Malaysia > Dispute resolution > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

Dispute resolution boutique Cecil Abraham And Partners handles high-profile cases in a range of sectors, including oil, gas, financial services and public law. Cecil Abraham acted for Triumph City Development in a land transfer dispute against the Selangor state government. Other clients include EY and Petronas. Sunil Abraham is also singled out.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill's department is well known for its formidable strength in depth. 'Sharp, skilful, knowledgeable articulator' Andrew Chiew, who along with Sean Yeow and Kumar Kanagasingam specialises in banking disputes, acted for AmBank Islamic Bank and PricewaterhouseCoopers in a financing dispute and an insolvency dispute respectively. Rosli Dahlan is a 'meticulous' expert in public law, the 'cool-headed, persuasive' SM Shanmugam in corporate and securities litigation, Darshendev Singh in projects and energy, G Vijay Kumar in TMT disputes, and Nitin Nadkarni in arbitration, including international arbitration. Lambert Rasa-Ratnam is 'a trusted litigation authority'. The 'hardworking' Ho Ai Ting, who specialises in real estate and corporate disputes and provides 'detailed advice', made partner in 2018.

Counting medical negligence, construction, media and tax as particular strengths, the team at Raja, Darryl & Loh frequently handles high-profile cases. Raja Eileen Soraya represented The Edge Communications in an application for judicial review after The Edge Malaysia and The Edge Financial Daily were suspended following their coverage of the 1MDB scandal. Chang Wei Mun and arbitrator Ooi Huey Miin are also recommended. Darryl Goon left to join the bench, and senior associate Joni Benedict left to go in-house; but construction expert Joshua Chong and employment specialist Tham Li Vyen made partner in February 2018.

The full-service practice at Shearn Delamore & Co, which leaves clients 'very pleased', has a particular niche in legal and medical professional negligence disputes; it also has international arbitration capabilities, a focus for Rabindra Nathan, K. Shanti Mogan, Dhinesh Bhaskaran and Nad Segaram. Rodney Gomez acted for Colas Rail Systems Engineering in a RM29m contract dispute with Transgrid Ventures. Financial disputes expert Jeyanthini Kannaperan heads the practice; Robert Lazar and Yee Mei Ken are frequently active litigators.

Praised for its 'thorough research and sound advice', Shook Lin & Bok's 'excellent' practice is 'reliable, resourceful and highly respected by legal practitioners and the general public'. Lam Ko Luen, who heads the contentious projects team alongside Hoh Kiat Ching, 'takes every instruction seriously and delivers prompt follow-ups'; the 'experienced' Yoong Sin Min, who leads the banking litigation practice jointly with Chan Kok Keong, has 'in-depth knowledge'. Lam, Nagarajah Muttiah and Romesh Abraham are the names to note for international arbitration skills.

The team at Skrine comprises 'a good mix of lawyers with excellent skills, knowledge and acumen'; partners are 'always accessible', provide 'fast turnarounds' and 'come up with several options to align with clients' needs'. Lim Chee Wee is 'extremely user-friendly, and can always be relied on to achieve the desired results in and out of court'; 'quick, very thorough' junior partner Shannon Rajan is 'very knowledgeable' about construction disputes. 'Deeply knowledgeable' international arbitration and insolvency specialist Lee Shih 'never fails to deliver high-quality advice in his trade mark disarming fashion'. Sharon Chong and Khoo Guan Huat are also singled out. The department's clients include Petronas, CTI Group and the Securities Commission. Janice Tay left to join Wong & Partners in 2018.

Chooi & Company and Cheang & Ariff  was created by the June 2018 merger between two strong dispute resolution practices: Chooi & Company and Cheang & Ariff. The new department is 'very responsive', 'takes time to understand clients' business', and 'renders comprehensive advice'. The 'accessible' Lim Tuck Sun  is noted for his 'in-depth knowledge of contractual, civil and company law'; 'thorough' senior associate Ariel On Xiu Tao 'keeps clients updated'. Ira Biswas , Janet Pei Ying Chai , Christopher Leong  and Cindy Goh Joo Seong  are other names to note. Commercial litigator Andrew Fernandez made partner in 2018.

Technology, real estate and natural resources have recently been especially busy areas for the team at Wong & Partners, which also counts construction, Islamic finance and fraud disputes as key areas of strength. Group head Kherk Ying Chew and fraud expert Eddie Chuah acted for Juris Technologies in a civil case against former employees who allegedly stole confidential information and used it to compete commercially. Though Elaine Yap left in 2018 to set up her own practice, energy and construction litigator and arbitrator Janice Tay arrived from Skrine. Mohd Arief Emran Bin Arifin is recommended for energy, projects and Islamic finance disputes.

