Speakers
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THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JUSTICE TUN ARIFIN ZAKARIA, 13th Chief Justice, Federal Court of Malaysia
His Lordship was admitted as a Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn, in 1979. His Lordship was appointed as a Federal Court Judge in 2005, and elevated as Chief Judge of Malaya in 2008, and Chief Justice in 2011. In June 2013, His Lordship was appointed as an Honorary Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn by The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.
ANSELMO REYES, Professor of Legal Practice, Hong Kong University
Anselmo Reyes served as a Judge of the Hong Kong High Court from 2003 to 2012, where he was in charge of the Construction and Arbitration List, and then the Commercial and Admiralty List. He was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 1986, taking silk in 2011. In April 2013, he became Representative of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. He became an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court, and an Overseas Bencher of the Inner Temple, in 2015.
GURDIAL SINGH NIJAR, Consultant, Messrs Sreenevasan; Founder-Director, Malaysian Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity Law
Gurdial Singh Nijar is a Barrister-at-Law, Middle Temple, London. His key areas of research include biodiversity and biosafety law, the investment/ISDS chapter under the TPPA, climate change, and war crimes. He was the lead negotiator for Malaysia and developing countries for three treaties, including the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. He is on the Expert Panel of the UN FAO and the UN Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
MALATHI DAS, Director, Joyce A Tan & Partners
Malathi Das is a family lawyer, Associate Mediator and Family Mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre, and on the panel of Child Representatives appointed by the Family Justice Courts. She is also Subject Coordinator for Family Practice at the Singapore Institute of Legal Education. She has provided expert evidence on Singapore family law in courts of jurisdictions such as Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Japan and the UK. Malathi Das has access to an active network of family practitioners worldwide.
DATO’ AMBIGA SREENEVASAN, President, National Human Rights Society Malaysia (“HAKAM”); President, Malaysian Bar (2007–2009)
Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan is a litigation lawyer who is also active in public interest litigation, and a determined advocate for human rights and the rule of law. She was a recipient of the US Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award 2009, and was awarded the “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by the Government of France in 2011. From 2011 to 2013, she served as Co-Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0, a civil society movement for free and fair elections. She is a patron of Negara-Ku, a people’s movement that promotes unity, peace and harmony.
LUCY REED, Professor and Director, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore
Lucy Reed is Director of the Centre for International Law and Professor on the law faculty of the National University of Singapore. She is a member of the Executive Council of the Asian Society of International Law, and former President of the American Society of International Law. She previously headed the Freshfields’ global international arbitration and public international law groups, representing private and public clients in commercial and treaty arbitrations and serving as arbitrator. She is co-author of "A Guide to the SIAC Arbitration Rules" (OUP 2014) and "Guide to ICSID Arbitration" (2nd ed, Kluwer 2011).
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LIM GUAN ENG, Chief Minister of Penang
The Right Honourable Lim Guan Eng has served as Penang’s fourth Chief Minister since March 2008. In 1995, he became the Democratic
Action Party (“DAP”)’s Deputy Secretary-General. He was elected as its Secretary General in 2004, and still holds that position today. Prior to joining politics, he held a senior executive position in the banking industry. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Monash University, Australia and is a qualified accountant.
PROFESSOR MICHAEL EWING-CHOW, WTO Chair, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (“NUS”)
Professor Michael Ewing-Chow worked in Allen & Gledhill before joining NUS, and was involved in the negotiations for some of Singapore’s early free trade agreements. He has been a consultant to the Singapore Government, Asian Development Bank, ASEAN, UN Conference on Trade and Development, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. He has also advised clients all over the world on trade and investment law, as well as governance. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the "Journal of International Economic Law".
DR AZMI SHAROM, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Malaya
Dr Azmi Sharom has taught at the Faculty of Law since 1990. He currently teaches private international law, international environmental law, and human rights law, and is Head of the Human Rights Research Group in his Faculty. He is Chief Editor of the "Human Rights in Southeast Asia Series" by the Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies Network (“SEAHRN”) based in Bangkok. He writes regular newspaper columns, and a compilation of his articles was published last year in a book entitled "Brave New World: Greatest Hits".
KIRAN DHALIWAL, Partner, Messrs Y N Foo & Partners
Kiran Dhaliwal was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1990, and the Malaysian Bar in 1992. Since 1997, her main practice area has
been family law, with diverse cases including cross-border disputes involving children. Kiran is an accredited mediator, and a member of
both the Bar Council Family Law Committee (“FLC”), and the Executive Committee of the Association of Women Lawyers (“AWL”). She has
represented FLC and AWL at law reform consultations with the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
DATO' MALIK IMTIAZ SARWAR, Advocate and Solicitor, Messrs Malik Imtiaz Sarwar
Malik Imtiaz Sarwar has more than 22 years of experience in the legal profession, with about 200 reported decisions in a diverse range of
practice areas to his credit. One of his key practice areas is in dispute resolution. He has acted as counsel in a number of leading constitutional and administrative law cases over the last 15 years. He was the 2009 recipient of the Index on Censorship Award for law and campaigning.
THE HONOURABLE DATUK RAMLY HJ ALI, Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia
Since 1978, The Honourable Datuk Ramly Hj Ali has been attached to the Government’s Judicial and Legal Service in various capacities including as Magistrate, Registrar of the High Court of Malaya, and Chief Registrar of the Federal Court. In 2002, he was elevated as a Judge of the High Court. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in April 2009, and subsequently as a Judge of the Federal Court in September 2013. Currently, he is also the Managing Judge for the High Court of Shah Alam (Civil Division).
TAN SRI DR REBECCA FATIMA STA MARIA, Former Secretary-General Ministry Of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia (“MITI”)
Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria has served in various capacities in the then-Ministry of Trade and Industry since the 1980s. In 1988, she was seconded to the ASEAN Plant Quarantine and Training Centre as its Chief Administration and Procurement Officer. In 2006, she chaired the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting, and is currently the Chair of the ASEAN High Level Task Force for Economic Integration. She is also the Vice Chair of the World Economic Forum, Global Agenda Council on South-East Asia.
IRA BISWAS, Partner, Messrs Chooi & Co.
Ira Biswas was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in July 1987. She has been a partner in Messrs Chooi & Co’s Dispute Resolution Department since 1992. Ira has been a litigator for more than 28 years and is experienced in a wide spectrum of commercial litigation cases with her focus being on insolvency law and commercial frauds. Ira is actively involved in the Advocacy Training Programme run by the Malaysian Bar Council and is currently the Chairperson of the Bar Council Advocacy Training Committee.
PETER CUTHBERT LOW, Managing Director, Peter Low LLC, Singapore
Peter Low graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree from the National University of Singapore in 1977. He is a past President of the Law Society of Singapore, and has about 35 years of experience in various types of civil, criminal and family litigation. He started his career as State Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor before moving into private practice. Prior to starting Peter Low LLC in 2011, he was the head of the Dispute Resolution Department of M/S Colin Ng & Partners. Apart from legal work, Peter takes a keen interest in human rights work, and is one of the founding members of MARUAH, a leading human rights non-governmental organisation in Singapore. Through MARUAH, he actively engages in forums and speaks on human rights issues in the region.
MICHAEL HEIHRE, Panellist, KLRCA
Michael Heihre is a Fellow of the Malaysian Society of Adjudicators, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators. He has served as a speaker, tutor, and facilitator in the KLRCA’s training programmes for adjudicators; as the conference chair for the KLRCA’s 2015 Annual CIPAA Conference; and as the editor for the first four issues of the newsletter of the Malaysian Society of Adjudicators. He has a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and has practised extensively as a litigation and arbitration lawyer, arbitrator, and adjudicator in complex commercial, construction, environmental, insurance, intellectual property, product liability, and real estate disputes.
RICHARD TOWLE, Representative, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ("UNHCR") in Malaysia
Prior to his current assignment in Malaysia, Richard Towle was the Regional Representative for UNHCR covering Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific based in Canberra, Australia (2007 to 2013). He has also served in various senior positions with UNHCR including in Hong Kong, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. He was also Chief of Mission for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights field operation in the Former Yugoslavia from 2000 to 2003 covering Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo, and was based in Belgrade. He has an LLB (Hons) degree from Canterbury University (New Zealand) and an LLM (Dist) from the University of London in
the UK.
LAM WAI LOON, Partner, Messrs Harold & Lam Partnership
Lam Wai Loon sits as an arbitrator and is a qualified adjudicator to adjudication disputes under the Construction Industry Payment and
Adjudication Act 2012 (“CIPA Act 2012”). His publications include a co-authored text titled Construction Adjudication In Malaysia (CCH-Kluwer, 2013). He is the current Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Malaysia Branch (2016–2017), Deputy President of the Society of Construction Law, Malaysia (2016–2017), and the Vice President of the Malaysian Society of Adjudicators (2015–2016).
ZAINAH ANWAR, Director, Musawah
Zainah Anwar is a founding member and former Executive Director of Sisters in Islam (“SIS”). She is now the Director of Musawah, the SIS-initiated Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family. She also writes a monthly column, “Sharing the Nation”, in The Star. Her illustrious career includes stints at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London; Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur; and as Political and Diplomatic Writer with The New Straits Times. She also served as a member of SUHAKAM from 2000 to 2004. She was named the most influential Muslim woman in a list of 10 leading women visionaries and changemakers from San Francisco-based International Museum of Women’s virtual exhibition, Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art & Voices.
