Shearn Delamore & Co > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia > Firm Profile

Shearn Delamore & Co > The Legal 500 Rankings

Malaysia > Antitrust and competition Tier 1

Shearn Delamore & Co’s antitrust and competition practice counts foreign multinationals, domestic enterprises, and government-linked companies from various industries, among its key roster of clients. The team frequently advises on cases pertaining to the alleged infringement of the Competition Act 2010, price fixing, and due diligence, where recent standout work includes acting on the first and only successful merger control notification in Malaysia. Industry veteran Anand Raj heads the department alongside K Shanti Mogan, who offers advisory services, compliance audits, and legal representation in competition law disputes. Lilien Wong is a notable member of the team and has demonstrable know-how in regulatory compliance work, as well as in commercial litigation and arbitration.

Malaysia > Banking and finance Tier 1

Shearn Delamore & Co’s banking and finance department is frequently engaged by a wide array of Malaysian and international multinational companies, financial institutions, and corporations. The firm’s reputable offering includes advising on securities investments, derivatives, and collective investment funds. Well-versed in financial services and capital market regulations, the department is spearheaded by Christina Kow, an industry veteran who is known for her experience in project financing, foreign exchange policy, and the regulation of securities. Pamela Kung is a valuable member of the team and handles various banking and debt capital market transactions, alongside syndicated lending matters.

Malaysia > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

Shearn Delamore & Co's cohort advises clients on high-value joint ventures and share subscription agreements, in addition to acquisitions of interest, company disposals and business integrations and consolidations, with demonstrable experience in handling regulatory matters, namely due diligence and approvals. Grace Yeoh leads the team and advises on the full spectrum of mandates, from M&A, takeovers and corporate restructurings to joint ventures, demergers, listings and general corporate planning issues. Nicholas Tan Choi Chuan is noted for his expertise in the education, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and telecoms sectors, while Lai Zhen Pik handles acquisitions and corporate restructurings. Teo Eu John is another key contact in the group.

Malaysia > Dispute resolution Tier 1

In the dispute resolution arena, Shearn Delamore & Co has a fine track record of representing financial institutions, multinational corporations, and government agencies in disputes relating to insolvency, restructuring, insurance, and technology, amongst others. Jeyanthini Kannaperan spearheads the practice and frequently appears at trials and appeals at various levels of the Malaysian courts, where her primary areas of specialism are banking, compliance, and regulatory. Yee Mei Ken has propelled the firm’s niche expertise in representing media houses and news publishers in libel and defamation cases, while Rodney Gomez has a wealth of experience in construction and engineering contracts and infrastructure projects. Insolvency expert Rabindra Nathan is also a valuable member of the department, as is Alexius Lee who focuses on litigation in building law, and Lilien Wong is skilled in advising on telecoms and multimedia disputes.

Malaysia > Intellectual property Tier 1

Shearn Delamore & Co has a fully rounded and firmly established IP practice, regularly securing big-ticket engagements from notable domestic and international clients, such as FIFA and British American Tobacco plc. The department is spearheaded by Karen Abraham, an industry veteran who frequently provides legal counsel on various IP matters including regulatory concerns, licensing, franchising, and enforcement. The team’s scope of work is broad and often extends to copyright protection and advisory issues, trademark availability searches, due diligence exercises, and the drafting of patents. Indran Shanmuganathan is a notable IP litigator with a focus on industrial design and enforcement work, while Timothy Siaw has niche expertise in technology licensing, cybersecurity, and data protection.

Malaysia > Labour and employment Tier 1

Led by Vijayan Venugopal, the team at Shearn Delamore & Co handles the full range of matters for its roster of clients, including corporate employers, multinational companies and government-linked entities. The practice advises on such aspects as the terms and conditions of complex contracts, disciplinary action and termination proceedings, in addition to union issues. Sivabalah Nadarajah is noted for his expertise in trade union disputes, while Raymond Low frequently appears before the Court of Appeal, High Court, Industrial Court and Labour Court in Malaysia.

