Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

“I chose Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill,” comments a client, “because of rapport with the team and their flexibility to attend to us when required.” While corporate market-leading lawyer Weng Hwee Tay leads the practice, the commercial-minded Eu Jin Ong is “accommodating to deal flow”, according to another client. Megat Hizaini Hassan acted for AmBank Islamic on a RM300 million ($71.5 million) Islamic financing for a housing programme in Johore, a southern state bordering Singapore. Angeline Cheong left the firm.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill’s team has handled abuse of dominance, price fixing and merger and joint ventures clearances. Adlin Abdul Majid, practice co-head, is acting for a Malaysian diversified bank on a proposed bancassurance relationship. Majid is also advising a construction materials company by providing employee training about competition law to a large merged entity. Bee Hong Ooi and Wei Lynn Chan, who was promoted to partner in October 2016, are other notable partners.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill ensures clients in the development and construction phases of their projects are given quality advice. Weng Hwee Tay, head of mergers and acquisitions, has had a busy year in construction and real estate deals. Tay is assisting a Malaysian industrial conglomerate in its joint venture to develop a RM1.3 billion mixed-use property. Leading lawyer Nitin Nadkarni, a team co-leader, and Chung Seng Mong are advising a large domestic oil and gas company on its construction dispute about the aircraft fuelling system at Kuala Lumpur’s low-cost carrier terminal.

The team at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill is “going to do whatever they can within their considerable abilities,” remarks a client, “to find you the best possible outcome for the client situation”.   Practice leader Weng Hwee Tay, a market-leading lawyer, and Aaron Sankar assisted Reliance on its RM200 million sale of the rest of its stake in Reliance Pacific. “Highly experienced with strong credentials” Bee Hong Ooi joins the team.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill’s team handles high stakes pressure. “I like them,” says a client, “for their ability to quickly understand the often complex issues, a thoroughness when giving legal advice, which are oftentimes comprehensive and well written; all this despite deadline pressure.” Noted for “his legal knowledge, professionalism, excellent technical skills and commitment” by another client, marketing-leading lawyer Lambert Rasa-Ratnam, a practice co-head, and Chung Seng Mong represented Maybank in a €2.9 billion ($3.5 billion) cross-border (Italy) dispute about the responsibilities of a bank issuing a letter of credit under the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits 600. Himahlini Ramalingam left the firm in 2016.

A client incisively remarks about Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill’s team: “When there are many lawyers with comparable skills, it is their client management skill that will differentiate. The IP team is very client friendly especially [market-leading lawyer] Bahari Yeow.” Adlin Abdul Majid is respected for being “diversified in her practice [and] knowledgeable in wide range of area of law”, while “knowledgeable, efficient” Eunice Chan Wei Lynn has been promoted to partner.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill enters the ratings as a recommended practice for its range in TMT advice – from media advertising to telecommunications regulatory affairs. Adlin Abdul Majid, one of the team leaders, advised a Malaysian telecommunications service provider on its deployment of a long-term evolution (LTE) network, including the purchase of equipment and services from vendors, such as Huawei Technologies and ZTE.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill’s team has “exemplary service with almost immediate response time and provides a wide spectrum of services”, remarks a client. Heng Seng Lim, head of the “resourceful” practice, advised a diversified bank on a corporate governance matter about the criteria and process to nominate and appoint directors. The team relied on Financial Services Act 2013 and Bank Negara Malaysia’s policies. Thavalingam Thavarajah is an “expert in his field [charging] a very reasonable fee”, adds another client.

Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill’s stellar practice, which “provides prompt and valuable feedback” according to a client, offers a gamut of skills in strategy, research and development, and disputes. While leading lawyers DP Naban and Saravana Kumar continue to represent Tenaga Nasional, a Malaysian utility company, in the RM20 billion case Tenaga Nasional Berhad v Director General of Inland Revenue and Petronas in a slew of appeals, Kumar is representing Syarikat SESCO in Syarikat SESCO Berhad v Director General of Inland Revenue, a case similar to Tenaga’s about reinvestment allowance.