Disputes boutique Ariff Rozhan & Co receives instructions from a roster of high-profile clients, especially in the financial services, energy and natural resources sectors. Managing partner Ariff Rozhan acted for Maybank and Maybank Islamic in their RM50m cyberfraud and conspiracy case brought against over 25 defendants; along with William Lim, he also represented Kapar Energy Ventures in an $80m insurance case.

Christopher & Lee Ong fields an experienced team of litigators and arbitrators. John Mathew and Heng Yee Keat defended Maybank in a case brought by Bank of Nova Scotia regarding an allegedly unfair bank charge. Corporate and commercial litigator Niak Hiong Keong, who made partner in 2018 together with shipping and commodities expert Clive Selvapandian, acted for Leading Innovative Technologies & Systems in resisting an injunction filed against it relating to a parking app. Ong Chee Kwan co-heads the practice with Mathew. Han Li Meng is recommended for construction disputes.

Disputes boutique Gan Partnership covers a good spread of litigation and arbitration. Corporate and commercial litigator Gan Khong Aik represented Ng Geok Hwa in a reassessment of damages case relating to a zoning decision. Foo Joon Liang defended Tuck Sin Engineering & Construction in a case brought by KL Eco City regarding the collapse of a 70-metre pedestrian bridge near Mid Valley Megamall; he is also recommended for arbitration. Tan Min Lee is another active practitioner.

Praised for its 'very good knowledge and responsiveness', 'reliable' corporate and commercial disputes boutique Izral Partnership leaves clients 'very satisfied'. Wong Guo Bin, Tharminder Singh and fraud expert Mohd Izral Khairy are the key partners; Singh acted for TH Heavy Engineering in a contentious restructuring matter. Star Media Group also counts among the team's clients.

The three-partner department at Lee & Koh is especially strong in corporate litigation, real estate disputes and corporate banking and insolvency disputes. Financial institutions, such as AmBank (M) and Maybank, and highway concessionaires, such as New Pantai Expressway and West Coast Expressway, form a significant part of the practice's client base. Koh Yew Chong and Justin Leong Chee C’Jun acted for Bukit Rimau Development in a property dispute. Irwan Ismail is noted for his niche strength in Islamic banking recovery.

The 'effective' department at MahWengKwai & Associates provides 'prompt responses and practical, solution-driven advice'. Real estate litigation is a particular strength, though the team also handles corporate and commercial disputes, constitutional litigation and judicial reviews. 'Responsible, dedicated' managing partner Raymond Mah continued to act for Sime Darby in an arbitration brought by Garden Bay. Richard Wee has a broad docket, but is especially noted for his niche strength in sport.

Advocacy boutique Malik Imtiaz Sarwar counts high-profile clients such as Petronas and the Penang state government among its roster; it also frequently represents individuals. Name partner Malik Imtiaz Sarwar acted for Tan Chaui En and the company Unggul Tangkas as appellants in unrelated disputes regarding sale-and-purchase land agreements. Associate Surendra Ananth acted for MPs Nurul Izzah Anwar and M. Kulasegaran in separate re-delineation cases. Non-governmental organisation SIS Forum is another client.

Especially strong in litigating for financial institutions and multinational companies, the team at Rahmat Lim & Partners is led by Jack Yow and international arbitrator and construction expert Chong Yee Leong. They are supported by energy and engineering specialists Allen Choong and Kamilah Kasim; Chong Boon Leong, who is almost exclusively dedicated to international arbitration; and corporate and commercial disputes partners Daphne Khoo and Yap Yeow Han. Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia, Kontron Asia Pacific Design and Network Corporate Finance count among the team's clients.

Best known for its expertise in shareholder disputes and securities cases, five-partner litigation boutique Sreenevasan Young also handles contentious trust and probate work. Name partners Gopal Sreenevasan and Conrad Young are supported by Lau Mark Chi-Ming, Leong Phaik Leng and Ravindran Shanmuganathan, who is an expert in libel, land law, equity and trusts.

Tay & Partners splits its group between two offices: Kuala Lumpur, where it handles a wide range of work from commercial litigation to construction arbitration, and Johor Bahru, where it is especially noted for its contentious banking practice. Group head Leonard Yeoh continued to assist Megasteel with a judicial review application regarding economic safeguarding measures, and represented AirAsia in a defamation case against a former MP. Cheah Soo Chuan is also singled out.

Tommy Thomas remains very active despite the loss of its name partner to the seat of Attorney-General in 2018. Financial services expert Alan Gomez, securities litigator Ganesan Nethi and consultant Sitpah Selvaratnam, who is a maritime specialist, are the names to note; senior associate Michael Yap is also singled out.

