{"id":11419,"date":"2020-04-23T04:57:30","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T04:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tilleke.com\/?page_id=11419"},"modified":"2023-08-23T14:41:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T07:41:53","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tilleke.com\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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HOME<\/a><\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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HISTORY<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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History<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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From the nineteenth century to the twenty-first, we have developed and grown alongside our clients in Thailand and Southeast Asia. We still hold true to our core values and never tire of deepening our legal practice and boosting the success of our clients.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Little did William Alfred Goone Tilleke know when he stepped ashore Siam in 1890 that he would create a law firm that would endure for over 130 years.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In 1890, William Alfred Goone Tilleke, a 31-year-old Singhalese solicitor, came to Siam (now Thailand) to build his legal career. Within four years, Tilleke made an international name for himself through his successful defense of the Siamese military commander Phra Yod Muang Khwang, whose prosecution for killing a French officer was demanded by the Franco-Siamese treaty.<\/p>

Through the early twentieth century, the firm was stewarded by several British partners, including Ralph Gibbins, Samuel Brighouse, Reginald Atkinson, and Victor Jaques. Like Tilleke, each partner played a key role not only in the firm\u2019s success, but also in the development of the Thai legal system. The firm\u2019s partners served the Kingdom of Siam in many capacities, including as advisors to the Ministry of Justice and the Thai Royal Family.<\/p>

Following World War II, Tilleke & Gibbins was acquired by American lawyers Albert and Freda Lyman. Along with their Thai partner, Roland (later Rojvit) Periera, the Lymans oversaw the growth of the firm\u2019s international client base, while ensuring that the firm remained a pillar of Thai society by contributing to the founding of the American Association of Thailand (now the American Chamber of Commerce) and the Bangkok Stock Exchange (now the Stock Exchange of Thailand).<\/p>

In the 1980s, David Lyman succeeded his father as the firm\u2019s senior partner. During this period, the firm expanded internationally, with the opening of offices in Vietnam and membership in leading international law firm networks, beginning with Lex Mundi in 1989. In 2006, Tilleke & Gibbins appointed Darani Vachanavuttivong and Tiziana Sucharitkul as Managing Partners of the firm.<\/p>

The history of Tilleke & Gibbins is one we share with our clients, our community, and the Kingdom of Thailand.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    1890<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    Tilleke Arrives in Siam<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    When the young barrister William Alfred Goone Tilleke came to Siam in 1890, his future was delicately poised. Already highly accomplished, the 31-year-old Singhalese had left behind security and prestige enjoyed in his native Ceylon to seek his fortune in Siam, Southeast Asia\u2019s last surviving independent state. Tilleke stepped ashore at Bangkok to enter into a life that held not just promise, but also the chance, if firmly grasped, to play a significant role in the development of modern Siam.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    1894<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    Phra Yod Muang Khwang Trial<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    William Alfred Goone Tilleke made an international name for himself as defense counsel for the Siamese military commander Phra Yod Muang Khwang\u2014whose prosecution for killing a French officer was demanded by the Franco-Siamese treaty. At the end of Tilleke\u2019s brilliant cross-examination, the testimony of the principal prosecution witness, Bun Chan, sounded hopelessly unconvincing. All seven judges returned a verdict of Not Guilty.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    1902<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    Gibbins Joins the Firm<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    The Tilleke & Gibbins partnership, joined by Ralph Gibbins in approximately 1902, was engaged in several famous cases, including a long trial concerning the settlement of the estate of the famous Admiral John Bush, the founder of the Bangkok Dock Company and former harbormaster.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    1911<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    Entrepreneurs in Silk, Teak, Tea, and Trade<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    Under the leadership of Samuel Brighouse and Reginald Atkinson, beginning in 1911, the law firm of Tilleke & Gibbins represented most of the leading firms in Bangkok, including The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Ltd., The East Asiatic Co. Ltd., The Anglo-Thai Corporation, and The Borneo Company Ltd<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    1911<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    Retained by the Privy Purse<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    Tilleke & Gibbins was retained by the Privy Purse to assist in managing the private financial affairs of the King and the Royal Family. To conduct this business, Samuel Brighouse made a weekly visit to the Privy Purse and, with his car emblazoned with a large crest in the shape of a bull\u2019s head that served as an entry pass to the royal offices, he became a familiar sight in Bangkok\u2019s burgeoning traffic. The firm continued to represent the Privy Purse until 1932, the year of the bloodless coup that changed Siam\u2019s political system from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    World War I<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    Samuel Brighouse and Reginald Atkinson, equally courageous and patriotic, both wished to fight for their country in World War I. As one of them would have to stay and take care of the business in Bangkok, family history has it that the two lawyers drew lots with Atkinson being the winner or loser, depending on your point of view. Atkinson joined the Welsh Cavalry as a lieutenant and served with distinction, finishing the war at the rank of major. Following the armistice of 1918, he lost no time in returning to Bangkok.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    1917<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    The Tilleke Legacy<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    On March 7, 1917, a few days after suffering a heart attack, William Alfred Goone Tilleke died at his home at the age of 58. Tilleke served the Kingdom of Siam in many capacities including as a public prosecutor, Attorney General, and privy councilor. Tilleke also served on the drafting committees for Penal Law, the Constitution of the Courts of Justice and Civil Procedure, and the Civil and Commercial Code. Among the many titles and royal honors bestowed upon Tilleke, the title of Phra Attakarn Prasit continues to mark the lane where Tilleke lived, Soi Attakarn Prasit (Sathorn Soi 1).<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    1931<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    The Siam Observer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    The high profiles of Tilleke & Gibbins and its partners, including new partner Victor Jaques, were reflected in The Siam Observer\u2019s notice of Brighouse\u2019s 50th birthday on July 11, 1931. The paper devoted no less than 22 column inches to the occasion, using the opportunity to pen a candid, yet complimentary, portrait of the birthday celebrant and noting that, \u201cWe are certain that no one who has opposed his view has regarded him as but a clean, fair and chivalrous opponent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    1937<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    Noxious Trades<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

    Tilleke & Gibbins handled 37 court cases in 1937, the figure rising to 61 in 1940. The litigation was wide ranging, from the formation of companies to debt, bankruptcy, motor accidents, murder, attempted murder, and one case involving the Asiatic Petroleum Company, intriguingly referred to as \u201cdangerous or noxious trades.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/li>

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    1941<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t

    Japanese Forces Land in Thailand<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

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    On December 8, 1941, Japanese forces landed in Thailand. The Japanese took effective control of Bangkok and the Thai government remained in power in little more than name. Luckily, Reginald Atkinson, Victor Jaques, and their families had previously departed from Thailand. Samuel Brighouse was less fortunate; he, his wife, and all but their youngest daughter Jane (who was at school in Malaya and managed to escape to Australia) were caught in Bangkok and interned. For the first time since its establishment, Tilleke & Gibbins ceased operations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

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