The Legal 500

Adnan Sundra & Low is described as ‘competent and efficient’ by clients, and is recognised as a force in the market. Work handled is often innovative, and 2009 saw the team handle a number of capital securities programmes for RHB and CIMB Investment Bank. It is also highly rated for its experience advising on sharia-compliant issuances. Leading names include Adrian Chee, Low Chee Choon, Low Keng Siong and Deepak Sadasivan.

Albar & Partners’s banking and finance team is a respected outfit, and has a wide range of expertise. 2009 saw the firm advise a number of banks, including AmBank Berhad, RHB and CIMB, on a RM1bn ship financing. The firm has a solid relationship with banks, and other highlight deals over the past year include acting for Malayan Banking Berhad on a property acquisition financing transaction by Kewira Jaya, a subsidiary of property development giant Setia Berhad. Senior partner Chung Swee Loong is ‘meticulous and a problem solver with in depth knowledge’, and Mark Lim Chin Hian is also well thought of.

The increasingly popular banking and finance team at Kadir, Andri & Partners acts for some of the most enviable names around, including RHB Islamic Bank Berhad and CIMB Group Berhad. Deals handled are consistently at the top end, such as advising Titan Capital on the $332m refinancing of its banking facilities. Andri Aidham Badri is immensely well respected, making up a team which also features Kadir Kassim and Tan Kong Yam. Clients are quick to highlight the firm’s competency and industry skills.

Zaid Ibrahim & Co enjoys a firm position at the top of the market, largely thanks to the reputation of names such as Lilian Liew and Chin Sook Kwan. The group acts for a large number of leading domestic financial institutions, and notably advised Cagamas HKMC on the first mortgage guarantee programme in Malaysia. Other work includes acting on the RM1.35bn nominal value bonds issued by the State Bank of India, one of the first ringgit bond issuances by a foreign issuer in the Malaysian market. Clients praise the firm’s ‘highly qualified and experienced lawyers’.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill is ‘excellent; the partners are responsive, quick to provide assistance when needed and very reliable’. The group is led by Kumar Kanagasingham, and attracts leading names, such as Maybank Investment Bank Berhad and KPMG. Highlights for the past year include advising Malayan Banking Berhad on liability restructuring. The firm is also highly recommended for its experience in banking and finance litigation. Sean Yeow Huang Meng and Andrew Chiew Ean Vooi are rated.

Banking is one of Shahrizat Rashid & Lee’s cornerstones, and the firm is highly regarded in this field. The team handles a significant chunk of work for government lead companies and counts leading Malaysian financial institutions such as EON Bank among its clients. Loo May Pearl and Komala Veloo are recommended for their experience in financing projects, having advised on an IPP project in East Malaysia, the construction of highways and development of tourist resorts. Clients say the team is ‘very good. It offers quick turn around time and is knowledgeable’.

Shearn Delamore & Co’s capabilities are very broad, and 2009 saw the well established team act for Public Bank Berhad in its long term strategic alliance agreement with ING, which involved joint venture advice and distribution agreements. The firm enjoys an impressive client base, which includes Malayan Banking Berhad and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. The team offers ‘sound technical advice, and is extremely responsive’. Head of practice Christina Kow is ‘very personable and a pleasure to work with’.

Shook Lin & Bok’s head of group Patricia David Saini is respected by clients, and the team as a whole is rated for cross-border work for a strong client base. As well as a broad spread of banking and finance work, the team is increasingly experienced in ship and aircraft financing. Lai Wing Yong, Jalalullail Othman, Khong Mei Lin, Hoh Kiat Ching and Kelvin Loh Hsien Han are all rated practitioners.

Skrine’s four partner banking practice is well respected, and as such, wins some prestigious mandates. 2009 saw the firm act for one of the world’s leading manufacturers on an RM800m facility from the government to finance a project in Malaysia. Clients praise ‘consistent and well researched familiarity with subject matter’. Theresa Chong, Chen Kah Leng, Philip Chan and Goh Kuan Hock make up the team.

Azmi & Associates is growing in 
prominence and clients seeking banking and finance legal advice are quick to pick the firm out as a very competent player. Notably in 2009, the team advised one of the largest banking groups in Malaysia on the corporate restructuring exercise of its subsidiary, the shareholders of which included a global insurance company. Ahmad Lufti Abdul Mutalip and Azmi Mohd Ali are recommended.

Christopher H W Wong and Chong Wei Lung lead Cheang & Ariff’s active banking team, which was involved in some enviable mandates, These include advising CIMB Bank on RM110m credit facilities to part finance the Penang Bridge Second Link project.

Cheong Kee Fong & Co is rated for its experience in structured finance, and enjoys a good relationship with a number of Malaysia’s banks. Name partner Cheong Kee Fong is the primary name of note.

Chooi & Company has a good track record in both domestic and cross-border banking, and is recommended for the advice it provides on large structured finance transactions to leading Malaysian and foreign banking clients. Clients praise Azman bin Othman Luk, who is ‘technically sound and extremely client focussed’.

Jeff Leong, Poon & Wong In Association with Deacons has good links to a number of banks, and over the past twelve months, the team acted as Malaysian counsel to several UK and US banks on the financing of aircraft. Kenny Poon is recommended.

‘Raja, Darryl & Loh deliver high quality services and in-depth knowledge of the industry. As a leading law firm, their advice is generally spot-on’ say clients. The firm is on the panel of a large number of Malaysian banks, and enjoys good relationships with several foreign banks, including a number of German financial institutions. The group advised CIMB Investment Bank on the debt restructuring of bank facilities to a Malaysian borrower. Jennifer Cheong and Joyce Teh are recommended.

‘ Raslan Loong is excellent in all respects’ say clients. The team is particularly well thought of for handling banking deals for global clients, and 2009 saw it advise on a multimillion structured finance deal for an international company with subsidiaries across Asia. Loong Caesar is the leading name. ‘Their strengths are their intelligence, diligence and speed of service’.

Wong & Partners was hit last year with the departure of leading name and head of group, Christopher Lee, who left to form his own firm. However, 2009 saw the team act on high calibre deals, including advising R3 Capital Advisors on the sale of notes to peninsular Gold. It also has experience advising on pre-IPO financing, and joint venture agreements, for a strong client base featuring Citibank Berhad, CIMB Investment Bank Berhad and HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad. Azizul Adnan is the new head of practice.

Zain & Co’s Zainal Azlan bin Abdul Kadir is well respected in the Malaysian market, and the firm benefits from good relationships with Islamic finance institutions. The past year saw the team advise Malayan Banking Berhad on two Islamic term financing facilities for a domestic corporation. Clients say the firm promotes a very commercial approach.

Loh Mei Mei leads Zul Rafique & Partners’s banking and finance group, which also features Kung Suan Im and Lim Mun Lai. The firm is increasingly attracting some of the most desirable mandates going; it notably advised HwangDBS Investment Bank Berhad and EON Bank Berhad on a syndicated term loan facility granted to Sweetwater SPV. Other key clients include Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad and Affin Bank Berhad.