Malaysia

Rahmat Lim & Partners is a prominent dispute resolution practice offering comprehensive legal services across commercial, banking, corporate, employment, and property litigation. The firm's expertise extends to complex areas including security enforcement, minority shareholder rights, corporate governance disputes, insolvency proceedings, regulatory challenges, and professional negligence claims. The dispute resolution team delivers strategic representation to a select clientele comprising banks, financial institutions, multinational corporations, local blue-chip companies, institutional shareholders, and major private companies, with a particular strength in sophisticated, high-value disputes requiring nuanced legal intervention. 

The practice is led by litigation head Jack Yow and international arbitration and projects head Yee Leong Chong, both distinguished practitioners with extensive experience in complex commercial disputes. Yow has notable expertise in handling high-stakes litigation involving financial institutions, multinational companies, and judicial review applications, having successfully recovered multi-million-ringgit facilities and obtained significant arbitration awards. Chong, with over 33 years of practice, specialises in international arbitration across multiple Asian regions and Africa, focusing on construction, energy, infrastructure, and investment disputes. Their collective expertise has positioned the firm as a leading dispute resolution practice in the region. In June 2025, the firm hired Aravind Kumarr as a litigation partner. 

In one of the most significant corporate restructurings in Malaysian legal history, the firm acted as lead Malaysian counsel for Vantris Energy (formerly Sapura Energy) and 22 of its subsidiaries in schemes of arrangement encompassing debts of approximately RM12 billion — the largest reported restructuring by any Malaysian company to date. The restructuring produced several novel legal outcomes, and the proceedings were the first to engage the Malaysia-Singapore Protocol on court-to-court communication in cross-border corporate insolvency matters, with the Malaysian proceedings also receiving recognition as foreign main proceedings in Singapore, Brazil, and Ghana.  

On the construction and projects front, the firm acted as counsel for BASF Petronas Chemicals in a dispute against Petronas Gas arising from an agreement for the sale and purchase of electricity, under which Petronas had agreed to sell and deliver electricity to BASF for use in its facilities. The dispute concerned the annual contractual quantity for the 2018 and 2019 contract years, with implications touching on a contract value of approximately RM4.2 billion and resulted in Petronas commencing a suit against BASF for an outstanding sum of RM57.9 million. The matter was resolved amicably between the parties in September 2025, with the suit discontinued without liberty to file afresh.  

Turning to labour and employment, the firm acted as counsel for Tasek Corporation in judicial review proceedings brought by a former employee following her retrenchment as part of the company's restructuring and reorganisation exercise in 2018. The claimant challenged the bona fides of the retrenchment, contesting among other things the company's financial position and its adherence to the last-in-first-out principle. The Industrial Court had previously found in favour of Tasek, holding that the termination was with just cause or excuse, and the High Court in March 2025 dismissed the judicial review application with costs awarded to Tasek.  

Client feedback

"They are a well-rounded firm and are able to apply themselves in various specialties." – Commercial and transactions 

"Attentive, knowledgeable in local regulations, and providing the right guidance and advice." – Government and regulatory 

"Great communication and a thorough understanding of the issues we faced. Takes additional effort to find references for the client's next course of action." – Government and regulatory 

"The firm is highly professional and responsive, always providing sound and timely advice. Their lawyers are independent and confident, able to address our queries directly whenever needed. Their command of the English language is outstanding, and they handle Malay language requirements with equal ease. The quality of their written work is particularly impressive." – Real estate 

Prabjit Dev Singh

"Prabjit communicates excellently, is friendly and approachable, and is generous with his knowledge. He provides thorough and detailed advice."

Desmond Liew

"Communicates well and provides sufficient input throughout the case."

Mei Fang Tan

"Attentive to detail, always available, and provides clear solutions and options with risks outlined to support decision-making."

Jack Yow

"He is sharp and strategic, with an incredible memory and the ability to anticipate the opposing party's moves. His legal knowledge, case preparation, and work ethic are impeccable. He is also remarkably creative in finding solutions to difficult problems. He is one of the best lawyers I have ever encountered, and someone I would engage again without hesitation." 

Ooi & Ooi is a boutique dispute resolution practice founded in 2018, focusing primarily on corporate and commercial litigation, construction disputes, and white-collar crime arbitrations. The practice provides comprehensive legal services across diverse sectors, including property development, construction, and corporate transactions, leveraging strategic approaches to resolve complex legal challenges for clients in both domestic and international contexts. 

The firm was co-founded by siblings Nicholas Ooi and Natalie Ooi, who bring substantial legal experience from established Malaysian law firms. Nicholas Ooi has a multifaceted professional background, having practised commercial and civil litigation for six years, worked with the Malaysian stock market regulator's enforcement team, and served as in-house legal counsel for a holdings company. Natalie Ooi specialises in complex commercial litigation, with expertise in corporate, real estate planning, land, and construction disputes. Both partners are empanelled as adjudicators with the Asian International Arbitration Centre and are fellows of the Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution, lending significant credibility to their dispute resolution practice. 