RAYMOND MAH, Managing Partner, MahWengKwai & Associates
Raymond Mah's primary area of practice is in dispute resolution, including civil and commercial litigation, construction arbitration and adjudication, and land related disputes. He graduated from the University of Queensland, Australia with a double Bachelor of Economics and Laws (Honours Class I) degree in 2003 and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 2005. He qualified in 2012 as a Certified Adjudicator and is empanelled as an Adjudicator with the KLRCA. He has been recognised by Legal 500 in the areas of dispute resolution, and real estate and construction. He was also selected as one of Asian Legal Business’ 40 Under 40 Brightest Young Legal Minds in 2015.
STEPHEN L DREYFUSS, former President, Union Internationale des Avocats ("UIA"); Partner, Hellring Lindeman Goldstein & Siegal LLP, Newark,
New Jersey, USA
Stephen Dreyfuss is a member of Hellring Lindeman Goldstein & Siegal LLP in Newark, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B. magna cum laude, 1971) and Columbia University School of Law (J.D., 1974). A former prosecutor in New York, he is the former President of the Paris-based UIA (International Association of Lawyers), the world’s oldest international association of Bars, Law Societies and lawyers. He also is the former President and current Executive Vice-President of the French-American Chamber of Commerce in New York. Mr Dreyfuss’ practice is concentrated in transnational business matters, including complex civil and criminal business litigation, joint ventures and international direct investment. His more than 40 years of international experience have given him particular expertise with regard to issues requiring a practical synthesis of the European civil law and the Anglo-Saxon common law systems. Fluent in French, he is frequently interviewed on French radio and television and in the French press with regard to high-visibility cases and legal/economic issues, and lectures frequently to American and foreign lawyers, accountants and other professionals on selected issues in comparative private international law and litigation.
EVALYN G URSUA, Human Rights Lawyer, Philippines
Evalyn Ursua has worked on women and children’s rights issues since the early 1990s. In 2008, she filed, as counsel for a rape survivor, Karen T Vertido, a complaint against the Philippines for discrimination under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women ("CEDAW") and its Optional Protocol. In 2011, she filed another communication with the CEDAW Committee on behalf of a young deaf woman who was a victim of discrimination in the judicial process because of her disability. In both cases, the CEDAW Committee found the Philippines liable for discrimination. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of San Agustin in the Philippines, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines, and a Master of Laws in Asian Legal Studies from the National University of Singapore. She is presently completing her Master of Studies in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford.
TAN SRI RAZALI ISMAIL, Chairman, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia ("SUHAKAM")
Tan Sri Razali Ismail retired from 35 years of service with the Malaysian Government in 1998, after 10 years as Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations ("UN") and earlier postings. At the UN, he served in various capacities in diverse organisations — Group of 77, UN Security Council, Commission on Sustainable Development and President of the General Assembly developing positions on development, sustainability, governance, UN reforms, and on political/security. He continues his involvement in these subjects in Malaysia and outside. He was the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Myanmar from 2000 to 2005. Tan Sri Razali Ismail heads an NGO foundation — Yayasan Chow Kit — on displaced children, sits on the Board of the Razak School of Government, and is Chairman of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation. He was appointed to serve as Chairman of SUHAKAM for 3 years, since April 2016.
KAREN CHEAH YEE LYNN, Secretary, Malaysian Bar; Partner, Messrs Chooi & Co.
Karen Cheah has been in active legal practice for over 20 years since being called to the Malaysian Bar in October 1995 and is the current Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Bar. She was awarded the ATC Outstanding Alumni Award in 2016. Her primary focus is on corporate and commercial contracts and conveyancing matters. She also has experience in contentious matters which adds to her abilities in her corporate and commercial practice. Karen Cheah is passionate in her quest for knowledge, commitment to clients, the betterment of the Bar and the legal profession, and has an ardent interest in public interest issues. She graduated with a degree in law from the University of London in 1993, and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 1995.
THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE TAN SRI AZAHAR MOHAMED, Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia
The Honourable Justice Tan Sri Azahar Mohamed has been attached with the Malaysian Judicial and Legal Service since 1980, serving in a variety of capacities, including as Magistrate, Deputy Public Prosecutor, and Senior Federal Counsel. In 2006, he was elevated as a High Court Judge, and in 2011, as a Judge with the Court of Appeal. In 2014, he was elevated as a Federal Court Judge. From October to December 2015, he attended the Inns of Court Fellowship at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies ("IALS"), University of London, under the auspices of IALS, Middle Temple, Inner Temple, Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn.
DATUK J JAYASIRI, Secretary-General, Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia ("MITI")
Datuk J Jayasiri joined the Malaysian civil service in December 1981 as Assistant Secretary of International Affairs, Ministry of Primary Industries, dealing with international commodity issues. He later assumed the post of First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of Malaysia in Geneva from 1988 to 1997, representing Malaysia in the Uruguay Round of negotiations to establish the World Trade Organization. He returned to MITI in 1997 and served as Principal Assistant Director of Multilateral Trade Relations, and subsequently Director of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). He was Malaysia’s Senior Official to APEC from 2002 to 2006. He went on to become Senior Director, Bilateral and Regional Relations; and then Senior Director of Multilateral Trade Policy and Negotiations. He was Deputy Secretary General (Strategy & Monitoring), MITI from January 2015 to June 2016. Datuk Jayasiri led Malaysia’s team in the ASEAN-China FTA (Free Trade Area), Malaysia-Japan FTA, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement ("TPPA") negotiations.
THE HONOURABLE MRS JUSTICE AUDREY CAMPBELL-MOFFAT, Judge, Court of First Instance, High Court of Hong Kong
Prior to her appointment to the Bench in May of 2016, The Honourable Mrs Justice Audrey Campbell-Moffat practised at the UK Bar for 13 years and thereafter at the Hong Kong Bar for over 15 years as a criminal practitioner, specialising in commercial crime. She is an editor of Archbold Criminal Pleadings and Practice, the Magistrate’s Courts Manual for practitioners and a book on Tort Law in Hong Kong. She was a founding member of the Hong Kong Advocacy Training Council, and of the International Advocacy Training Council of which she was the treasurer. She has been teaching advocacy for over 15 years and is involved in introducing advocacy training to new jurisdictions as well as training new trainers. She has taught in many different jurisdictions including England, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji and South Africa.
BRENNDON KEITH SOH, President, Sabah Law Association
Brenndon Keith Soh graduated from the University of Leeds, with a Bachelor of Laws LLB (Hons) degree. He subsequently pursued the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law, London. He was called as an Advocate to the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak in Kota Kinabalu in 2000. He is a general practitioner focusing predominantly in the field of civil litigation as well as conveyancing. Aside from the legal field, he is a past president of a Rotary Club.
WONG TAT CHUNG, Partner, Messrs Wong Beh & Toh
Wong Tat Chung graduated in his first degree in law from King’s College, University of London in 1985. He was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales in 1986 as a Barrister-at-law of Lincoln’s Inn. In 1987, he obtained his Master’s degree in law from King’s College, University of London. He was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on 18 Oct 1988. His practice areas include corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets, and other corporate and commercial matters. He is the Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Corporate and Commercial Law Committee. He also chairs the Limited Liability Partnership Sub-Committee (formerly the LLP Task Force), Competition Law Sub-Committee and SSM Sub-Committee, of that Committee.
SHANMUGA KANESALINGAM, Partner, Messrs Kanesalingam & Co; Director, Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights
Shanmuga Kanesalingam has been partner in Messrs Kanesalingam & Co since 1999, practising mainly in the areas of corporate insolvency, general and corporate litigation and administrative law. He was a Fulbright scholar and graduated with an LL.M degree from the Columbia Law School in New York. He is also actively involved in human rights and public interest litigation, primarily in the areas of freedom of religion and freedom of expression. He has acted for numerous persons alleging that they were wrongfully considered Muslims and denied the freedom to profess and practise their actual and preferred faith, as well as for Hindu mothers who alleged that their children were unlawfully converted to Islam by their ex-husbands. He also represented an online news portal in a case establishing a constitutional right to free press in Malaysia, and a political satirist whose collections of cartoons were banned. He is one of the six founders of the blog, www.LoyarBurok.com, which has now evolved into the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights.
SYAHREDZAN JOHAN, Member, Bar Council; Partner, Messrs RamRais & Partners
Syahredzan Johan’s areas of practice include general litigation, criminal and public interest litigation relating to human rights and the Malaysian Constitution. In 2009, he was appointed as the Co-Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee. The Bar Council subsequently appointed him as Chairperson of the Constitutional Law Committee for the 2011/2012 term and re-appointed him for a second term in 2012. In 2011, he was elected as a Committee member of the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee. He was then appointed as Chairperson of the Information Technology and Communications Committee of the Kuala Lumpur Bar. Syahredzan is an elected member of the Bar Council and has been serving since 2012. He served as Chairperson of the Bar Council National Young Lawyers Committee from 2013 till 2015. He has also written articles which are published in the mainstream media and the internet, as well as fortnightly columns in The Star’s online edition and Malay language daily Sinar Harian. His views and comments on legal issues have also been published by the media.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JUSTICE DATO’ DR HAJI MOHD NA'IM HAJI MOKHTAR, Chief Syarie Judge, Selangor
Prior to his elevation to the post of Chief Syarie Judge, The Right Honourable Justice Dato’ Dr Haji Mohd Na'im Haji Mokhtar had served as the Director of the Family Support Division at the Syariah Judiciary Department Malaysia, and a Syariah High Court Judge for the state of Selangor. He was selected and served as a Malaysian Chevening Visiting Fellow at Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies,Oxford University, UK (2008/2009) and as Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School, Harvard University, USA (2012/2013). Dato' Dr Haji Na'im has participated and presented on family law, syariah and related topics at many conferences, local as well as international. He has also appeared on television and radio shows, such as on Astro Oasis and Radio IKIM.
