The Legal 500

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill’s disputes team, which is headed by Lambert Rasa-Ratnam, has strength in depth and expertise across a wide number of areas. Andrew Chiew Ean Vooi and Sean Yeow Huang-Meng focus on banking and insolvency cases; Rosli Dahlan leads on corporate disputes and counts a national airline and an international tobacco company among his clients; and SM Shanmugam successfully represented defendants in certain High Court shareholder disputes. In the industrial relations and employment space, Lim Heng Seng represents several major banking clients and Thavalingam Thavarajah recently successfully defended CIMB Bank and Malaysian Airline System.

Shearn Delamore & Co’s comprehensive litigation and arbitration practice encompasses insolvency, defamation, contract breaches, shipping cases, and land disputes, and is frequently involved in benchmark cases. Shanti Mogan acted on a first-of-its-kind case in Malaysia regarding an arbitrator’s duty of disclosure. Rajasingam Gothandapani successfully represented a landowner in a RM29m compensation claim and at appeal. Practice head Robert Lazar, Jeyanthini Kannaperan, Rodney Gomez and Jimmy Liew are also recommended.

Banking and finance disputes remain a core strength of Shook Lin & Bok, but its general litigation capabilities extend to contractual, commercial and construction disputes. Clients include investment groups, financial institutions and Islamic banks. Yoong Sin Min and Too Hing Yeap lead on key matters. Mohanadass Kanagasabai left to found his own dispute resolution boutique, Mohanadass Partnership.

Skrine’s excellent group is led by Leong Wai Hong, who frequently makes expert witness appearances at the Singapore Court. Commercial litigator Lim Chee Wee is ‘energetic, young but with a wealth of experience, resourceful, creative, attentive to detail and highly ethical’. Vinayak Pradhan is ‘a first-class advocate and arbitrator competent in any field to which he has turned his hand, reflecting the versatility and abilities of the practice in general’. Consultant Wong Chong Wah and Wong Chee Lin are ‘excellent lawyers with vast experience’.

‘Well connected and able to bridge the gap between commercial decisions and legality in its advice’, Kadir, Andri & Partners is building its reputation nicely following some recent high-profile representations such as well-regarded practice head Nahendran Navaratnam representing the defendant in AV Asia v Measat Broadcast Network Systems, and advising developer Kuala Dimensi on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal. Sanjay Mohanasundram handles construction cases at arbitration and in High Court litigation. For corporate and insolvency disputes, Saheran Suhendran and Mak Lin Kum are ‘well versed with the law, have in-depth knowledge, and demonstrate an ability to think outside the box’.

Raja, Darryl & Loh’s broad practice includes defamation and statutory breaches, while it is also well regarded for its ‘in-depth knowledge on insolvency matters’. Recent cases include representing the publishers of The Edge newspaper regarding the PKFZ scandal, and acting for Sime Darby board members in a civil lawsuit against its former CEO. Darryl Goon heads the team in which Ng Sai Yeang handles financial cases, and Mark La Brooy focuses on insolvency and corporate disputes. Consultant Jennifer Cheong and Rajasekaran A Murugaiah are also recommended.

Boutique practice Tommy Thomas remains a key player with name partner Tommy Thomas enjoying an outstanding reputation; he recently acted as counsel to the Bersih chairperson in a High Court challenge against Malaysia’s Immigration Department. The practice is also representing the Kelantan state government in a breach of contract dispute with Petronas. The team includes shipping and admiralty specialist Sitpah Selvaratnam and commercial disputes expert Alan Gomez.

Leading litigator Cecil Abraham heads Zul Rafique & Partners’ dispute resolution team, which continues to make its mark in headline cases. These included a landmark Federal Court ruling, determining that the regent should have exclusive powers to carry out royal functions when a sultan is incapacitated. It also successfully represented EON Capital’s directors in a shareholder dispute brought by Primus.

Albar & Partners applies its ‘in-depth knowledge on commercial law’ to banking and commercial disputes. The lead lawyers are V Vijakumar, who provides ‘sound opinion and resolution to disputes’, and N Chandran. Koh Yew Chong is ‘a good advocate, with impressive interpersonal and negotiation skills’, particularly for banking litigation. He acted for the defendant in The Ayer Molek Company v Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional.

Insurance is the core strength of Azim Tunku Farik & Wong’s ten-partner team, which also handles banking, corporate and general commercial disputes – the practice appeared in the dispute between Sime Darby and its former chief executive. Wong Hok Mun represents financial institutions, and appeared in Formosa Resort Properties v Bank Bumiputra at the Federal Court. Former partner Zainal Azim retired from legal practice.

Cheang & Ariff’s clients include Lion Group, Deutsche Telekom, Celcom and RHB Bank. It is acting for a Hong Kong-based private equity fund in challenging the validity of Hong Leong Bank’s takeover of EON Bank.

Chooi & Company’s key reputation lies in its human rights and public interest work, 
but its capabilities extend to commercial, corporate, banking and industrial relations litigation. Managing partner Christopher Leong and Lim Tuck Sun acted for Sumitomo Corporation in a successful multiparty defence at the High Court. Ira Biswas focuses on insolvency and fraud.

Gan Partnership’s dispute resolution practice is led by litigator Gan Khong Aik, who handles industrial relations matters for clients such as Exxon Mobil. The practice has also been instructed on disputes related to the PKFZ scandal.

‘A small outfit but with impressive lawyers’, Izral Partnership provides ‘good value for money given its capabilities in delivering premium legal services’. Shareholder disputes and insolvency remain a core focus, but recent mandates included a joint venture dispute at the International Chambers of Commerce. The group now has four partners, following the arrival of S Bhuvaneswary from Logan Sabapathy & Co. Mohd Izral Khairy is ‘a highly skilful litigator and very commercially aware’.

Logan Sabapathy & Co’s highly reputed name partner Logan Sabapathy now focuses solely on advisory work, including for international arbitrations.

Rahmat Lim and Partners has broad capabilities but focuses particularly on banking and insolvency disputes. Practice head Jack Yow has ‘strong technical skills and good 
business acumen as he understands client’s needs and can provide commercially feasible solutions’.

Shaikh David Raj focuses on banking, insurance and shipping cases. Clients include a mix of domestic and foreign companies, including banks, oil and gas interests, and public and private corporations.

SreenevasanYoung’s disputes practice includes fraud, insurance, corporate and civil litigation. Gopal Sreenevasan is ‘patient and proficient, and carries himself in a dignified and impressive manner’.

Tay & Partners Leonard Yeoh is noteworthy for his expertise on labour and employment expertise, and he successfully represented Malaysian Bulk Carriers in a High Court case regarding the company’s rejection 
of share subscriptions by a number of employees.

Zain & Co’s recent wins include the successful defence of a multinational subsidiary against a RM15m financial claim pursuant to 
a shipping venture. Anita Sockalingam (corporate and commercial), Vatsala Ratnasabapathy (construction) and Colin Sequerah (labour 
and employment) are the key figures.