The Legal 500

Offering ‘deep expertise and industry knowledge’, clients are quick to praise Kadir, Andri & Partners. The firm is recognised for its wide capabilities in this area, and as well as advising on a number of high-profile acquisitions. It acted for CVC Asia Pacific on the privatisation of Magnum Corporation Berhad by way of a selective capital reduction and repayment exercise. The large team fields respected individuals including Kadir Kassim, Andri Aidham Badri, E Sreesanthan, Saheran Suhendran, Julian Mahmud Hashim, Tan Kong Yam, Mak Lin Kumand Adrian Chair.

Shearn Delamore & Co’s quality corporate offering is led by the highly regarded Grace C G Yeoh. The team is known for attracting top end deals for a largely international client base, and advised Bank of America on the Malaysian aspects of its acquisition of Merrill Lynch. The team is said to be ‘well versed and confident, and drives cases well’. Ng Swee Kee and Putri Noor Shariza Noordinare leading names.

Chen Kah Len leads Skrine’s corporate team, which is recognised for expertise in cross-border sales and acquisitions. Highlights include advising a Magic Circle firm and Alliance & Leicester on the Malaysian aspects of acquisition by Banco Santander. ‘In terms of availability and responsiveness the team is impeccable, and advice is always correct and to the point. It also has very good knowledge of legal issues but also factual problems, and is very business oriented and practical’. Janet Looi is ‘outstanding’, say clients.

Zaid Ibrahim & Co’s corporate and M&A department is one of the firm’s strongholds, and it is recommended for its breadth of experience, which includes advising on high-profile corporate restructuring and cross-border mergers. The team advised Media Chinese International on the merger of Ming Pao Enterprise, Sin Chew Media and Nanyang Press Holdings. Lim Kar Han, Wan Kai Cheeand Tan Cheng Cheng are all rated for their expertise in this area.

Cheang & Ariff is respected for its M&A know-how, and Tan Ming-li, Chong Wei Lung, Yoon Ming Sun and Yeat Soo Ching make up a proficient team. 2009 highlights include advising on a number of conditional takeovers, including acting for Toyochem on an offer for all its shares by TIPP.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill fields some impressive corporate practitioners, including head of practice and former managing partner Ng Leong Huat. Work handled has been impressive and varied, and includes advising MTD Capital on the privatisation of MTD InfraPerdana by a selective capital repayment exercise. Other key work includes acting for Bukit Kiara on its joint venture with UAE-based Al-Batha group. Iain Sedgley and Ooi Bee Hong are recommended.

Shook Lin & Bok fields a large corporate team, featuring well-known practitioners such as Patricia David Saini. The firm’s reputation assures it mandates from top international names, and the team is recommended for advising multinationals on the corporate aspects of entry into the country.

Wong & Partners benefits from its status as a member firm of Baker & McKenzie LLP, with great experience advising on cross-border work. The corporate department is the firm’s largest practice group, and is very well respected in the market. Key work includes advising Abu Dhabi-Kuwait-Malaysia Investment on three separate high-profile public company takeovers. Brian Chia, Andre Gan and Munir Abdul Aziz are well-respected practitioners, described as ‘client-focused, pro-active, have good commercial acumen and strong commitment’.

Abdullah Chan is relatively new to the market, but its ‘superior’ partners are recommended for their impressive corporate expertise. Enviable domestic clients include Petra Energy, Temasek Holdings and Singapore Aerospace, which the firm acted for in its takeover of LKT Industrial Berhad. Vincent Chan Siew Onn is an acclaimed practitioner, described by clients as having ‘sound and deep technical skills and knowledge’, and is ‘meticulous and hardworking; a big picture person with a natural talent’.

Adnan Sundra & Low enjoys an excellent client base, which features leading names such as PanGlobal and FourWinds Capital Management, which the firm advised on its joint venture with Ranhill Utilities. Wong Chin Chin is recommended.

‘ Albar & Partners is well known in the corporate environment and has an experienced pool of lawyers’. It handled some high-profile, high-value work in 2009, including advising MMC Corporation on the RM1.95bn acquisition of Senai Airport Terminal Services, and also has experience advising on REITs. The team, led by Lily Tan Chea Li fields experienced lawyers who are ‘knowledgeable, friendly and approachable’.

Chooi Mun Sou leads Chooi & Company’s corporate group, which has great experience advising government and regulatory authorities such as the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Foreign Investment Committee. The team is also recommended for advising foreign on Malaysian regulatory issues.

Murad Yee Partnership is a boutique firm offering very solid corporate and M&A advice. The team is increasingly active in the market, and acted for the owner of a biotechnology company in a comprehensive restructuring exercise which involved advising on a buy-out of minority interests, a vertical shares swap, and the placement of new holding shares. Their clients say the team gives a ‘level of service which is very good. It has solid in depth knowledge of subject matter, is meticulous, thorough and professional’.