DATO' M RAMACHELVAM, Member, Bar Council; Senior Partner, Messrs Rama-Rozi & Associates
Dato' M Ramachelvam read law at the University of Malaya and obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons) in 1984. He was admitted and enrolled as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1985, and has wide experience in handling litigation and conveyancing matters. He is the Past Chairman of the Pahang Bar Committee, and had served as a Council Member of the Bar Council of Malaysia for 11 terms, including the current term. Presently, he serves as the Chairperson of the Bar Council Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Committee and the Bar Council Task Force on the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission ("IPCMC"). He was a founding member of the National Human Rights Society Malaysia ("HAKAM") and now serves as an EXCO Member of HAKAM. He also serves as a Commissioner of the Energy Commission of Malaysia.
SHANTHI DAIRIAM, Malaysian human rights and women's rights advocate
Mary Shanthi Dairiam served on the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women ("CEDAW") from 2005 to 2008. She is also the founder and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific, an international non-governmental organisation devoted to facilitating the implementation of the CEDAW Convention globally. She has provided technical services to several governments in the Asia Pacific region and in selected African and Latin American countries to build capacity for the implementation of the CEDAW, as well as to review specific laws and policies pertaining to women’s rights for compliance with international human rights standards. She is an EXCO member of Women’s Aid Organisation in Malaysia, a programme addressing domestic violence; and an EXCO member of the National Council of Women’s Organisations Malaysia.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE TAN SRI DATO' SERI MD RAUS SHARIF, President, Court of Appeal
The Right Honourable Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Md Raus Sharif obtained his LL.B (Hons) degree from University of Malaya in 1976 and went on to pursue and obtained his LLM degree at London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom. His Lordship was appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeal, Malaysia in 2006. Apart from his academic qualifications, His Lordship comes equipped with multitudinous experience garnered from his postings as a Magistrate, Deputy Public Prosecutor, Senior Federal Counsel, State Legal Adviser, and Treasury Solicitor. He was appointed as Judicial Commissioner in November 1994, and in January 1996, His Lordship was elevated as a Judge of the High Court of Malaya. He was next appointed to the Court of Appeal in July 2008. On 12 Sept 2011, His Lordship was appointed the President of the Court of Appeal.
BELDEN PREMARAJ, Principal Partner and Head, Messrs Belden Advocates & Solicitors
Belden Premaraj heads the firm of Messrs Belden Advocates & Solicitors, a construction and engineering dispute resolution and advisory practice. He is a Barrister of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn and an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK and the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators, and is listed in the Panel of Arbitrators and Panel of Adjudicators for KLRCA. Belden has specialised in arbitration and advisory practice for over 20 years with a focus on the construction, engineering, energy and utilities, and oil and gas industries. He is also regularly appointed as an arbitrator for construction and engineering, and oil and gas domestic and international disputes.
PHILIP KOH, Senior Partner, Messrs Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh
Philip Koh has over 30 years of expertise in three arenas: academic, professional and industry. His specialisations include contract and investment laws, mergers and acquisitions ("M&A"), financial services and securities, corporate law and governance, commercial and civil litigation, and public law. Philip is also a member of the following: Financial Stability Executive Committee of Bank Negara Malaysia, Private Sector Group Global Corporate Governance Forum, and Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group. He previously held the posts of Adjunct Professor of Deakin University and visiting Fulbright Scholar attached to the Harvard University Economics Department. He is also a speaker and author.
PROFESSOR LOCKNIE HSU, Full Professor of Law, School of Law, Singapore Management University
Locknie Hsu received her legal training at the National University of Singapore and Harvard University, and is a member of the Singapore Bar. She specialises in international trade and investment law, dispute settlement, ASEAN integration, trade and public health, and sovereign wealth funds. She has published extensively and her book, Trade, Investment, Innovation and their Impact on Access to Medicines – An Asian Perspective, was published by Cambridge University Press in February 2016. Locknie is Chair of the Trade and Investment Group, a member of the Legal Harmonization Working Group, and a member of the Singapore National Committee’s Executive Council, in the ASEAN Law Association. She is also a co-rapporteur of the International Law Association’s Committee on Sustainable Development and the Green Economy in International Trade Law, and a member of the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) Study Group. Locknie is a member of the Editorial Board of the peer-reviewed Journal of World Investment and Trade.
THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE DATUK NALLINI PATHMANATHAN, Judge, Court of Appeal
The Honourable Justice Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan began her legal career as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya at Skrine in January 1986. In 1995, she became a partner at Skrine. She was then appointed a Judicial Commissioner in March 2007, and heard cases at the Shah Alam High Court (Criminal) before being transferred to the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Civil). In October 2009, she was appointed a High Court Judge, and at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, she sat at the New Commercial Court and Admiralty Court. In September 2014, she was elevated to the Court of Appeal.
NICK EDMONDES, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins (Malaysia)
Prior to moving to Malaysia in 2014, Nick Edmondes enjoyed an international career primarily based out of the firm's London headquarters. Between 1994 and 2000, Nick lived and worked in the Middle East, as resident managing partner of the firm's Oman
office. He is now a leading member of team dealing with the firm's work for Malaysian and ASEAN clients. Nick's experience includes project development and finance, privatisation, corporate structuring and inward investment into the UK and Europe. He is co-head of the firm's Islamic Finance Group and is client partner for a number of Islamic Financial Institutions. Nick has written many articles and has spoken regularly on a variety of topics on a range of subjects, from cross border investment, corporate and project financing, port reform, infrastructure project structures, to Islamic finance.
JAL OTHMAN, Partner, Messrs Shook Lin & Bok Malaysia
Jal Othman heads the Islamic Finance practice in Messrs Shook Lin & Bok. His tasks include setting the policy direction for the incremental development of this area of practice within his firm, and developing a structured research and development unit to promote an effective
continuing legal education scheme within the firm. Jal's portfolio of work includes advising on a wide range of sukuk issuances for financing power plants in Malaysia and China, vessel construction, project financing for the automotive industry, the textile and garment industry, the downstream and upstream palm oil industry, as well as advising on Islamic structured products and Islamic syndicated financing. In addition to Islamic Finance, Jal’s other major areas of practice are corporate commercial law and real estate. Among others, he holds positions in INCEIF (International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance) University, and has participated on various international platforms as a speaker, moderator, panellist and commentator.
MOHAMAD SAFRI SHAHUL HAMID, Senior Managing Director & DCEO, CIMB Islamic
Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid rejoined CIMB Islamic as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer ("DCEO") in 2011. He first joined CIMB Islamic as one of its pioneer members in 2003 and was credited for a number of ground-breaking, “world’s first” and award-winning transactions — the notable ones include all the exchangeable sukuk transactions by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, first rated corporate sukuk in the Middle East, world's first hybrid sukuk issuance, world’s first Renminbi-denominated sukuk by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, world’s largest Renminbi-denominated sukuk by Axiata, world’s first stapled Islamic REITS and most recently, the inaugural as well as historic global sukuk issuances by the Governments of the UK and Hong Kong, respectively. Mohamad Safri sits on the boards of CIMB Islamic Trustee Berhad, CIMB Commerce Trustee Berhad and CIMB Trust Limited. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the International Islamic University Malaysia and an MBA (Globalization) from Maastricht School of Management, the Netherlands. He is a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysian Institute of Accountant ("MIA").
GAYATHRY VENKITESWARAN, independent media researcher
Gayathry Venkiteswaran is a PhD candidate at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Her research focus is on media reforms in Southeast Asia. Prior to this, she was executive director of the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance ("SEAPA") for five years, working on press freedom and access to information in the region. Before joining SEAPA, she headed and was co-director of the Malaysian press freedom organisation — the Centre for Independent Journalism ("CIJ") — for seven years, had a stint as a journalist for five years, and taught media history and journalism in a number of private colleges and universities. She has an MA (International Relations) degree from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Mass Communications degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
TENGKU DATO’ SRI ZAFRUL TENGKU ABDUL AZIZ, Group Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Group Holdings Berhad
Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz is the Group Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Group Holdings Berhad, a leading ASEAN universal bank and a world leader in Islamic finance, with presence in 17 countries worldwide. With over 19 years of experience in the
financial services sector, specialising in investment banking, Tengku Zafrul’s last position was with Maybank Investment Bank Berhad and
Maybank Kim Eng Holdings as Chief Executive Officer. He graduated from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Economics and Accounting. He obtained a Master of Arts degree in Finance and Management from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. He also holds a fellowship with the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers.
TATIANA POLEVSHCHIKOVA, International Case Counsel, KLRCA
Tatiana Polevshchikova is involved in the administration of international and domestic arbitrations, and adjudications. She also works on various projects relating to alternative dispute resolution ("ADR") policy, investment arbitration, and promotion and knowledge dissemination. Before joining KLRCA, Tatiana practised in Russia, obtained an LLM degree in the US, and also gained arbitration experience in Hong Kong.