Anita Sockalingam and energy and construction arbitration expert Vatsala Ratnasabapathy are the key partners at Zain & Co. Praised for its 'high-quality service' and 'well-structured approach', the 'very responsive, extremely knowledgeable' team has seen an uptick in land acquisition litigation, however, it remains active in a wide range of areas. Sime Darby and Universiti Putra Malaysia are clients. The widely recommended Dennis Khong made partner in January 2018.

Strong in commercial, banking and public litigation, the team at Zul Rafique & Partners also has niche strengths: Idza Hajar Ahmad Idzam has longstanding experience in aviation disputes, and Natalia Izra is increasingly active in contentious Islamic finance work. Senior associate Farah Shuhadah Razail is recommended for oil and gas and public law disputes. Koperasi Maju Ekonomi Pekerja, Telekom Malaysia and the Land Public Transport Commission count among the team's clients. Shahul Hameed Amirudin is now a consultant.

Noted for its strength in insurance, commercial and banking disputes, the practice at Azim, Tunku Farik & Wong fields a deep bench. Insurance experts Tunku Farik and Wong Hok Mun are the key contacts.

Specialising in litigation and arbitration, the five-partner practice at Mohanadass Partnership has had another busy year. Managing partner Mohanadass Kanagasabai represented Malaysia Marine & Heavy Engineering in a multimillion-dollar construction dispute, and acted for TNB Fuel Services in an international arbitration involving the sale and supply of coal. Syarihah Razman, Kevin Prakash and Shamsul Bahrin Manaf are also highly active practitioners.

Banking, commercial and construction disputes are among the kinds of contentious work handled by Albar & Partners. V. Vijakumar heads the practice; Dato Narayanan Chandran is now a consultant.

AmerBON is an advocacy boutique that specialises in criminal and civil cases. Edmund Bon acted for Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim in a tort of misfeasance dispute, and represented the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) in employment- and governance-related cases. Amer Hamzah bin Arshad is the firm's criminal law expert.

Noted for its expertise in administrative and constitutional cases, Cyrus Das Advocates & Solicitors also handles corporate and commercial disputes and reviews of arbitral awards. Cyrus Das is the name to note.

The 'highly responsive, commercially sensible' practice at Josephine, L K Chow & Co is spread across two offices, in Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur; it is increasingly active in construction disputes. Cyndi Chow acted for Dato Yeo Kim Thong in a defamation suit against PJ Uniform and Yap Kwee Yin, and Yip Huen Weng represented Woodlandor Wood Products in a fee recovery case against Ireka Engineering & Construction.

Corporate and commercial litigator Logan Sabapathy is the managing partner and key contact at Logan Sabapathy & Co; the team also handles arbitration, and is particularly experienced in shareholders' disputes and directors' duties litigation.

Nahendran Navaratnam, who has longstanding experience in corporate, commercial and administrative litigation as well as domestic and international arbitration, heads the practice at Navaratnam Chambers; he is supported by Wong Wye Wah.

Ranjit Singh, corporate and commercial litigator Gregory Ling and contract, property and insurance expert Yeoh Cho Kheong are the key contacts at litigation firm Ranjit Singh & Yeoh, which is recognised by peers as an effective boutique.

Insurance and transport specialist James David and financial services and real estate expert Shaikh Abdul Saleem are the key names at Shaikh David & Co; they are supported by maritime expert Faad Cahaya Narimas and Gurmeet Kaur, who is especially experienced in banking, insolvency, retail and landlord/tenancy disputes. Zelan Construction is a client.

Name partner Ambiga Sreenevasan is the key contact at Sreenevasan; she specialises in commercial and labour disputes, and is supported by corporate and insurance litigator Shireen Selvaratnam.

TKP Law handles civil and criminal matters, and prides itself on its work for the less powerful, including pro bono work. James Joshua Paulraj acted for two individuals representing 1,065 investors in a breach-of-contract case against Genneva Malaysia and Bank Negara Malaysia. P. Taneswaran and managing partner Calvin Khoo are also singled out.

Zaid Ibrahim & Co (a member of ZICO Law) fields a strong team of litigators, and counts media company New Straits Times (M), Gerbang Perdana, Multi Purpose Management and Amanahraya Development among its clients. Firoz Hussain Ahmad Jamaluddin acted for the Federal Land Development Authority in a land ownership case against native inhabitants, and Effendy Othman represented Etude in a distribution agreement case. Sabarina Samadi and Saritha Devi Kirupalani are other names to note.