Rachata Champathong

Senior Associate – Herbert Smith Freehills, Bangkok

Rachata Champathong is a senior associate in the disputes practice with a particular focus on class actions and international arbitration.

Rachata has extensive experience in advising domestic and international clients on a wide range of commercial disputes. Rachata’s expertise spans across a broad spectrum of areas, including class actions, international arbitration, cross-border disputes, and commercial litigation. He regularly appears as an advocate at Thai courts for high-value and complex disputes.

Rachata has been described as “detailed and meticulous associate“, “one to watch“, “competent and well organised“, and for “high-quality advice and professionalism” (The Legal 500 Asia Pacific), “Rachata is an extremely capable lawyer“, “proactive in foreseeing and pre-empting emerging issues“, “very practical and has excellent communication skills in delivering detailed and complicated information” and “Rachata put us at ease in relation to proceedings in a foreign jurisdiction” (Lexology). He is an exclusive winner of the Lexology Client Choice Awards 2021 and 2022 in the area of Litigation, Thailand. Rachata has also been recognised as Thailand Rising Stars by Asian Legal Business, 2023.

Rachata often serves as a guest lecturer at leading law schools in Thailand.

    Accolades

    • ALB Thailand Rising Stars

      Asian Legal Business, 2023

    • Client Choice Award

      Lexology Client Choice Awards, 2021 – 2022

    • “detailed and meticulous associate”

      The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2018

    Memberships

    • Thai Barrister-at-Law, Thai Bar Association – 2011

    • Lawyers License, Lawyers Council of Thailand – 2009

    Background

    Fluent in Thai and English, Rachata graduated from Thammasat University. He received two masters’ degrees from Thammasat University and University College London. Rachata is qualified as a Thai Barrister-at-law and is a current member of the Thai Bar Association. Based in Bangkok, Rachata has experience working for our Singapore office during his secondment in 2023 to 2024.