LUNG WAN PUN, Legal Expert, Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law ("UNCITRAL")
LUNG Wan Pun is a Legal Expert in the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific. With a particular focus and interest in international law, electronic commerce and international arbitration, he has practical experiences in the practice of international law in Asia and the Pacific. He is responsible, at the Regional Centre, for disseminating UNCITRAL texts, providing technical assistance to States in the Asia-Pacific region on the implementation and uniform interpretation of UNCITRAL texts, as well as facilitating communications between States in the region and UNCITRAL.
TANG AI LEEN, Head, Corporate Real Estate practice group, Messrs Zul Rafique & Partners
Tang Ai Leen has been in practice for more than 17 years. She specialises in the areas of land developments (both commercial and residential) and various types of property conveyancing and property financing matters. She has advised and represented clients from individuals to corporations, both local and foreign, on land development, acquisition and disposal (whether direct or indirect) of diverse types of properties, sale and lease-back arrangement, commercial leasing, and land-related issues. The types of properties include both landed as well as strata-title properties.
ALAN DAVIS, Lecturer, Law Faculty, Monash University
Alan Davis teaches in criminal law and is completing a PhD that examines whether Australian youth restorative justice programmes are compliant with children’s rights. Alan is a graduate of Edinburgh, Bristol and Cardiff Universities and was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 2007. He practised as a barrister in the UK where he is a member of Goldsmith Chambers. In 2011, he was awarded a Pegasus Scholarship by the English Inns of Court. His Pegasus Scholarship led into his PhD research and teaching at Monash University.
LAU KEE SERN, Specialist Banking and Finance Litigation Partner, Messrs Shook Lin & Bok
Lau Kee Sern graduated from the University of London with an LLB (Hons) degree and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on 17 Nov 2000. He is experienced in the full range of banking and insolvency litigation, including corporate restructuring and receivership matters. He is a member of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Malaysia and is frequently called upon to advise and act for financial institutions. He conducts training workshops and speaks regularly at seminars, and is one of the trainers of the Bank Negara Malaysia Banking Supervision Course 2016.
ONG HOCK AN, Partner and Head of Insolvency Practice, BDO
Prior to joining BDO in 2014, Ong Hock An was the Head of the Restructuring and Insolvency Practice in KPMG. Hock An has more than 30 years of experience in corporate recovery and restructuring, acting as Receiver and Manager, Liquidator, and appointee and independent financial advisor in corporate restructuring assignments. He also advised financial institutions on the acquisition, management and divestment of non-performing loans portfolio. He is the secretary of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Malaysia and a committee member of the Insolvency Practice Committees of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He holds an audit licence and liquidator licences issued by the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, and the Labuan Financial Services Authority.
JAROM BRITTON, Corporate Attorney, Microsoft
Jarom Britton is a corporate attorney for Microsoft, based in Singapore. He currently manages commercial legal affairs in 10 emerging and frontier markets in South and Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2013, he started practice at the New York office of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft before moving to the Singapore office of Allen & Overy, where he managed several record-setting and award-winning initial public offerings and Islamic finance deals. He has also published on aviation and public international law matters. Jarom holds law degrees in both common law and civil law from McGill University, where he specialised in commercial negotiation, and is a member of the New York state bar. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Jarom is bilingual in English and French and also speaks some German and Mandarin Chinese. In his spare time, Jarom enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and diving and spending time with his wife and 5-year-old daughter.
IVAN HO YUE CHAN, Partner, Messrs Shook Lin & Bok
Ivan Ho Yue Chan joined Messrs Shook Lin & Bok in 1987 as an associate, and became a partner in 1994. He practises in the areas of Corporate; Banking and Finance; and Technology, Multimedia and Telecommunications ("TMT"). He has advised on and acted in respect of Malaysian and international transactions, including acquisitions as well as disposals of corporations, and of the business undertakings of corporations including commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies, stockbroking companies, takeovers of companies, restructuring and
amalgamation of companies, section 176 of the Companies Act related to schemes of arrangement, the issuance and offering of shares, debt and other securities, and legal due diligence exercises. Ivan contributes to the Malaysian section of the Simmons & Simmons Navigator Services in respect of, inter alia, share disclosure requirements and other corporate matters. He has spoken at seminars and conferences relating to companies and securities laws as well as contract laws.
ANDREW COOKE, Regional Director of Legal Affairs, Microsoft Asia Pacific and Japan
Andrew Cooke is responsible for providing commercial legal support in the Asia-Pacific and Japanese markets with a particular focus on the legal and regulatory aspects of cloud computing. He has been with Microsoft since 2007, initially providing legal support for the Australian and New Zealand operations before moving to Singapore in 2012. Prior to joining Microsoft, Andrew worked in private practice in London and Singapore before moving to in-house legal roles in banking and information technology. He holds degrees in Economics from the University of Sydney and Law from the Australian National University.
TAN LEE CHIN, Chief Content Officer, MCIL Multimedia
Tan Lee Chin is an online journalist, and she currently heads the content team of SinChew.com.my and Pocketimes.my. She joined Sin Chew Daily as a reporter in 2008 and was appointed the chief editor of SinChew.com.my in 2011. She has since lead the digital editorial team to cover the 2013 general election, MH370 incident, Bersih 4.0 rally and the recent 2015 Sarawak state election. She writes a weekly column for Sin Chew Daily and occasionally moderates online talk shows. She visited the United States in 2015 as a participant of the International Visitor Leadership Program. Lee Chin graduated from the University of Sheffield with an LLB degree in 2003, and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2005.
MURAD ALI ABDULLAH, Messrs K' Mura & Co
Murad Ali Abdullah handles civil, commercial, and corporate litigation as senior counsel, and attends to real estate works, local and international investment, trade and commercial negotiations, and documentations. He is a life member of LAWASIA and currently the Chair of the Real Estate and Transactions Law Committee of LAWASIA. Murad also presides as Chairman of the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Committee in Malaysia. He is a member of Transparency International Malaysia, and speaks on the Law and Us programme on Malaysian radio and Debat Perdana on Malaysian television, from time to time. He is a life member of the ASEAN Law Association, and actively promotes the ASEAN fellowship on democracy, rule of law, justice, and brotherhood.
SRIVIDHYA GANAPATHY, Trainer of Child Rights; Managing Partner, Muhendaran Sri
Srividhya Ganapathy is a law graduate from the United Kingdom and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 1996. Her areas of legal practice include family law litigation, civil litigation, and conveyancing. She has a passion for child rights, and has been trained to provide training in child rights law by the Canadian Bar, in collaboration with the Bar Council and the United Nations Children's Fund ("UNICEF"). She is currently the Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Child Rights Committee.
ANDREW CHIEW, Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Andrew Chiew was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1997 and admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1998. His areas of practice are banking, civil fraud, insolvency, and shareholders disputes. He has been an advocacy trainer since 2011 and has conducted advocacy training throughout Malaysia and in Dublin, Ireland. He was a member of the faculty for the Advanced International Advocacy Training Course at Keble College, Oxford, in September 2015.
AJEET KAUR, Trainer of Child Rights; Messrs Saha & Associates
Ajeet Kaur is a graduate of the University of London and was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1996. She is is well-rounded in her practice in civil, commercial and family litigation. Ajeet is Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Child Rights Committee and member of the Bar Council Court Liaison Committee. She was part of the inaugural group that attended the Training of Trainers for Ethical Representation of Children in Conflict with the Law, and for Custody and Adoption Proceedings (“Training of Trainers”) organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (“UNICEF”) in collaboration with the Bar Council, and conducted by the Canadian Bar Association.
MALEK ALI, Founder, BFM 89.9 – The Business Station
Malek Ali is the founder of BFM89.9, Malaysia's only business radio station, and a popular radio station among working professionals in Malaysia. BFM 89.9 is Malek's latest venture in a career theme of bringing new products to market, which included stints at Yahoo, JobStreet Corporation, Maxis, The Boston Consulting Group, and law firm Allen & Overy. He sits on the Asia-Pacific Advisory Board of Harvard Business School, where he earned his MBA degree. He is also a law graduate of Bristol University.
INDRAN SHANMUGANATHAN, Partner, Messrs Shearn Delamore & Co.
Indran Shanmuganathan was admitted to the English, Malaysian and the Singapore Bar in 1996, 1997 and 2002 respectively. He is an experienced intellectual property ("IP") practitioner in both contentious and non-contentious aspects of IP law, and deals with various aspects of the intriguing and ever-evolving law of IP. Indran advises niche clients, both local and foreign, on various complex issues and provides custom IP strategies both in and out of court, particularly on topics such as the far-reaching effects of social media on trademarks, patents, copyright, industrial designs, enforcement, consumer laws and ultimately, dispute resolution on IP infringements. Given his litigation experience in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal Court, Indran has in-depth foresight with a great appreciation of what the impact of social media truly is in the IP arena.
MARIANNE CLARK-HATTINGH, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund ("UNICEF") Representative, Malaysia
Marianne Clark-Hattingh assumed leadership of the UNICEF Malaysia country office in January 2016. She joins the country office with vast experience in child protection, change management and social policy development. She brings to her role sound expertise in child rights, capacity-building and results-based management. Driven by her commitment to ensuring a world fit for children, Clark-Hattingh first began her career in China and Thailand before joining UNICEF in Madagascar. She has since worked at the UNICEF Headquarters in New York and held progressively senior management positions in Guinea Conakry, Benin, and Somalia, as well as with the UN staff college in Turin, Italy. Clark-Hattingh holds a Bachelor’s degree in French and International Relations and earned her Masters in Economics from the London School of Economics, specialising in Social Policy and Development. She is a British and French national.
