The Legal 500

Haryati Deepak has a growing reputation in the market, and with a sole focus on IT and telecoms work, the breadth of practice is potentially the widest on offer. 2009 saw the firm advise on a national project involving mobile number portability agreements. This boutique provides an ‘excellent level of service’ and clients say it has ‘the best in-depth knowledge in this field in Malaysia’. Intan Haryati offers ‘very high-quality work with deep technical knowledge, and goes the extra mile to give the customer added value’, while Deepak Pillai‘s strength is ‘that he has an innate understanding of technology related issues whether from the legal or the business standpoint’.

Skrine offers a ‘very high level of service’, and the IT and e-commerce department is a significant part of the firm. With a client base featuring leading computer software and hardware companies, dot-coms, telecom and multimedia companies, the firm also leverages nicely off its strong banking client base. Charmayne Ong and Lim Yen Hiu are recommended practitioners.

Jeff Leong, Poon & Wong In Association with Deacons enjoys a very good client base, and advised Nokia-Siemens joint venture on contracting issues in Malaysia, and also attracted Acision Group as a client. Jeff Leong and Anne Wong are recommended.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill has an impressive clients base, acting for two major mobile phone networks, Maxis and Digi. It also notably advises Telekom Malaysia on contentious issues, and the team is recommended for its experience in high-speed broadband work. DP Naban, Lambert Rasa-Ratnam, and Vijay Kumar are noted on the contentious side, while Ng Leong Huathandles the corporate aspects. Iain Sedgley and Tay Weng Hwee are also rated.

Naqiz & Partners’ ‘overall level of service is excellent’. It offers ‘quick response time, in-depth knowledge, sound advisory services, and a strong and growing team of professionals. The firm has grown tremendously over past few years, and will continue to excel’. Work handled includes advising a major global telecoms company on outsourcing services, and acting on the launch of a low-cost mobile cellular service. Syed Naqiz Shahabuddin ‘displays quality leadership, is calm and collected in nature, and very innovative’ while Eric Chin shows ‘respect for others, is fast in his work, communicates well and is decisive’.

Raja, Darryl & Loh fields a very capable team which is highly recommended for experience in mobile number portability, having represented Talian Gerak Alih in negotiations with several of the leading telecoms companies. Tong Lai Ling, who leads the team, is ‘a very good lawyer, who is very helpful and professional’.

Wong & Partners’s IT department is led by Adeline Wong. With clients such as Ericsson and Telekom Malaysia, the group attracts big names, and recently advised on the establishment of a multimillion-Ringgit network across Malaysia.

Sharon Tan is the name of note at Zaid Ibrahim & Co. The team had an active year, which saw it advise Celcom on three separate Mobile Virtual network operator agreements. Other key clients include KeyWest Global Telecommunication and Sumitomo.

Au Wei Lien leads the Zul Rafique & 
Partners team, which has a number of 
impressive clients, such as Telekom Malaysia, which it advised on issues arising from 
Malaysia’s high speed broadband network. Other clients include Malaysia Airports and Measat Broadcast Networks.

Abdullah Chan has a recognised IT and telecoms expert in the shape of lead partner Tai Foong Lam. Key deals of the past year include acting for Kumpulan Modal Perdana on investments into biotechnology and IT companies.

Deol & Gill is noted for advising listed telecommunications company Green Packet on the establishment, operation and management of a nation-wide WiMax Network. Suraj S Gill and Jespal Deol Abdullah are the leading names.

Although primarily known for its IP and trademark expertise, RamRais & Partners is recommended for e-commerce and telecommunication, and has experience in software and hardware agreements and website development, hosting and ISP.

Shahrizat Rashid & Lee advised on an electronic data interchange system for the ports and airports of Malaysia, and is recommended for experience in electronic data interchange work. Yohan Ananda Rajan and Michele Yeoh are recommended practitioners.

Shearn Delamore & Co is recommended for its contentious expertise in this area, and advised a major Malaysian telecommunications company in the first statutory derivative action in the High Court commenced by a former minority shareholder. Rabindra S Nathan and Nad Segaram are rated.

Tay & Partners is well placed to advise on both contentious and non-contentious technology issues, and advises a number of global clients, as well as two local software companies. Linda C L Wang is recommended.

Salwah Abdul Shukor is the principle name for IT and telecoms work at Zain & Co. The team notably advised Multimedia Development Corporation on streamlining, and acted for PNB-PERNEC on technology procurement contracts. Dzuhairi Jaafar Thani is also active in this area.