Malaysia

Azmi & Associates is pleased to announce the appointment of Rueben Mathiavaranam as Partner in the Litigation & Arbitration Practice Group, effective 3 September 2026.The appointment further strengthens the Firm's dispute resolution capabilities and senior leadership, particularly in complex and high-value litigation, arbitration and commercial disputes.Rueben brings 36 years of legal experience since his admission to the Malaysian Bar in 1990. He has held senior positions at several leading Malaysian law firms, established and led his own practice, and most recently served as a Senior Partner.His practice covers commercial litigation, appellate advocacy, defamation, construction disputes, employment litigation, insolvency and arbitration.Qualifications & Professional AdmissionsLL.B (Hons), University of Kent at Canterbury, England (1987)LL.M, University of Malaya (2002)Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn; admitted to the Bar of England & Wales (1989)Advocate & Solicitor, High Court in Malaya (1990)Barrister & Solicitor, Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory (1990)Barrister & Solicitor, High Court of Australia (1990)Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (Dip. ICArb.), Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK (2013)Certificate in Adjudication, Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) (2014)Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb.)Fellow, Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators (FMIArb.)Rueben is also the co-author of the third edition of Evans on Defamation in Singapore and Malaysia and has contributed to the legal profession through teaching, professional committees and other roles. He is currently a Notary Public and has previously served as a Malaysian Bar Ethics Examiner, as well as on various Bar Council sub-committees and the Arbitral Committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK (Malaysia Branch).Among his representative matters are:Acted as counsel and co-counsel for World Sport Nimbus Pte Ltd (WSN) in proceedings to register a foreign arbitral award against Sri Lanka Cricket, from the High Court through to the Federal Court. The matter was eventually settled in favour of WSN.Represented individuals and organisations in libel claims, including actress Sofia Jane Hisham, the charitable organisation behind Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang, and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, former Deputy Minister and MCA CWC Member. He has also defended major media organisations, including New Straits Times, TV3, Utusan Melayu and Star Publications, in libel claims brought by various prominent individuals, including Lim Guan Eng, Tan Sri Adnan Yaakob and Dato’ Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.Advised and assisted Star Publications, publisher of a leading English-language newspaper in Malaysia, in relation to its nationwide Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS).In addition, Rueben has advised and acted in matters involving:Commercial and Civil LitigationTortNegligenceBankruptcyWinding-upArbitrationDefamationEmployment LawLandlord and TenantInsuranceDebt RecoveryConstructionCommenting on the appointment, Dato’ Azmi Mohd Ali, Senior Partner of Azmi & Associates, said:“We are delighted to welcome Rueben Mathiavaranam to Azmi & Associates. His extensive experience and technical expertise will significantly strengthen our Litigation & Arbitration Practice. We look forward to his contribution to our clients, our people and the continued development of the Firm.”His extensive experience will also support the Firm’s talent development and succession efforts through mentoring, knowledge transfer and the development of younger lawyers.Azmi & Associates warmly welcomes Rueben to the Partnership and looks forward to his contribution to the Firm’s continued growth and development, as well as its continued commitment to delivering high-quality, client-centric legal solutions.Corporate CommunicationsAzmi & Associates3 September 2026

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill (LHAG) is delighted to announce that the firm’s Construction, Engineering, Projects, Infrastructure & International Arbitration partner, Darshendev Singh, will be speaking at Maldives ADR Week, taking place from 3 to 5 September 2026 on Maafushi Island, Republic of Maldives.Bringing together practitioners, academics, arbitrators, and students from across the globe, Maldives ADR Week is an international alternative dispute resolution programme organised by the Maldives Moot Court Society (MMCS) to provide a platform for dialogue, panel discussions, and advocacy in arbitration, mediation, and negotiation.Besides regularly sitting as an arbitrator and adjudicator and representing clients in international arbitration, Darshendev is also a frequent speaker on the international circuit on issues related to his areas of practice and contributes to global publications on the arbitration and construction law landscape. At Maldives ADR Week, he will contribute his insights to a panel discussion titled “Building Resilient Systems of Justice and the Future of ADR”, scheduled for Friday, 4 September 2026, from 1.15pm to 2.30pm (Maldives Time).For further information, please click here.27 August 2026

We are pleased to announce that our Senior Partner, Leonard Yeoh, will be assuming the role of Managing Partner of Tay & Partners.Having been an integral part of the firm for the past 24 years, Leonard has played a pivotal role in shaping our Dispute Resolution practice and contributing to the firm’s growth and development.His appointment comes at a time of significant professional recognition. Leonard has been named among Asia’s Top 30 Litigators for 2026 by Asian Legal Business (ALB) and inducted into The Legal 500 Hall of Fame for Dispute Resolution, its highest recognition for legal practitioners. He also holds or held leadership positions in prominent international legal associations, serving as an Executive Committee (Exco) Member of LAWYERS ASSOCIATED WORLDWIDE (LAW) and was an Officer of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA).These achievements reflect Leonard’s exceptional experience, leadership and standing in the legal profession both in Malaysia and globally, which he brings to his new role as Managing Partner.We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Leonard and look forward to the continued growth and success of Tay & Partners under his leadership.

We are pleased to share that lawyers from Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill have contributed to the recently published Bullen & Leake & Jacob’s Malaysian Precedents of Pleadings, Fourth Edition.The publication provides practical guidance and precedents across a wide range of Malaysian civil proceedings.Our contributors are:Hoi Jack S’ng, who contributed to the chapters on Banking (Chapter 4) and Defamation (Chapter 11);Teo Wai Sum and Nurizzati Kafiya Sidek, who co-authored the chapter on Data Protection (Chapter 31) with The Hon. Justice Adlin Abdul Majid, Judge of the High Court of Malaya; andChris Toh Pei Roo, Jay Fong Jia Sheng and Joanne Soon Jia Ying, who contributed to the chapter on Taxation (Chapter 41). The chapters combine an overview of the relevant Malaysian law with practical precedents and materials for use by legal practitioners.We congratulate all our contributors on their involvement in this important Malaysian legal reference work. 13 August 2026