MICHELLE LOI, Partner, Messrs Shearn Delamore & Co.
Michelle Loi was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 2004. Her area of practice is primarily contentious in nature. She has acted in court proceedings involving patent, trade mark, copyright and design infringement, breaches of confidential information, and passing off. Her intellectual property ("IP") litigation experience transcends across a broad range of industries. She also represents clients in the Malaysian Intellectual Property Offices'
opposition procedures as well as trade mark prosecution proceedings, and advises on domain name disputes. Michelle co-authors Lex Foundation’s Franchising in Asia — Malaysian Chapter. She is currently the Vice President of the Licensing Executives Society of Malaysia ("LESM"); committee member of the International Chamber of Commerce ("ICC") Malaysia, Competition Committee and a member of the International Bar Association
("IBA"). She contributes on an annual basis to the Malaysian chapter of Katzarov’s Manual on Industrial Property.
PRAVEEN RAJAN, Chief Digital Officer, Digi.com Berhad
Praveen Rajan was appointed Chief Digital Officer on 1 June 2016. He joined Digi in 2007, and brings more than 15 years of experience in the internet and mobile industries. He has held multiple leadership roles in his decade with Digi, and these include Head of Advanced Data Services, Head of Products — Internet & Services, and Head of Postpaid & Digital Services. Prior to joining Digi, Praveen co-founded a social networking startup called LifeLogger in 2003, where he served as the Chief Technology Officer.
PROFESSOR EDMUND TERENCE GOMEZ, Professor of Political Economy at the Faculty of Economics & Administration, University of Malaya
Professor Edmund Terence Gomez has held appointments at the Universities of Leeds (UK), Murdoch (Australia), Kobe (Japan), Michigan (Ann Arbor) and California (San Diego). Between 2005 and 2008, he served as Research Coordinator at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development ("UNRISD"), in Geneva. His international publications include Malaysia’s Political Economy: Politics, Patronage and Profits
(Cambridge University Press, 1997); Chinese Business in Malaysia: Accumulation, Ascendance, Accommodation (University of Hawaii Press, 1999); The State of Malaysia: Ethnicity, Equity and Reform (Routledge, 2004); The Politics of Resource Extraction: Indigenous Peoples, Multinational Corporations and the State (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2012); and Affirmative Action, Ethnicity and Conflict (Routledge, 2013).
DATO’ DR AHMAD FAROUK MUSA, Chairman and Director, Islamic Renaissance Front
Dato' Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa is an academic at Monash University Malaysia and a trained cardio-thoracic surgeon. He is also a Director at the Centre for Combating Corruption and Cronyism ("C4") and a former Deputy-Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0. As a Chairman and Director of the think-tank Islamic Renaissance Front since 2007, he has conducted numerous seminars, forums, colloquiums, and symposiums involving national and international figures on issues concerning democracy, human rights, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, religious extremism, and the
emerging discourse on post-Islamism. He is also involved in interfaith dialogues especially with regard to Christian-Muslim relations and also
intra-faith dialogues especially on the Shi’i-Sunni discourse.
YONG HWAN HWANG, Secretary-General, Korean Bar Association
Yong Hwan Hwang is a graduate of the Sung Kyun Kwan University Law School with a Master’s degree in Public Law. He has a wealth of legal experience, including as a committee member of the National Administrative Appeals Commission of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights
Commission of Korea since 2012; member of the Policing Board of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office since 2010; Legal Adviser of the Ministry
of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family since 2008; and Uniform Law Community Commissioner since 2005.
He was formerly Director of Legal Affairs, Director of General Affairs, and Secretary-General of the Seoul Bar Association.
DATO’ NG WAN PENG, Chief Operating Officer, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation ("MDEC")
Dato’ Ng Wan Peng has been a core and pioneer member of MDEC from the inception of Multimedia Super Corridor initiative since 1998. She has more than 25 years of industry experience and has extensive experience in managing large-scale projects, in the areas of Strategic IT Planning, Project Management, Systems Integration, and Methodologies Development. Dato’ Ng has consulted for both private and public sector organisations in IT policy and project implementation in the Government, as well as the defence and education sectors in Malaysia and abroad.
RAGUNATH KESAVAN, Messrs Kesavan
Ragunath Kesavan is a legal practitioner for more than 25 years and has previously served as the President of the Bar Council from 2009 to 2011. He qualified as a Barrister-at- Law at Gray’s Inn, London, and was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 1990. He was enrolled as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1991. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree (Genetics) from the University of Malaya in 1985, LLB degree from the University of Aberystwyth, Wales, in 1989, and LLM degree from the University of Malaya in 1995. Ragunath is on the panel of arbitrations and adjudicators of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre of Arbitration ("KLRCA").
JUSTIN D'AGOSTINO, Global Head of Dispute Resolution Practice and Regional Managing Partner for Asia and Australia, Herbert Smith Freehills
Justin D'Agostino is a leading international arbitration lawyer, having acted as counsel and advocate before tribunals all over the world. He recently represented the Government of Malaysia in the high profile "Railway Lands" arbitration. Justin is on the panel of arbitrators of the KLRCA. He is also a member of the Council and Executive Committee of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre ("HKIAC") and sits on the board of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce ("SCC"). A Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Justin is admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and as a solicitor advocate in England and Wales.
TAN SRI DATUK SERI PANGLIMA ABDUL GANI PATAIL, Former Attorney General of Malaysia (2002–2015)
Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Abdul Gani Patail began his career as a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Sabah from 1980 to 1994. He then took on various roles within the Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia from 1994 to 2002: as the Head of the Prosecution Division, Head of the Advisory and International Division, and Commissioner of Law Revision. From January 2002 to July 2015, Tan Sri Abdul Gani served as the Attorney
General and Public Prosecutor of Malaysia. As principal legal adviser to the Government, he advised the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the
Government of Malaysia on legal matters and discharged functions conferred on the Attorney General by or under the Federal Constitution
and any other written law.
GOH SIU LIN, Partner, Messrs Shook Lin & Bok
Goh Siu Lin graduated from the University of Bristol, England and has been called to the English and Malaysian Bars. She has an active practice with emphasis on banking litigation, probate, adoptions and matrimonial disputes with an international jurisdictional avour. She has held watching briefs for the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (“JAG”) in several landmark cases involving interfaith conversion custodial disputes, citizenship for
stateless children, and a domestic violence murder trial. She advocates and lobbies for law reform on child and family legislation, and is working on establishing a team of lawyers to provide victim support to survivors of child sexual abuse. Siu Lin regularly writes for the IBA Family Law News
newsletter and is a contributing editor on Order 72 (Contentious Probate Proceedings) of the Malaysian Civil Procedure. She is currently the Deputy Head of the Family, Probate & Trusts Department of her firm, and President of the Association of Women Lawyers (“AWL”).
SAIFUL EDRIS ZAINUDDIN, State Prosecution Director, Serious Crimes Unit, Attorney General's Chambers ("AGC")
Saiful Edris Zainuddin graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree from Institut Teknologi MARA in 1992 and LLM degree in Prosecution from the University of Wollongong, Australia in 2009. Among his credentials are: Deputy Prosecutor in the AGC from 1993 to 1996; Deputy Prosecutor with the Anti-Corruption Agency ("ACA") from 1996 to 2003; Deputy Prosecutor with the Legal Advisor's Office of the State of Selangor from 2005 to 2007; deputy prosecutor/senior federal counsel (Appellate and Trial Division, AGC) from 2009 to 2014; and Head of the Prosecution Unit for the State of Johore from 2014 till August 2016. Through the course of his career with the AGC, Saiful Edris has handled high-profile cases including the Mona Fandey case in 1995, the corruption involving Dato' Sahar Arpan (Malacca Exco) in 1998 and Dato' Waad Mansor (Negeri Sembilan Exco) in 1999, and the Dato' Sosilawati murder trial.
MOHD ARIF ABDUL HAMID, Head of Legal Advisory Department, Land Public Transport Commission ("SPAD")
Mohd Arif Abdul Hamid was formerly a Senior Federal Counsel in the International Affairs Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers. He was
involved in the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (“TPPA”), Malaysia-US Free-Trade Agreement (“FTA”), Malaysia-Australia
FTA, Malaysia-Pakistan FTA, and the ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand FTA, specialising in intellectual property (“IP”) and competition. He was also a former Counsellor to the Malaysian Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) in Geneva, where he chaired the
negotiations of special and differential treatment and simplification of customs procedures under the WTO Trade Facilitation Negotiating Group. He has a Masters degree in IP from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and an LLM degree in Competition Law from King’s College, London.
LEOW MUI LEE, Executive Director, TAXAND Malaysia
Leow Mui Lee graduated from Monash University, Australia with a Bachelor of Economics Degree, majoring in Accounting and Finance. She is a member of the Certified Practising Accountants ("CPA") Australia, the Malaysian Institute of Accountants ("MIA") and the Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia ("CTIM"). Mui Lee was involved in numerous goods and services tax ("GST") implementation projects for multi-national companies as well
as Malaysian listed companies. She has also been involved in GST advisory projects including GST risk assessments and GST health checks for her clients in the automotive, construction, property development, manufacturing, retail and services sectors.
