Our History & Milestones

Seventy-four years and counting. Long-standing trust takes no shortcuts.
Through the long-standing trust and relationship, Domnern Somgiat & Boonma is reputed as a prominent law firm providing complete legal services specializing in intellectual property protection which is much needed in the present world. We reserve no priorities above our clients’ intellectual property, helping the clients make justifiable decisions.

Our thoughtful minds, complemented by experienced and insightful veterans, are the product of long traditions dating as far back to two years after the end of the Second World War.

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Our History & Milestones

In 1947, Ina Wilhelmina Jorgensen, our founder, adopted the law office from which she established her career. It was originally named “Jorgenson & Co.” Ina and five others handled the legal cases which remained after the war.

In 1950, as Thailand’s Trademarks Act was approaching its twentieth anniversary of enactment, Ina expanded the firm’s trademark prosecution practice. She enlisted a new partner, Domnern Garden, a graduate from Harvard Law School who already had admission to the Thai Bar. Then she strengthened her plans by onboarding two more partners, Somgiat Sitthisiri, a former registrar of trademarks, and Boonma Tejavanija, a Columbia Law School graduate who was diligently trained in-house.

In 1979, as Thailand’s first Patents Act was enacted, the firm began practicing patent law and gained more recognition in the global IP community.

In 1981, Domnern Garden assumed leadership of the firm after Ina’s retirement. A few years later, the firm became Domnern Somgiat & Boonma, named after the remaining partners. Since then, the firm has often been referred to as “Domnern” or “DS&B.” While a few of our illustrious partners had left the firm, additional ones had come aboard. Among the most esteemed were Nettaya Warncke, whose experience and capability drew new clients from overseas, and Kiat Poonsombudlert, whose contribution made the firm a success.

Today, the firm’s strength stands on a combination of the knowledge and experience of Rutorn Nopakun, Chakrapat Mongkolsit and Prabjote Busdee, the partners of an older generation, and the ability to adapt to and use new business concepts and information technology of the younger partners Apiwatt Kongsoowan and Nathapong Tongkaew. This combination has enhanced the firm’s performance by manifold.

With five partners and 125 full-time members, we have also been part of the process to uplift the practice of intellectual property laws, such as participating in patent law amendments, contributing to the improvement of the trademark examiner’s manual, arranging training courses for new patent examiners and pushing for the timely increase of the number of patent examiners. Our highly personalized consultations are for clients of all types, from startups to global corporations, attributing to 12.5 % of all trademark applications filed in Thailand and 35% of patent applications filed in Thailand by foreign applicants.

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Our Services

Our History & Milestones

Seventy-four years and counting. Long-standing trust takes no shortcuts.
Through the long-standing trust and relationship, Domnern Somgiat & Boonma is reputed as a prominent law firm providing complete legal services specializing in intellectual property protection which is much needed in the present world. We reserve no priorities above our clients’ intellectual property, helping the clients make justifiable decisions.

Our thoughtful minds, complemented by experienced and insightful veterans, are the product of long traditions dating as far back to two years after the end of the Second World War.

Read More

Our History & Milestones

In 1947, Ina Wilhelmina Jorgensen, our founder, adopted the law office from which she established her career. It was originally named “Jorgenson & Co.” Ina and five others handled the legal cases which remained after the war.

In 1950, as Thailand’s Trademarks Act was approaching its twentieth anniversary of enactment, Ina expanded the firm’s trademark prosecution practice. She enlisted a new partner, Domnern Garden, a graduate from Harvard Law School who already had admission to the Thai Bar. Then she strengthened her plans by onboarding two more partners, Somgiat Sitthisiri, a former registrar of trademarks, and Boonma Tejavanija, a Columbia Law School graduate who was diligently trained in-house.

Our History & Milestones

In 1979, as Thailand’s first Patents Act was enacted, the firm began practicing patent law and gained more recognition in the global IP community.

In 1981, Domnern Garden assumed leadership of the firm after Ina’s retirement. A few years later, the firm became Domnern Somgiat & Boonma, named after the remaining partners. Since then, the firm has often been referred to as “Domnern” or “DS&B.” While a few of our illustrious partners had left the firm, additional ones had come aboard. Among the most esteemed were Nettaya Warncke, whose experience and capability drew new clients from overseas, and Kiat Poonsombudlert, whose contribution made the firm a success.

Our History & Milestones

Today, the firm’s strength stands on a combination of the knowledge and experience of Rutorn Nopakun, Chakrapat Mongkolsit and Prabjote Busdee, the partners of an older generation, and the ability to adapt to and use new business concepts and information technology of the younger partners Apiwatt Kongsoowan and Nathapong Tongkaew. This combination has enhanced the firm’s performance by manifold.

