Contact Details
T: + 66 2 264 8000
F: + 66 2 657 2222
Email:  |
Rapinnart Prongsiriwattana has over 30 years of experience
representing clients in civil, criminal, and administrative law disputes. Rapinnart has successfully
represented major corporations in many of the country's most complex and high-profile cases. He has
expertise in a wide range of industries, including construction and engineering, consumer products,
energy (oil and gas and renewables), government and public sector, hotels and real estate,
insurance, logistics, and telecommunications and media technology. He also has expertise in banking
and finance, international trade, mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining the Firm, Rapinnart was
legal counsel at two major corporations. Professional Activities Panelist, International Bar
Association Asia Pacific International Arbitration Training. Recent Experience Energy Representation of a major
petroleum company inconnection with an explosion that occurred on a gas transmission pipeline
inOctober 2020, providing integrated services in all potential litigationprocesses, the public
investigation, corporate governance matters, insuranceissues, and public relations
communications. Representation of PTT Public
Company Limited, the largestcorporation in Thailand, in litigation regarding engineering,
procurement andconstruction contracts in relation to a pipeline project valued at more thanTHB 8.5
billion. Representation of PTT Public
Company Limited, Thaistate-owned SET-listed oil and gas company, in resolving disputes in
connectionwith the engineering, procurement and construction contracts for the FourthTransmission
Pipeline Project, valued at THB 2,261 million and USB 209million. Representation of PTT Public
Company Limited in litigation regardinga natural gas price and electricity charges in Thailand
between 2012 and 2014.The dispute involved the complex energy market and related energy
regulationsin Thailand. Assisting Global Power
Synergy Public Company Limited regarding atransactional dispute concerning the acquisition of a
power plant of another leadingpower plant owner in Thailand. Assisting Global Green Chemical Public Company Limitedin criminal cases against
its senior management and its suppliers inrelation to systematic fraud valued at
approximately THB 2,100 million(approximately USD 70 million) at the Economic Crime
Suppression Office. Representation of PTT Public
Company Limited in thelargest market capitalization on the Stock Exchange of Thailand as a
result ofthe corporatization and privatization of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand. In the
Supreme Administrative Court, theclient succeeded in having a suit attempting to de-list and
privatize itdismissed. This high-profile win helped to prevent severe damage to thestructure of
capital markets in Thailand. Manufacturing Representation of a listed
subsidiary of an energy groupin a dispute in relation to an inventory shortfall valued at THB
2.1 billion(USD 69 million), advising on the investigation into the cause of the shortfall,reporting
to the Stock Exchange of Thailand and providing comprehensive,integrated services in order to
resolve the issues at every stage of a widerange of in court and out-of-court proceedings, including
media and publicrelations communications. Representation of a rayon
company, the leadingmanufacturer of viscose staple fiber in Thailand, in defending an
environmentallaw claim and class action filed by residents, as well as a Department ofSpecial
Investigations proceedings in connection with the tort of nuisance andrelated
damages. Representation of a
Thailand-based company engaged in themanufacture and sale of carbon black, which is supplied
to globalmarkets including Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, China, Korea, Taiwan andAustralia, in
the appeal process in relation to an environmental lawsuitclaiming damages suffered from
environmental impact from the carbon manufacturingoperations. Representation of Posco
Plantec (Thailand) Company Limited,part of the POSCO Group, a leading company in Korea and
worldwide, insuccessfully resolving a USD 5.7 million arbitration claim in relation to the
construction of arecycling plant. Representation of
Thai Steel Cable Public Company Limited, a leading automobile parts manufacturing
company, inlitigation against its supplier for complex inherent defects in
automobileparts. Representation of
MitsuiSumitomo Insurance Company Limited (Thailand), part of the largestinsurance
group in Japan and worldwide, in successfully defending a THB 2.154billion complex litigation claim
(approximately USD 69 million) made by a majormultinational automobile company, the plaintiff. The
court of first instancedismissed all the plaintiff’s claims. This case also set the precedent that
aninsurance claim in relation to business operations is a civil case, rather thana consumer case,
thereby shifting the burden of proof to the plaintiff andbarring claims for punitive
damages. Representationof a leading medical supply company in domestic and
internationallitigation and arbitration in Thailand, Singapore, Austria and Switzerland toresolve
disputes in relation to a long-term international joint ventureagreement. In March 2017, the
litigation team worked with the M&A andfinance teams to finalize the resolution of these
disputes, thereby achievingthe clients’ goal of gaining control of the company valued at over USD
150million. Representation of Silesia Flavors
(Thailand) Company Limited in the Intellectual Property and
International TradeCourt in relation to
trade secrets and contract disputes involvingdistributorship and the sale of flavor codes. Telecommunications,Media and Technology Representation of an
internet services provider as thedefendant in an Administrative Court case defending the
civil law complaintregarding the use of conduits in relation to a concession agreement filed byCAT
Public Company Limited. Representation of DTAC
TriNet in successfully defendinga THB 449 million Administrative Court case in connection with
CAT TelecomPublic Company Limited and telecommunications regulations. Representation of Total
Access Communication Public CompanyLimited (DTAC), one of the largest mobile and
telecommunicationproviders in Thailand, in successfully resolving an administrative case andhaving
an injunction lifted in relation to a high-profile dispute with CATTelecom Public Company Limited
regarding a concession contract valued at THB3.5 billion. Real Estate, Engineering and
Construction Representation of Pacific
Phuket, Co., Ltd., one of thelargest property development companies in Phuket, Thailand in a
dispute at the SingaporeInternational Arbitration Center in connection with the construction,
managementand operation of a hotel. Representation of an
engineering and construction companyin arbitration proceedings claiming over THB 10 billion
compensation from aThai government authority for wrongful termination of a concession
contract. Representation of the St.
Regis Hotel with respect to anenvironmental law dispute before the Central Administrative Court.
Representation of Trans
Thai-Malaysia (Thailand) Limitedin relation to the dispute on revocation of a certification of
utilization ofland (Nor Sor 3) in Chana District, Songkhla Province. Publication ‘Thailand’,
Restructuring and Insolvency - Getting the Deal Through (Law Business Research
2013-2016) |
EducationLL.M., International Commercial Law, Nottingham University, UK, 1997
LL.B., Thammasat University, 1992 Bar AdmissionsThai Bar Association, admitted 1994
Lawyers Council of Thailand, admitted 1993 CitizenshipThai LanguagesThai, English Recent AccoladesAsia Super 50 Disputes Lawyers, Asian Legal Business, 2024
Litigation Star – Dispute Resolution, Benchmark Litigation, 2023-2024
Litigation Star – Commercial and Transactions, Benchmark Litigation, 2023-2024
Notable Practitioner – Dispute Resolution, Asialaw Profiles, 2022
Recommended Lawyer - Dispute Resolution, The Legal 500, 2015, 2018-2025
Recommended Lawyer - Technology, Media and Telecommunication (TMT), The Legal 500, 2024
Leading Lawyer, Energy and Infrastructure Disputes, IFLR 1000, 2016-2017 |