KAMRAJ NAYAGAM, Partner, Messrs Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh
Kamraj Nayagam was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1996. He read English Literature at Trinity College Cambridge, graduating with Honours, before being called to Bar of England and Wales in 1993. Kamraj’s principal area of practice is that of construction law, both contentious and non-contentious, an area that he has specialised in since being called to the Bar. In addition, he continues to practise in the field of corporate disputes and more general litigation. He has conducted and assisted in cases at all levels of the Malaysian Courts, and before Arbitration Tribunals,
relating to a wide variety of civil disputes. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a qualified Adjudicator, and is on the KLRCA Panel for both Arbitration and Adjudication.
AVINASH PRADHAN, Partner, Rajah & Tann LLP, Singapore; Partner, Christopher & Lee Ong (associate firm)
Avinash Pradhan's practice encompasses a broad spectrum of commercial and corporate disputes, ranging from finance and banking matters, to construction, engineering, oil and gas, joint venture and shareholder disputes. He has experience in dealing with factually and legally complex
matters, as well as cross-border disputes and disputes involving a conflict between international arbitration proceedings and court litigation. Avinash also sits as arbitrator, and was recently listed by Best Lawyers International as a leading lawyer in Singapore in the field of international arbitration.
DATO' MOHAMAD ARIFF MD YUSOF, Founding Partner, Messrs Cheang & Ariff; Judge, Court of Appeal (Rtd)
Dato’ Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof is a retired Judge of the Court of Appeal. A graduate of the University of London (London School of Economics) (LLB, LLM), and Lincoln’s Inn, he started his career in 1974 as a law lecturer and subsequently an Associate Professor of the Law Faculty of the
University of Malaya before venturing into legal practice as an advocate and solicitor in 1985. He was one of the founding partners in Messrs Cheang & Ariff. He took leave from legal practice between 1993 and 1995 to join the newly-formed Securities Commission of Malaysia and became the first Director of its Market Supervision Department. He became a Judicial Commissioner at the High Court of Malaya in 2008, later a Judge of the High Court, and thereafter, a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 2012. He retired from the Malaysian Judiciary in early 2015. Dato’ Ariff’s experience ranges from company and commercial law, banking, securities, constitutional and administrative law, intellectual property, to arbitration.
BAHARI YEOW TIEN HONG, Head of the Intellectual Property and Technology, Media & Telecommunications ("IP & TMT") Practice, Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Bahari Yeow Tien Hong has been ranked a leading individual (Band 2) for Intellectual Property by Chambers and Partners. He is a fully-qualified Patent Agent, Trade Mark Agent and Industrial Design Agent who acts for owners of well-known brands, characters and trademarks. He is presently a member of the Group Standing Committee for Copyright (2015–2018) of the Asian Patent Attorney Association ("APAA") Malaysia.
He graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Nottingham. He is a contributing editor to The Malaysian Civil Procedure 2015 (Sweet & Maxwell Asia), Intellectual Property in the Malaysian Precedents and Forms 2014 (LexisNexis), and The Malaysian Civil Procedure 2013 (Sweet & Maxwell Asia).
FRED KAN, Chairman of the Belt and Road Committee, The Law Society of Hong Kong
Fred Kan was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1969, and in 1984 started Fred Kan & Co., an established commercial law firm in Hong Kong, of which he is the Senior Partner. He served on the Council of The Law Society of Hong Kong and was the Chairman of the Banking and Finance Committee of LAWASIA. Fred Kan was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Nottingham on government procurement law. He was admitted to the Roll of Honour of The Law Society of Hong Kong in May 2016.
MARIA CHIN ABDULLAH, Chairperson, BERSIH 2.0 (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections)
Maria Chin Abdullah is a women and human rights activist, trainer and researcher. She has been in the women’s movement for more than 30 years. She is also actively involved in making policy makers accountable to advance reforms in national policies, legislation and government institutions on issues related to gender equality and non-discrimination. Among the key legal reforms that she was involved in, together with the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (“JAG”), was providing input into the drafting of amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, the Sexual Harassment Bill, and the Domestic Violence Act. As Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0 (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections), she is involved in legal challenges against laws that violate human rights, and advocates strongly for electoral and institutional reforms to build a better democratic system. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, and a Master of Science degree in Urban Planning.
ELIAS MOUBARAK, Partner, International Banking and Finance Department, Trowers & Hamlins
Elias Moubarak trained and worked in London before moving to Dubai, and joined Trowers & Hamlins in 2014 from a "magic circle" law firm.
Elias has a broad range of experience both in the conventional and Islamic finance spheres. He has significant experience in representing the full spectrum of stakeholders on a range of banking and finance transactions, including project financings and real estate financings, as well as capital market issuances. His significant Islamic finance experience includes liaising with Shari’a scholars to develop Shari’a compliant finance products.
RAMMIT KAUR CHARAN SINGH, Head of the Legal Services Team, Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration ("KLRCA")
Rammit Kaur undertakes the role of Registrar responsible for the administration of arbitrations, adjudications, and other dispute resolution processes under the auspices of the KLRCA. She manages a team of international and local case counsel and provides general legal advice and support to all areas of the institution. With a total of 17 years working experience, Rammit Kaur has developed expertise in the areas of commercial litigation, contract drafting and advisory, contract management, and alternative dispute resolution. She has served as legal practitioner and also
in-house counsel with government-linked and multinational companies in the field of construction, transportation and logistics, and oil and gas.
RAPHAEL TAY, Corporate Partner, Messrs Chooi & Co.
Raphael Tay was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1986. He is a registered trade mark agent since 1998 and a Notary Public since 2007. His areas of practice are notably in mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, and information technology law. He has been the Chairman of the Moot Committee of LAWASIA since 2008, Chairman of the inaugural International Malaysia Law Conference 2012, Chairman for the Publications Committee which publishes Praxis — a Malaysian Bar publication — and a member of the Disciplinary Board. He is an adjunct lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, and a member of Taylor’s Law School Legal Profession Advisory Panel. His current areas of interest are in ASEAN, regional trade initiatives and innovation in the law, and its impact on the legal landscape.
LEONARD DAVID SHIM, President, Advocates’ Association of Sarawak ("AAS"); Partner, Messrs Reddi & Co.
Leonard Shim qualified as a barrister and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1991. He was admitted to practise in the High Court of Borneo (now called the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak) in 1992. He joined Messrs Reddi & Co. in 1993, having been a pupil at the firm since 1991. His practice areas are in civil litigation, shipping, admiralty, marine insurance, and industrial relations. He is an accredited mediator.
HALIZA AINI DATO' OTHMAN, Deputy Head of International Affairs Division 1, Attorney General’s Chambers
Haliza Aini Othman has served as the Deputy Head of the International Affairs Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers (“AGC”) since July 2013. Haliza has been involved in international trade and finance issues in recent years, in light of growing participation by Malaysia in negotiating and concluding free trade agreements. Among others, Haliza leads the Legal Working Group in the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (“TPPA”), the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement, as well as the
Malaysia-European Union (“EU”) Partnership Cooperation Agreement. Haliza also led the negotiations of the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement, which have since stalled. She directly supervises and helps formulate Malaysia’s positions in the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) Dispute Settlement Understanding Review process. Besides trade, Haliza is involved in trade-related environmental and labour issues, and sustainable development. She has in the past dealt in international cooperation, to combat crime through mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition.
KHAIZAN SHARIZAD AB. RAZAK (SHERRIE), Messrs AmerBON Advocates
Sherrie Razak was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2008. She practises mainly in corporate and commercial advisory, and litigation, in areas including company law, shareholder disputes, banking litigation, employment law, family law, administrative law, and criminal law. Sherrie is currently the Chairperson of the Bar Council National Young Lawyers and the Chairperson of the KL Bar Publication Committee. She has over the years, served the Bar in many other capacities, including in the Bar Council Special Committee (2014-2016), the Human Rights Committee, the KL Bar Young Lawyers Committee, the KL Bar Social, Arts & Culture Committee, and the Persons With Disabilities Subcommittee of the Bar Council Human Rights Committee. Sherrie is also a filmmaker, with a special interest in highlighting human rights and public interest issues in her documentaries. She is the winner of the Freedom Film Festival Malaysia Award (2009) organised by Pusat KOMAS, as co-director of the documentary film titled No Silver Lining: The Perak Crisis.
THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE DATO' MARY LIM THIAM SUAN,Judge, Court of Appeal
The Honourable Justice Dato’ Mary Lim Thiam Suan read law at the University of Leeds, UK and graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree. She was admitted to Lincoln's Inn as a Barrister-at-Law. She also obtained an LLM degree from the University of Western Australia. Justice Dato' Mary Lim served as Judge of the High Court (New Commercial Court and Construction Court) until her Ladyship's recent elevation to the Court of Appeal.
DAVID DEV PETER, Partner, Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates
David Peter graduated from the University of Leicester, England and was called to the Bar in 1995. Before joining Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates in 2004, he served as corporate counsel for three years in Landmarks Berhad, a public listed company. For the last 12 years, David has been a partner in Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates. He is Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Trade in Legal Services Committee. This committee handles issues pertaining to the liberalisation and trade in legal services.
RANAJIT DAM, Managing Editor, Legal Media Group, Thomson Reuters
Ranajit Dam is the Managing Editor of Thomson Reuters’ Legal Media Group, which includes Asian Legal Business, Asia’s foremost publication covering the legal industry. A former lawyer, Ranajit has more than a decade of experience as a journalist, working in the United States, China, India and Singapore, which is where he is currently based. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and a law degree from the University of Pune, India.
