Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

Full-service law firm Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill’s rankings improved in Banking and financial services, Consumer goods and services and Construction tables this year. The firm is best known for its expertise in dispute resolution, labour and employment and tax.

Capital markets

Work highlights

Acted as the Malaysian legal counsel to the government of Malaysia in respect of the issuance of Japanese yen-denominated bonds by Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) of up to $1.9 billion. This is the first Samurai bonds guaranteed by JBIC issued by the government of Malaysia under its Guarantee and Acquisition toward Tokyo Market Enhancement (GATE) programme.

Advised HSS Engineers on their renounceable rights issue exercise with bonus shares and free warrants to partially fund for the proposed acquisition of SMHB Engineering. The firm also advised HSS Engineers on their private placement exercise which took place simultaneously with the proposed rights issue.

Key clients

Bank Pembangunan Malaysia, Maybank Islamic, MUFG Bank, QSR Stores, Sapura Energy, WCE Holdings

Construction

Work highlights

Advising Lebuhraya Borneo Utara on time and money claims arising from the on-going construction of Pan Borneo Highway in the state of Sarawak against the federal government of Malaysia and state government of Sarawak.

Key clients

BASF-Petronas Chemical, Greenland Knusford Construction, Kuala Lumpur Fuelling System, PETRONAS Dagangan, Zelan Holdings

Corporate and M&A

Work highlights

Acting for UEM Sunrise in their RM100 million joint venture with the Malay College Old Boys Association (MCOBA) for the mixed development of MCOBA’s lands in Kuala Lumpur.

Acted for HSS Engineers on their acquisition of SMHB, an engineering consultant firm with particular expertise in the water industry. The acquisition also involves the acquisition of SMHB Engineering, SMHB Services and SMHB Environmental.

Key clients

Ashcroft, HSS Engineers, Intelek Ceria, Sapura Energy, WCE Holdings

Intellectual property

Work highlights

Acting as Apple’s Malaysian representative in a global trademark dispute between Apple and a global watch manufacturer in order to defend Apple’s trademarks against others seeking to unfairly ride on Apple’s reputation and goodwill, and to defend its rights against challenges by conventional watchmakers.

Key clients

Garudafood, McDonald’s, Philip Morris, Repsol

Labour and employment

Work highlights

Advised General Aluminium Works at various stages, from the hiring of a top management level staff, to the handling of the staff’s unsatisfactory performance, to the discussion for mutual separation as an option for parties to move forward, and finally to the representation filed by the staff claiming that he was dismissed without just cause or excuse during a discussion between him and the client for mutual separation.

Key clients

DHL Asia Pacific Shared Services, FFM Marketing, Malaysia Airlines System, Orange Business Services, Samsung Electronics, South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Research and Training Centre

Tax

Work highlights

Represented Genting Malaysia in judicial review proceedings against the Ministry of Finance’s decision to amend Genting’s 2014 Tax Incentive Approval in a matter worth $2.4 billion.

Key clients

Aeon Credit Service, Foxconn Technology Malaysia, Magnum Holding, Pantai Holdings, Shell