Raja, Darryl & Loh’s Jennifer Cheong, Joyce Teh and Tai Chu Wei are leading names, offering a broad scope of knowledge. The team advised long-standing client the Federation of Investment Managers of Malaysia on its conversion into a self-regulated organisation, and Tien Wah Press Holdings in its acquisition of the entire equity interest of Anzpac Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of British American Tobacco. Clients say the team is ‘excellent; very patient and diplomatic’.

Raslan Loong has seen a significant amount of corporate restructurings, including advising Lion Group on the RM5bn corporate and debt restructuring, and Malaysia Airports Holdings on its RM1.4bn corporate restructuring. Loong Caesar and Chua See Hua are rated practitioners.

Zain & Co’s busy corporate practice is led by Salwah Abdul Shukor. It advised Faber Group on the acquisition of the share capital of Faber Medi-Serve from Medlux Oversea, in a transaction that demonstrated the firm’s solid multi-jurisdictional aptitude. Rajiv Vijayanathan is ‘an excellent corporate lawyer. He is very level headed and always offers constructive solutions to complex business issues’, while the team as a whole ‘consistently provides high quality service, fields experienced practitioners and well co-ordinated team work. They are a pleasure to work with, partners and associates alike. Their client’s best interests are paramount’.

Zul Rafique & Partners’s active corporate team features Jerry Ong, Zandra Tan and Cathryn Chay, and is led by Zulkifly Rafique. Operating at a very senior level, it is proving increasingly attractive to international players. 2009 saw the team advise Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia on the establishment of Standard Chartered Saadiq as its Islamic banking subsidiary. Other desirable clients include Axiata and Mubadala Development.

Azmi & Associates attracted varied, and high-quality mandates, such as acting for one of the largest banking groups in Malaysia on the corporate restructuring of its subsidiary. Other highlights include advising Ingress on a joint venture with India-based Mayur Industries. Azmi Mohd Ali and Azlin Azhar are the names of note here.

Chellam Wong is recommended for debt restructuring, having advised Ark on a RM300m scheme, and acting for Metroplex on its potential liquidation. Mark Ho is recommended.

Cheong Kee Fong & Co’s Cheong Kee Fong is the leading individual at the firm for corporate work, with good experience working for banks on transactions with a cross-border flavour.

Although still a young firm, Deol & Gill is attracting a good share of corporate mandates. It has particular expertise in private equity investments, and 2009 saw it advise a government of Malaysia investment entity on the establishment of a RM1bn fund to acquire non-performing loans and distressed assets. It has also seen significant restructuring activity, having acted for UEM Builders and CIMA on a RM150m corporate restructuring exercise. Suraj S Gill and Jespal Deol Abdullah are recommended.

Jeff Leong, Poon & Wong In Association with Deacons’ good international links means that the firm is very experienced in advising on the cross-border aspects of deals. Key deals for the past year include acting for UMW Holdings on the acquisition of a number of companies across Asia. Jeff Leong is a leading practitioner.

Khaw & Partners fields a team of ‘highly dedicated lawyers, who are able to provide quality legal services in a timely manner. The knowledge possessed by the lawyers is high and they are willing to go the extra mile’ says one happy client. The group enjoyed a strong year, and advised a Malaysian company on a joint venture for the development of a refinery and petroleum distribution centre. Wang Sui Sang is ‘outstanding’, while Teo Cheng Wee is ‘extremely professional’.

Lee Ong & Kandiah’s corporate and international trade group has wide ranging experience, and is particularly adept at handling due diligence for financial institutions, such as acting for Danamodal Berhad following its capital injection exercise. The group is also capable in internet, e-commerce and IT transactions. Lee Hock Chye, Lim Hui Ming and Lee Wai Wah are leading names here.

‘ Naqiz & Partners is absolutely excellent for corporate transactions. They are fast; on client responsiveness and value for money they win hands down’. This young firm is quickly growing more attractive for high-end corporate transactions, and it was kept busy by Mamee-Double Decker on their majority acquisition of an Indonesian oil palm plantation company. Syed Naqiz Shahabuddin is ‘a superstar for corporate transactions. He is client friendly, and has a pleasant, non-arrogant style’.

Shahrizat Rashid & Lee’s Komala Veloo is experienced in joint venture, disposals and shareholders’ agreements, while Loo May Pearl is rated for corporate banking, and particularly privatization work. The firm is highly rated for its track record advising telecommunications companies, and has good links with a number of domestic banks.

Tay Beng Chai leads Tay & Partners’s busy corporate team, which is rated for restructuring and acquisition advice for clients floating shares on Bursa Malaysia. Highlights include acting for Port of Tanjung Pelepas in its joint venture with a leading global shipping group, and advising a Japanese public listed company in its acquisition of a Malaysian electronics company.

Wong Beh & Toh fields a respected team which features Wong Tat Chung, Patricia Toh Kim Lee, Cynthia Toh Mei Lee, Beh Yeow Seang and Yeap Lin Lin. The group has a very strong record in M&A work, having advised on the mandatory take over of a Singapore Exchange listed company. The firm is also recommended for corporate work in the education sector.