KEVIN PRAKASH, President, The Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators ("MIArb"); Partner, Messrs Mohanadass Partnership
Kevin Prakash has an active practice in dispute resolution and has been involved in complex disputes in various forms since being called to the Malaysian Bar in 1998. He is regularly engaged in trial and appellate advocacy at the High Court and the superior Courts in Malaysia and as counsel in arbitration. He is experienced in diverse types of disputes, including corporate and commercial disputes, contractual, civil, and shipping
disputes.
JAMES KHONG, Messrs James Khong
James Khong was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2001 and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2003. James practices predominantly in the areas of corporate and commercial disputes. He has been an advocacy trainer since 2012 and has conducted advocacy training throughout Malaysia. Between 2014 and 2016, James was invited to conduct advocacy training in Stellenbosch, Hong Kong, Perth, and Dublin. He is currently the Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council Advocacy Training Committee.
BENEDICT TEO, Director, Dispute Resolution, Drew & Napier
Benedict Teo’s practice covers a wide range of criminal and commercial litigation, as well as complex arbitration matters. He is regularly sought to advise and act for prominent individuals, as well as major Singapore and foreign companies in multi-million dollar corporate disputes. In particular, Benedict’s clients include a number of major financial institutions such as UBS AG, Standard Chartered Bank, Mizuho Bank, Ltd, and ABN AMRO Clearing Bank N.V. He is actively involved in all levels of trial and appellate advocacy before the Singapore courts. Between 2008 and 2010, Benedict was an adjunct tutor at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore ("NUS"). He has also been a member of the Rules of Court Working Party ("ROCWP") since 2010. The ROCWP reviews and proposes changes to the procedural rules for civil litigation in Singapore.
Benedict was placed on the Dean’s List in his final year in NUS and was the chief editor of the Singapore Law Review from 2003 to 2004. He also represented NUS in mooting competitions.
DR ENGKU RABIAH ADAWIAH ENGKU ALI, Professor, IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance ("IIiBF"), International Islamic University Malaysia ("IIUM")
Dr Engku Rabiah Adawiah obtained her LLB (first class honours) and LLB (Shari’ah) (first class honours) degrees from IIUM. Shortly thereafter, she successfully completed her Master's of Comparative Laws ("MCL") from the same university. In 1998, she was conferred with a PhD in law from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. She used to teach both Shari’ah and civil law, particularly on the subjects of company law, Islamic banking and finance, and Islamic capital market at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She teaches Islamic capital market, transactions in Islamic banking and finance, Takaful and Retakaful and contemporary issues in Islamic finance for postgraduate students at IIiBF. Currently, she is a member of the Syariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara Malaysia, Malaysian Securities Commission ("SC"), and Labuan Financial Services Authority, and an independent Shari’ah Advisor for Islamic securities (sukuk) issuance, approved by and registered with the SC. In addition, she is also a member of the Shari’ah Board of Labuan Reinsurance, Gen Re, and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, the Shari’ah advisor for Danajamin (2009–2010), a member of the Board of Directors in the Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding, and a member of the disciplinary committee for the Bar Council.
MELISSA K PANG, Vice President, The Law Society of Hong Kong
Melissa K Pang has been a Council Member of the Law Society since 2005. She is an Executive Committee Member of LAWASIA since 2012. Melissa Pang was qualified as a solicitor in New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, and Hong Kong. She is a founding partner of Pang & Associates and has substantial experience in commercial and company litigations involving both local and international commercial disputes, corporate restructuring, employment disputes, and representing land developers in land-related issues and disputes. Also, she has wide spectrum of experience on handling assets planning, probate, estate protection, and cross-border estate litigations.
DATUK HJ KUTHUBUL ZAMAN BUKHARI, Chairman of the Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (“PROHAM”); 25th President, Malaysian Bar (2003-2005); Zaman & Associates
Datuk Hj Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari is currently the Chairman of the Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (“PROHAM”). He has served in a multitude of capacities within the Malaysian Bar. Prior to serving as President of the Malaysian Bar, he was Vice-President from 2002 to 2003, and Secretary from 2000 to 2002. He served the Johore Bar Committee actively, as the Johore Bar’s Representative from 1999 to 2000, and before that, as Chairman of the Johore Bar Committee from 1995 to 1997. His résumé also includes stints as the Organising Chairman of the 11th and 13th Malaysian Law Conference, and as Chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) Committee from 1999 to 2003, and from 2006 to 2013. He was instrumental in establishing the Malaysian Mediation Centre in 1999. He was appointed as Commissioner on two Royal Commissions set up by the Malaysian Government: on improving the police force, and on search to be conducted on an arrested person.
SYUHAIDA ABDUL WAHAB ZEN, Undersecretary, National Strategic Office to the Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (“MAPO”), Ministry of Home Affairs
Syuhaida Abdul Wahab Zen started her government service in 2000 as an Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs ("MOHA"). She has served in various divisions in the Ministry, such as Finance, Internal Security and Public Order, Human Resources Management, and Parliament and Cabinet Division. She has concentrated her efforts on identifying areas for improvement in the Malaysian Government's counter-trafficking in persons ("TIP") efforts. She organises inter-agency meetings to learn about policies and practices regarding TIP and works with non-governmental organisations ("NGOs") to ensure government policies are informed by best practices from the field.
ADLIN ABDUL MAJID, Partner, Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Adlin Abdul Majid is experienced in information and communications technology ("ICT"), having spent close to a decade with a Malaysian government agency, advising on ICT laws and policies. During her tenure there, she was involved in local, regional and international ICT initiatives, such as the harmonisation of the e-commerce legal infrastructure in ASEAN, international cybercrime enforcement, and the development of an online dispute resolution system in Malaysia. She also served on ministerial level committees for the development of cyberlaws such as the Electronic Commerce Act 2006 and the Electronic Government Activities Act 2007. Since returning to legal practice, Adlin advises companies in the ICT industry on legal and regulatory requirements relating to the conduct online businesses, mobile applications, online payment systems, and website development. She is among a select group of lawyers in Malaysia focusing on all aspects of privacy and data protection laws, and has advised on various data protection issues, including cross-border transfer of data, direct marketing, business process outsourcing, cloud computing and street level data collection. Adlin is a graduate of the University of Oxford.
HE EDMUND BON TAI SOON, Representative of Malaysia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (“AICHR”); Member, Bar Council; Head of Chambers (Civil), Messrs AmerBON
HE Edmund Bon read law at University College London, and was called to the English Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 1997. He was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1998, and has been in active practice since then. Edmund is a Chevening scholar and has a Master's degree from Oxford University. Edmund routinely represents individuals, financial institutions, law enforcement authorities, governments and corporations at all stages of complex transactions, from negotiations to dispute resolution and mediation. The areas of law he has advised on include corporate, commercial, tax, contract, business, trusts, and land, oil and gas, and water law. Edmund is regularly invited to speak at local and international conferences on constitutional law and other matters of law, and on human rights advocacy. He has conducted more than 800 hours of training for young lawyers and activists on similar topics. His articles and papers have been published in law journals and by news media. Edmund’s latest published work is in the Halsbury’s Laws of Malaysia, entitled “Citizenship, Immigration, National Security and the Police”.
ANAND RAJ, Partner, Messrs Shearn Delamore & Co.
Anand Raj was admitted to the High Court of Malaya in 1996. His practice areas are in competition law and anti-trust, and tax and revenue. He advises and represents foreign, multinational and Malaysian enterprises on competition law and anti-trust matters across a variety of industries. He also acts for taxpayers on all aspects of tax and revenue law advisory, structuring, planning, audit, investigation, dispute resolution and litigation. Anand Raj also practises in the areas of energy, sports law, and regulatory compliance and enforcement. He is the Malaysia Rapporteur for the International Bar Association’s Antitrust & Competition Newsletter, and the Malaysia Rapporteur for the International Bar Association’s Tax Committee. He is one of the authors of Bloomberg BNA's Business Operations in Malaysia.
CHRISTOPHER LEONG, President-Elect, LAWASIA; 30th President, Malaysian Bar (2013–2015); Managing Partner, Messrs Chooi & Company
Christopher Leong is experienced in the fields of corporate and commercial litigation, shareholders’ disputes, banking litigation and insolvency.
Additionally, he practises in the areas of constitutional and administrative law and public interest litigation. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board of All Malaysia Commercial Reports published by Sweet & Maxwell Asia, a member of the Taylor’s University Law School Industry Advisory Panel, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs ("IDEAS"), a non-profit cross-partisan think tank foundation in Malaysia. Christopher graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in economics and philosophy in 1984 from Monash University, Australia, and completed reading law (LL.B) at the University of Nottingham in 1988. He was called to the Degree of Utter Barrister
of The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in 1989 and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1990.
SHARMILA SEKARAN, Chairperson, Voice of the Children; Partner, Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates
Sharmila Sekaran studied law in the UK and graduated with an Honours Degree in Law and Economics. She was admitted as an Utter Barrister to the Bar of England and Wales, and is a member of the Honourable Society of Middle Temple Inn, London. She was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. She was in practice for many years, during which time she moved from general litigation practice to specialising in Intellectual Property ("IP") law, covering both contentious and non-contentious areas of IP practice. She left practice to head the Legal and Business Affairs Department of the RIM Group, which includes the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia, Public Performance Malaysia Sdn Bhd, RIMCop Sdn Bhd and RIM Digital Malaysia Sdn Bhd, as Senior Manager for five years. During this time, she was a Drafting Committee Member of the ISP Liability Legislation for the Government of Malaysia, chaired by the Deputy Director General of the Malaysian Intellectual Property Office. Sharmila is a co-founder and chairperson of Voice of the Children, an advocacy group with a mission to promote law and policy reform to ensure that every child in Malaysia is protected and is no longer at risk of violation.