The firm acted as counsel for Country Heights Damansara Residents' Association (CHDRA) in a dispute against developers Mega Palm and Country Heights Properties arising from their failure to hand over CHDRA's water infrastructure to water authority Pengurusan Air Selangor (AIRSEL). The dispute affected around 130 owners and 1,000 residents who faced recurring water disruptions, inability to obtain individual water meters and Certificates of Compliance and Completion, and payment of commercial rather than residential water rates for over 20 years. Following the developers' breach of an earlier Consent Order, the firm commenced contempt proceedings and a second suit seeking injunctive and other relief. The firm prevailed at each stage of litigation, securing a contempt finding against the developers and their directors and a mandatory injunction of RM1.75 million. In late December 2024, the developers completed the outstanding works and handed over the water infrastructure to AIRSEL, bringing the approximately ten-year dispute to resolution. 

Among the firm's clients are Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia), Brunsfield Engineering, and BL Agro. 

Client feedback

"Excellent work. Excellent communication. Excellent writing. Excellent teamwork. Excellent legal service. Excellent legal advice." – Labour and employment 

Natalie Ooi

"Excellent in communication. Excellent in protecting clients' rights. Excellent in teamwork."

Nicholas Ooi

"Nicholas works seriously and stays focused on protecting and prioritising the client's interests above all else."

Established in 2014, Izad Kazran & Co (IKC) underwent a strategic rebranding in 2018 alongside the appointment of Sze Jia Kho as Managing Partner. Operating from offices in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, the firm provides a full range of legal services with a core focus on dispute resolution, supported by corporate and real estate practices. Its work includes construction and engineering arbitrations on major infrastructure projects, product liability disputes governed by English law, and cross-border reinsurance disputes involving dual-jurisdiction issues. Managing Partner Kho handles a broad range of contentious matters including arbitration, banking, construction, fraud, insurance and reinsurance, and energy disputes. Partner Aleeya Elyana handles civil and commercial litigation, shipping and maritime matters. 

The firm is acting as lead counsel for a consortium of Thai insurers, led by Indara Insurance Public Company, in a cross-border facultative reinsurance dispute against a Labuan-based reinsurer concerning unpaid claims under the Mercedes-Benz Extended Warranty Programme. The matter, valued at approximately THB46 million ($1.2 million), involves the interpretation of ‘follow the settlements’ and third-party administrator verification clauses, premium set-off arguments, and jurisdictional coordination between Thai and Malaysian law. The case is notable as one of the first cross-border reinsurance disputes of its kind between Thai and Malaysian entities under a facultative structure in the absence of a reciprocal enforcement treaty. 

Other notable clients include Advanced Innergy Contracting, Indara Insurance Public Company, and WTE Oilfield Solutions. 

Client feedback

“They work very quickly and accurately, providing us with professional advice. We were able to recover the bad debt within just one month after the Letter of Demand was issued.” – Banking and financial services 

Sze Jia Kho

“Kho is reliable, proactive, and always willing to help. They communicate clearly, complete tasks on time, and consistently deliver quality work.”

Lee & Poh Partnership (LPP Law), established in 2020, is a full-service law firm committed to providing comprehensive and tailored legal solutions to meet the demands of an increasingly complex legal and commercial environment. With extensive expertise in litigation, arbitration, and mediation, the firm offers strategic and pragmatic legal representation across a broad range of practice areas, solidifying its position as a trusted advisor in the legal industry. Soon Wei (Ryan) Chu and Zhong Yan Lau are key partners to note.

In commercial and transactions, the firm is acting for two minority directors of DFCity Group, a main market-listed company on Bursa Malaysia, in a closely watched corporate governance dispute that has drawn widespread media attention. At its heart, the case raises a fundamental question about the integrity of board decision-making in listed entities — specifically, whether directors can bypass the procedural safeguards enshrined in a company's own constitution when passing resolutions on critical matters. The outcome is expected to set a meaningful precedent for how boards of listed companies across Malaysia conduct their affairs, reinforcing that constitutional notice requirements are non-negotiable governance obligations rather than technicalities to be overlooked, and that minority directors have standing to hold boards accountable when due process is not followed. With a decision anticipated in October 2025, the case stands to have a lasting impact on standards of transparency and accountability in Malaysian corporate governance.

On the construction front, the firm is acting for Damai City, the developer behind the 8 Conlay project at the heart of KLCC — a landmark development conceived to become the world's tallest spiralled twin residential towers, with a total development cost of approximately RM1.8 billion. The disputes arising from the termination of the main contractor are staggering in scale, with combined claims across adjudication and arbitration proceedings exceeding RM700 million, making this one of the most financially significant construction disputes in Malaysian legal history. The outcome carries consequences well beyond the parties themselves, as the proceedings are expected to generate landmark rulings that will shape how developers, contractors, and subcontractors navigate payment disputes on major infrastructure projects across the country, and will test boundaries of construction law that the industry has long needed the courts to resolve.

The firm made two notable partner additions in 2025, with Mohd Rezan Ezra Bin Muhammad Mosinal joining the construction practice in August from Thomas Philip, followed by Jagshey Pipariya strengthening the commercial and transactions team in October, arriving from Bursa Malaysia.