and Dispute Resolution teams. He provides strategic legal and business advisory services to a diverse range of clients, including foreign businesses seeking to invest or do business in Thailand, as well as those who have already established their presence. As a Chinese-blooded Thai counsel, Suphamit is fluent in Mandarin, Thai, and English. His expertise encompasses commercial and investment-related laws and regulations. He advises businesses on entering the Thai market with investment strategies, shareholding structuring, and obtaining incentives from government authorities, along with valuable commercial insights. He has a track record of assisting various clients, including state-owned enterprises (SOEs), Fortune Global 500 companies, and listed companies

Suphamit recurrently represents major clients across industries such as infrastructure construction in the Belt and Road Initiative, manufacturing amid the China-US trade war, EVs in the green energy era, and industrials in the oversupply era. His expertise spans energy, hotels, healthcare, private equity, technology, and media.

In addition to his advisory role, Suphamit is proficient in handling disputes and creating resolution strategies. His expertise includes litigation and arbitration under the rules of major arbitration institutions, including ICC, SIAC, and TAI. He also specializes in enforcing arbitral awards before the Thai court. Suphamit’s proficiency extends to civil and criminal matters, such as shareholder disputes, construction disputes, international trade disputes, and criminal disputes, including cross-border strategic disputes, as well as investigation, enforcement, and forensics across various industries.

Recent Experience

Foreign Direct Investment

• Represented Changan Automobile and Baoding Tianwei Baobian Electric, subsidiaries of China South Industries Group, as their general counsel, providing a wide range of legal services including contract advisory and conducting forensic investigations and due diligence on counterparties before entering into transactions and projects, including government procurement agreements.
• Represented Shanghai Edrive, a subsidiary of Broad-Ocean Motor, in the complete end-to-end process of setting up Thai entities. This included advising on investment strategies, available BOI incentives, crafting agreements to acquire factories, and assisting with labor and other post-promotion compliance legal issues.
• Represented various world-leading smart electronic appliance manufacturers from the PRC and the US in setting up Thai entities, including advising on shareholding structures, obtaining incentives (tax and non-tax), conducting due diligence on lands and factories to be acquired, crafting JV agreements, and assisting with other compliance legal issues.
• Represented Lao Cement, a subsidiary of PowerChina, on intellectual property matters in Thailand, and another subsidiary, Sinohydro, with legal advisory services on construction contracts, general corporate matters, and compliance, as well as conducting forensic investigations and due diligence on counterparties to determine financial capability.

Dispute Resolutions

• Represented primary defendants in Thai criminal proceedings and English commercial proceedings in a USD 2 billion multi-party fraud and conspiracy claim under Thai law, involving ownership of Thailand’s major renewable energy company. The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2022
• Represented the Thai subsidiary of a global investment service provider in Thai Arbitration Institute (TAI) arbitration proceedings related to a construction agreement for a luxurious real estate project in Phuket, with claims over THB 1.93 billion.
• Represented the world's leading sustainable manufacturers and suppliers of carbon black additives in defending a class lawsuit and civil lawsuits at the Bangkok South Civil Court. If the case is lost, the client may be required to pay all of the defined members who live in a specific area as defined by the court.
• Represented one of the world’s largest investment companies in enforcing a Beijing International Arbitration Center (BIAC) arbitral award through the Central Intellectual Property & International Trade Court, with a total value of THB 900 million (approximately USD 30 million).
• Represented a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer in strategizing defenses and guarding a civil lawsuit related to distribution and dealership agreements at the Central Intellectual Property & International Trade Court, valued at THB 150 million (approximately USD 5 million).
• Represented a Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company in construction civil and bankruptcy lawsuits against a Thai public company, demanding construction fees, return of security, and damages totaling THB 350 million (approximately USD 10 million).
• Represented a Hong Kong-listed company in a shareholder dispute against a Chinese-background Thai enterprise group, with a total value of THB 200 million (approximately USD 5.5 million).
• Represented a major electric power generation company in Thailand in a commercial dispute against an international company under THAC arbitration, resulting in compensation of more than THB 150 million (approximately USD 5 million).

Education

LL.B. (First Class Honors), Chulalongkorn University, 2019

Citizenship

Thai

Languages

Mandarin Chinese, Thai, English