With five partners and 125 full-time members, we have also been part of the process to uplift the practice of intellectual property laws, such as participating in patent law amendments, contributing to the improvement of the trademark examiner’s manual, arranging training courses for new patent examiners and pushing for the timely increase of the number of patent examiners. Our highly personalized consultations are for clients of all types, from startups to global corporations, attributing to 12.5 % of all trademark applications filed in Thailand and 35% of patent applications filed in Thailand by foreign applicants.

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Our Services

Our Milestones

2024

Award Winning Law Firm 2024: Thailand by The Patent Lawyer

“Leading Patent Consultancy & Prosecution Lawyer of the Year 2024 – Thailand” The Leading Adviser Awards by Acquisition International (AI)

Ranked “Tier 1” in 2024 Patents and Copyright / Trademarks, Thailand by ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS 

Award Winning Law Firm 2024: Thailand by The Trademark Lawyer

“Leading Trademark Lawyer of the Year 2024 – Thailand” The Leading Adviser Awards by Acquisition International (AI)

Achieved “GOLD” patent ranking in 2024, Thailand by IAM PATENT 1000 2024

Achieved “Firm of the Year 2023 – Intellectual Property” by In-House Community

Ranked “Tier 1” in 2024 Patent, Thailand by IP STARS, Managing IP

Achieved “Tier 1” ranking in 2024 Trademark, Thailand by IP STARS, Managing IP

Thailand Law Firm Awards 2024 for “IP LITIGATION” and “IP PROSECUTION” by Asia Business Law Journal

Ranked Tier 1 in Intellectual Property in Thailand by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – 2024

Achieved Gold Ranking in “The 2024 WTR 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals” by World Trademark Review

“2024 Patent Law Firm of the Year in Thailand”
by Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards

“2024 Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year in Thailand”
by Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards

“2024 Copyright Law Firm of the Year in Thailand”
by Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards

2023

“Leading Patent Lawyer of the Year – Thailand” The 2023 Leading Adviser Awards by Acquisition International (AI)

“Trademark Firm of the Year – Thailand” The Global IP Awards 2023 by WTR and IAM

Ranked as Outstanding for Intellectual Property – Thailand, by AsiaLaw

Ranked as Tier 1 2023 for “Trademark Contentious” / Trademark Prosecution” – Thailand
by Asia IP

Ranked as Tier 1 2023 for “Copyright” – Thailand
by Asia IP

Ranked as Tier 1 Thailand 2023 for “Patents” and “Copyright / Trademarks”
by ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS

Ranked as one of Thailand’s Top 4 Law Firms for IP Litigation
by Asia Business Law Journal

Ranked as Tier 1 2023 “Trade mark” and “Patent” – Thailand
by IP Stars

Achieved 2023 “Gold Ranking for an Intellectual Property Firm – Thailand”
by World Trademark Review 1000

Ranked as Band I 2023 “Intellectual Property Firm – Thailand”
by Chambers Asia Pacific Legal Guide

2022

Achieved “GOLD Ranking” for a Leading Firm  – Thailand by IAM PATENT 1000

Ranked as Tier 1 2022 for “Trade Mark Contentious” and “Trade Mark Prosecution”
Ranked as Tier 1 2022 for “Patent Contentious”and “Patent Prosecution”
Ranked as Tier 1 2022 for “Copyright” by Managing IP – IP STARS

Ranked as Tier 1 2022 for “Patent Contentious and Patent Prosecution”
by Asia IP Patent Survey

Ranked as 2022 “Outstanding Intellectual Property Firm – Thailand”
by asialaw

Ranked as Band 1 2022 “Intellectual Property Firm – Thailand”
by Chambers Asia Pacific Legal Guide

 

Achieved 2022 “Gold Ranking” for an Intellectual Property Firm – Thailand
by World Trademark Review

 

2021
Ranked in Tier 1 in “Trade Mark Contentious” and “Trade Mark Prosecution”
categories by Managing IP – IP STARS
We obtain a favorable decision from the Specialized Court of Appeals which rules that a two-lettered abbreviation can be deemed inherently distinctive regardless of the stylization.
Named “2021 Thailand Copyright Law Firm of the Year” by Global Law Experts
Ones to Watch 2021: Named “Patent Law Firm of the Year – Thailand”
by Corp Today, Best Business Magazine in the world for enterprises
Named “Recommended Firm in Intellectual Property in Thailand” by The Legal 500
Named “2021 Thailand Patent Law Firm of the Year”
in Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards
Named “2021 Thailand Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year”
in Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards
Named “2021 Thailand Intellectual Property Law Firm of the Year”
in Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards
Named “2021 Thailand Copyright Law Firm of the Year”
in Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards
2020
We represent a UK collective society of music authors and composers in a copyright infringement lawsuit against a movie theater operator in Thailand. The Specialized Court of Appeals decides in our client’s favor, requiring the operator to pay our client royalties for the performance of musical works that come with the movies shown.
Named “Copyright & Related rights Law Firm”
by Managing IP – IP STARS 
Ranked in Tier 1 in “Patent” by Managing IP – IP STARS

