The Legal 500 > Asia Pacific > Malaysia > Labour and employment

The 'very professional and efficient' employment and industrial relations team at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill provides 'sound technical legal advice' on a range of compliance, contractual, contentious matters. Its impressive client roster includes major Malaysian companies and multinationals, such as CIMB Bank and Samsung Electronics. Practice head and 'good strategist' Heng Seng Lim is highlighted particularly for corporate advisory work while Thavalingam Thavarajah focuses on employment disputes. Other names to note include Shariffullah Abdul Majeed who has particular industrial relations experience and senior associate Amardeep Singh attracts praise for being 'a good communicator'.

Shearn Delamore & Co's employment and administrative law practice advises on a full range of contentious and non-contentious employment and industrial relations matters. The group's experience includes assisting employers with a corporate transactions and restructuring, employment contracts, collective bargaining and collective agreements , union issues and disputes. Practice head Sivabalah Nadarajah handles a range of matters including judicial review applications and appeals; Reena Enbasegaram advises on disciplinary action procedures, employment issues in restructuring exercises and employment documentation, while Raymond Low is a name to note for employment litigation.

The employment team at Skrine is frequently instructed by employers in a full-range of employment and labour matters, with particular experience in handling litigation. Selvamalar Alagaratnam, who handles a range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters including allegations of employee fraud and medical negligence, jointly heads the practice alongside Siva Kumar Kanagasabai who has particular experience in employment disputes.

Wong & Partners' employment practice 'provides timely and comprehensive advice' on corporate transactions, compliance matters and disputes to its client roster of multinational clients. Brian Chia heads up the practice and is a key name to note for non-contentious matters, while Eddie Chuah handles disputes.

The 'dynamic' employment and industrial relations practice at Zul Rafique & Partners handles a range of contentious and non-contentious matters and attracts praise for being 'thorough when rendering an opinion and provides sound legal advice'. The group is jointly led by industrial court litigator P Jayasingam, Wong Keat Ching, who splits her time between contentious and corporate advisory work, and Thavaselvi Pararajasingam, who counts banks and insurers among her clients.

Christopher & Lee Ong's multi-disciplinary employment practice group includes corporate and disputes resolution lawyers. The group is frequently instructed to advise on Malaysian labour law aspects and acquisitions and divestments, and has the capabilities to handle a range of contentious matters in the industrial courts as well as in arbitration and mediation. Key names to note include corporate and real estate partner Kelvin Kho and Yau Yee Ming for non-contentious matters and litigators Rubini Murugesan and Han Li Meng.

Rahmat Lim & Partners leverages its strong litigation and dispute resolution practice in employment and labour matters. Practice head Jack Yow advises on a range of contentious issues and frequently defends large corporates in claims by employees and former employees.

The employment team at Raja, Darryl & Loh handles a range of advisory and contentious matters with particular experience in defending unfair dismissal, retrenchment and constructive dismissal cases at the Industrial Court. Practice head Ravindra Kumar Rengasamy advises clients on redundancy and retrenchment, contractual matters as well in litigation.

The employment and industrial relations team at Azmi & Associates is instructed to advise on labour law aspects of corporate transactions and commercial and contractual matters as well representing clients in negotiations of collective agreements and employer/employee disputes. Melinda Marie D’Angelus has experience in advising trade unions and employers in contentious and non-contentious matters.

Highlighted as 'a truly a great team with charismatic individuals', Chooi & Company and Cheang & Ariff's employment and immigration practice group assists its impressive client roster — which includes Mondelez Malaysia, Agoda International and IHI Corporation — with a range of contentious and advisory matters. The 'remarkable' Yap Yeong Hui handles a range of matters with particular experience in representing clients in unfair dismissal claims at the Industrial Court and heads up the practice alongside corporate partner Brian ML Foong.

Donovan & Ho's 'exceptional' employment and industrial relations team acts for both employers and employees on a range of contentious and non-contentious matters. As well as advising on employment contracts and disputes relating to termination of employment, the group has recently been instructed to assist with internal investigations involving employee misconduct such as sexual harassment, fraud and breach of fiduciary duties. Practice head Donovan Cheah, who attracts praise for his 'professional, thoroughness and efficiency', counts L’Oreal and PPG Industries among his clients.

The labour and industrial team at Shook Lin & Bok, which handles both advisory work and litigation, is led by Romesh Abraham and includes Mehala Marimuthoo, who are both particularly experienced in employment disputes. David Ng Yew Kiat joined Steven Thiru & Sudhar Partnership.

Tay & Partners assists employers ⁠– including  multinationals, local and international banks and financial institutions, government agencies and local companies ⁠– with employment and industrial relations matters, with particular experience in contentious instructions. Dispute resolution partner Leonard Yeoh has experience representing employers in litigation. Lim May Fenn left to establish JW Yeoh & Fenn.

The employment team at Josephine, L K Chow & Co is strong for industrial relations and employment litigation, with particular experience advising manufacturing sector clients. Edward Saw Keat Leong heads up the practice and frequently appears in the Industrial Court in unfair dismissal claims.

The labour and employment practice group at MahWengKwai & Associates assists its client roster, which ranges from large corporations and businesses to individual employees, with a range of employment matters. Raymond Mah heads up the practice and is strong for contentious employment issues.

Peter Ling & van Geyzel's employment practice offers 'quick responses and practical advice at reasonable fees' and advises corporates and well-known brands to advise on labour and employment compliance matters. The group benefits from referrals of work from major international law firms such as DLA Piper, Eversheds Sutherland, and Bird & Bird LLP. Practice head Marcus van Geyzel has experience in corporate, commercial and contentious work.