Malaysia > Real estate and construction Tier 1

Shearn Delamore & Co’s practice is jointly led by specialist Grace Yeoh and Rodney Gomez, who offers expertise in construction litigation and infrastructure projects. The firm counts local and international property developers, listed companies, multinational corporations, and financial institutions among its key roster of clients, and advises on the full spectrum of corporate real estate issues. The team advises on sales and leasebacks, joint ventures and property developments, leases and tenancies, and property acquisitions and divestments. On the construction front, the department handles both contentious and non-contentious elements and frequently covers high value building development projects and contract documentation. Anita Balakrishnan is a notable member of the group and is experienced in acquisitions and disposals, in addition to advising on Islamic financing principles.

Malaysia > Shipping Tier 1

Shearn Delamore & Co’s shipping offering has noteworthy expertise handling the gamut of complex matters, from advising on cross-jurisdictional international trade, marine insurance, sale and purchase agreements and shipbuilding matters, to handling the array of related mediation and arbitration cases. Rajasingam Gothandapani heads up the practice and has notable experience advising national and international maritime clients on the range of transactional and contentious matters. The claims the team handles are frequently multi-party, high-stakes, high-profile and of significant value. An example of its workload is its supporting The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in its initiating a lawsuit against the owners of the ‘MT Sea Coral’ regarding the alleged misdelivery of cargo to unauthorised third parties. Nik Azila Shuhada Binti Nik Abdullah, promoted to partnership in January 2023, brings to bear her litigation expertise across the scope of the team’s caseload.

Malaysia > Tax Tier 1

The well-established tax practice at Shearn Delamore & Co is spearheaded by expert Anand Raj, who advises on all elements of tax, including transfer pricing litigation. Covering the full spectrum of direct and indirect tax matters, the firm is skilled in handling tax advisory, planning, and structuring concerns. Counting international offshore funds, public listed companies, and government-linked companies amongst its key roster of clients, the department also advises on audits and investigations carried out by the Inland Revenue Board, in addition to corporate tax and tax risk management. A significant portion of its cases are of a cross-border nature, and often involve the telecoms, electronic, and transport industries. Irene Yong is a valuable member of the team and is well-versed in all aspects of tax and revenue law advice, as is Foong Pui Chi, who regularly appears as counsel in tax proceedings before the Superior Courts of Malaysia.

Malaysia > Islamic finance Tier 2

Shearn Delamore & Co’s Islamic finance practice builds upon its well-established background in banking and finance, in addition to its strong relationships with Malaysia’s leading banks and financial institutions. The firm advises on Sukuk issuances, Islamic securities investments and derivatives, and Islamic medium-term note programmes. Elsewhere, the team acts for Islamic financiers in advising on innovative Islamic products involving Shariah principles such as Murabahah, Tawarruq, and Hiwalah. Christina Kow leads the department and Pamela Kung is a notable member of the group.

Malaysia > Projects and energy Tier 2

Shearn Delamore & Co’s projects and energy cohort has particular expertise advising clients in matters involving high-value construction and engineering developments. Datin Grace Yeoh specialises in energy, natural resources and green tech, and co-leads the practice alongside Rodney Gomez, who has experience in litigation and arbitration cases involving key infrastructure and development contracts across industry sectors. The team’s workload includes representing its clients in High Court level disputes, a recent example being its acting for Sabah Electricity in an alleged wrongful deduction by the other side in a high-value PPA agreement. Additionally, the group advises on preparations, negotiations, construction and completion of projects.

Malaysia > Capital markets Tier 3

Shearn Delamore & Co’s team is jointly led by Pamela Kung, a specialist in acquisition financing and structured lending, and Nicholas Tan Choi Chuan, who is well-equipped to handle equity capital markets work, including IPOs. Counting investors, financial advisers and corporate issuers among its key roster of clients, the firm’s scope of work also includes advising on rights issues, corporate securities, Islamic finance, and asset-backed securitisation.

Malaysia > TMT (including Fintech) Tier 3

Shearn Delamore & Co combines experience in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide array of IT agreements with expertise in regulatory compliance and licensing requirements under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. E-commerce, online marketing and advertising matters are other areas of strength. Timothy Siaw heads up the team alongside Janet Toh. The registered patent agent Siaw is an IP and technology expert, while Toh is a key contact for global cloud migration projects. Christina Kow is well-versed in the the regulation of securities and derivatives, and Krystle Lui is another name to note.