Ranked Tier 1 in Intellectual Property in Thailand in Legal Rankings by International Law Firm Solutions (ILFS)

Named “Recommended Firm in Intellectual Property in Thailand” by The Legal 500
Thailand Patents Firm of the Year in 2020 Asia IP Awards
Ranked Tier 1 in “Trade Mark Contentious,” “Trade Mark Prosecution,” “Copyright,” and “Patent prosecution” categories in 2020 Asia IP Trademark Survey Rankings by Asia IP
Named “Recommended Intellectual Property Law Firm in Thailand” in 2020 Global IP Directory by CTC Legal Media
2019
Named “Thailand Trademarks Firm of the Year”in 2019 Asia IP Awards
We represent a famous medicated balm maker in a lawsuit against an infringer who has used and registered similar trademarks in respect of certain different products. The IP & IT Court rules that the infringer does not have any rights by virtue of its registrations due to its bad faith in obtaining the registrations and orders the infringer to compensate our client in the amount of approximately 10,000,000 baht.
2018
Named “2018 Thailand Patent Law Firm of the Year”in Corporate INTL Magazine Global Awards
Named “Excellence Asian Legal Business 2018”in IP Rankings Asia’s Best IP Law Firms
Given the “AI Global Excellence Awards 2018”
2017
On behalf of a Japanese lifestyle brand, we arrange a major police raid at a large wholesale market and have more than 5,000 pairs of counterfeit shoes seized.
We succeed in claiming infringement against our client’s patent citing the doctrine of equivalent in an IP & IT Court case in which our client’s patent on a gas tank cylinder mounting device for pickup trucks has been infringed. We are also granted compensation in the amount of approximately 38 million baht by the court and manage to have the infringer’s petty patent invalidated.
We successfully have the Trademark Board’s rejections of applications for registration of the trademark of the world’s most popular golf ball overturned by the IP & IT Court by convincing the court that distinctiveness should be assessed by examining a trademark in whole, not in part.
2016
Named “2016 Global Law Experts Annual Awards Winner”
Ranked Tier 1 in “The Intellectual Property in Thailand Legal Rankings”by The Legal 500
Named “Thailand Patent Firm of the Year” in 2016 Asia IP Awards
2015
Named “2015 Global Law Experts Annual Awards Winner”
Named “Thailand Patent Firm of the Year”in 2015 Asia IP Awards
Named “2015 Patent Lawyer of the Year” in AI Sector Performance Awards
2014
Named “asialaw Profiles Highly Recommended 2014”
Named “Thailand Firm of the Year” in Managing IP Awards 2014 by Managing IP – IP STARS
2013
Ranked Tier 1 in “Patent” and “Trademark”
categories by Managing IP – IP STARS.
Named “Thailand Patent Firm of the Year”
in 2013 Asia IP Awards
2011
Named “Recommended Firm” by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2010/2011
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Firm Members

All Practices
All Practices
Patent Engineer
Patent Scientist
Patent Attorney
Patents
Trademarks
IP Enforcement
Copyright & Other IP
Non-IP
Rutorn Nopakun
Chakrapat Mongkolsit
Prabjote Busdee
Apiwatt Kongsoowan
Nathapong Tongkaew
Juthatip Vejsureeyakul
Amarin Muangmanee
Ariya Porchit
Bussarakam Kanchana
Chalermphong Jitkuntivong
Faunglada Kunthum
Kammala Nasaree
Manita Kongkitti-ngam
Marisa Puttarn
Napat Somchom
Nutthakarn Phongphunpunya, LL.D.
Oraphan Chayanuwat
Padcha Ritkasem
Passara Thammashotworn
M.L. Patanachatra Svasti
Pitchanan Nimpiboon, Ph.D.
Prad Vatanasuchart
Rung-Aroon L. Patanasuk
Rungroj Kobkitwattanakul
Saitip Rudee-Aneksin
Salisa Rungrojwatana
Sarinya Nilubol
Sasikarn Atsawintarangkun (Ms.)
Sukanya Assawasujindarat
Sumetha Issariyanate
Supiyanan Tiemboontong
Tanaporn Apikeeratikul
Thirayut Sawangsi
Tritaporn Ramakomut