DATO' MAH WENG KWAI, 24th President, Malaysian Bar (2001–2003); Consultant, Messrs MahWengKwai & Associates; Judge, Court of Appeal (Rtd)
Dato' Mah Weng Kwai is a retired Court of Appeal Judge, and currently a Consultant with Messrs MahWengKwai & Associates. He now sits as an arbitrator and as a mediator accredited with the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre of Arbitration ("KLRCA") and the Malaysian Mediation Centre respectively. He is a past President of the Malaysian Bar and of LAWASIA. Called to the Malaysian Bar in 1972, he had vast practical experience before being appointed Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Malaya in 2010 and subsequently elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2012. Dato' Mah also serves as a Commissioner of the Malaysian Aviation Commission ("MAVCOM") and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia ("SUHAKAM").
ROGER CHAN WENG KENG, Member, Bar Council; Chan Weng Keng & Assoc.
Roger Chan Weng Keng is a practising member of the Malaysian Bar with 25 years of experience. He has been the Chairperson of the Bar Council Environmental and Climate Change Committee from 2014 to 2016. He is also the current Chairperson of the Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee. Roger has taken up many environmental issues both in and out of court on behalf of people affected by environmental degradation. The case he has taken up are as diverse as radioactive waste disposal, indigenous peoples’ land rights, illegal logging and damage to catchment areas, rivers, solid waste disposal, to climate change and transboundary haze issues. In 2014, he involved the Malaysian Bar in the global movement against climate change by co-proposing and assisting in the drafting of its Environmental and Climate Change Resolution, the first ever by any Bar, and which was passed by a unanimous vote. He has represented the Malaysian Bar on many occasions in both regional and international environmental fora on climate change and sustainable development issues.
BRENDAN NAVIN SIVA, Member, Bar Council; Brendan Siva
Brendan Navin Siva is a B.Ec/LLB graduate of the University of Sydney. He was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1999 and practises mainly in commercial litigation. He has been a member of the Bar Council for seven terms, and was Chairman of the Kuala Lumpur Bar for two terms.
During his time in the Bar Council, he was Chairman of the Court Liaison Committee, the Professional Standards & Development Committee, the IMLC 2014 Organising Committee, and the Advocacy Training Committee, of the Bar Council. Brendan is currently the Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Legal Profession Committee.
ROBERT LOW, Messrs Ranjit Ooi & Robert Low
Robert Low was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1995. His areas of practice are primarily in corporate and commercial litigation, focusing on the main in the areas of shareholders' disputes and boardroom tussles. He has been an advocacy trainer since 2011. Robert was invited in 2015 to participate in the Advanced Teacher Training Course in Stellenbosch, South Africa and was also, in 2015, a member of the faculty for the Handling of Financial Expert Witnesses Course in Hong Kong. He was also the course leader for the inaugural Advanced Advocacy Course: Handling Financial Experts Course conducted in Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
ETELLE HIGONNET, Campaign and Legal Director, Waxman Strategies, Washington; Former Regional Research Manager, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Etelle Higonnet is Waxman Strategies’ Campaign and Legal Director, where she focuses on forest conservation in Southeast Asia and Africa, with an emphasis on the palm oil and rubber industries. Prior to this, Etelle worked with Greenpeace Southeast Asia on a broad range of environmental issues including climate, energy, oceans, toxic waste, ecological agriculture, environmental justice, and forest protection. As Greenpeace Southeast Asia Regional Research Manager, Etelle conducted or oversaw research for that region. Etelle also has significant experience in human rights, having worked primarily in war zones and post-conflict areas. She conducted research in West Africa on behalf of Human Rights Watch and later Amnesty International, including in the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. She also oversaw the analysis of human rights research projects in Iraq for the International Human Rights Law Institute. She has served as a human rights research consultant for various organisations, including UNICEF, Open Society, the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, the Royal Cambodian Government Task Force for the Extraordinary Chambers, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Etelle earned a BA degree from Yale University and a JD degree from Yale Law School. She has written numerous articles, reports and op-eds on environmental subjects and human rights, and is the author of the book Quiet Genocide. She speaks nine languages.
STEVEN THIRU, President, Malaysian Bar
Steven Thiru is the 31st President of the Malaysian Bar. He is a senior litigation partner of Messrs Shook Lin & Bok in Kuala Lumpur. He has been in practice for 24 years. His main areas of practice are administrative law, employment law, electricity supply law, native title law and a variety of areas of civil litigation. Steven read law at the University of Leicester and graduated in 1990. He was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales at Middle Temple in 1991, and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1992. Steven also holds a Masters of Law (LLM) degree from University of Malaya (2000). Steven is a Council Member of the London-based Commonwealth Lawyers Association.
GEORGE VARUGHESE, Vice-President, Malaysian Bar
George Varughese graduated with an LLB (Hons)(Manchester) degree in 1988 and thereafter obtained his LLM degree from University Malaya in 1998. His professional qualifications include Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn and MMI Arbs. He is also a certified Adjudicator with the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration ("KLRCA"). George was the Chairman of the Selangor Bar Committee from 2004 to 2007. He also served as the Treasurer of the Malaysian Bar, Chairperson of the Bar Council Finance Committee, and the Selangor Bar Representative on the Bar Council from 2007 to 2009. He was the Secretary of the Malaysian Bar from 2009 to 2011. George currently serves as the Vice-President of the Malaysian Bar (2015 to 2017), and is also the Chairperson of the Bar Council Small Firms Committee and Co-Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council Professional Indemnity Insurance Committee.
ABDUL FAREED ABDUL GAFOOR, Treasurer, Malaysian Bar
Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor graduated with a LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Wolverhampton, UK in 1993 and obtained a Diploma in Syariah Law and Practice from the International Islamic University Malaysia ("IIUM") in 2004. He was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1996. He is an accredited mediator with the Malaysian Mediation Centre. Abdul Fareed currently serves as the Treasurer of the Malaysian Bar and Chairperson of the Bar Council Finance Committee (2015 to 2017), and was the Penang Bar Representative on the Bar Council from 2015 to 2016. Most recently, from 2013 to 2015 he was Chairman of the Penang Bar Committee, member of the Bar Council, and Deputy Co-Chairperson of the National Legal Aid Committee. He serves as a legal adviser to, among others, Persatuan Melayu Pulau Pinang, Penang Chinese Town Hall, Islamic Chamber of Commerce Malaysia, and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Austria in Penang.
His Lordship was admitted as a Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn, in 1979. His Lordship was appointed as a Federal Court Judge in 2005, and elevated as Chief Judge of Malaya in 2008, and Chief Justice in 2011. In June 2013, His Lordship was appointed as an Honorary Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn by The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.
ANSELMO REYES, Professor of Legal Practice, Hong Kong University
Anselmo Reyes served as a Judge of the Hong Kong High Court from 2003 to 2012, where he was in charge of the Construction and Arbitration List, and then the Commercial and Admiralty List. He was called to the Hong Kong Bar in 1986, taking silk in 2011. In April 2013, he became Representative of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. He became an International Judge of the Singapore International Commercial Court, and an Overseas Bencher of the Inner Temple, in 2015.
GURDIAL SINGH NIJAR, Consultant, Messrs Sreenevasan; Founder-Director, Malaysian Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity Law
Gurdial Singh Nijar is a Barrister-at-Law, Middle Temple, London. His key areas of research include biodiversity and biosafety law, the investment/ISDS chapter under the TPPA, climate change, and war crimes. He was the lead negotiator for Malaysia and developing countries for three treaties, including the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. He is on the Expert Panel of the UN FAO and the UN Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
MALATHI DAS, Director, Joyce A Tan & Partners
Malathi Das is a family lawyer, Associate Mediator and Family Mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre, and on the panel of Child Representatives appointed by the Family Justice Courts. She is also Subject Coordinator for Family Practice at the Singapore Institute of Legal Education. She has provided expert evidence on Singapore family law in courts of jurisdictions such as Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Japan and the UK. Malathi Das has access to an active network of family practitioners worldwide.
DATO’ AMBIGA SREENEVASAN, President, National Human Rights Society Malaysia (“HAKAM”); President, Malaysian Bar (2007–2009)
Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan is a litigation lawyer who is also active in public interest litigation, and a determined advocate for human rights and the rule of law. She was a recipient of the US Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award 2009, and was awarded the “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by the Government of France in 2011. From 2011 to 2013, she served as Co-Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0, a civil society movement for free and fair elections. She is a patron of Negara-Ku, a people’s movement that promotes unity, peace and harmony.
LUCY REED, Professor and Director, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore
Lucy Reed is Director of the Centre for International Law and Professor on the law faculty of the National University of Singapore. She is a member of the Executive Council of the Asian Society of International Law, and former President of the American Society of International Law. She previously headed the Freshfields’ global international arbitration and public international law groups, representing private and public clients in commercial and treaty arbitrations and serving as arbitrator. She is co-author of "A Guide to the SIAC Arbitration Rules" (OUP 2014) and "Guide to ICSID Arbitration" (2nd ed, Kluwer 2011).
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LIM GUAN ENG, Chief Minister of Penang
The Right Honourable Lim Guan Eng has served as Penang’s fourth Chief Minister since March 2008. In 1995, he became the Democratic
Action Party (“DAP”)’s Deputy Secretary-General. He was elected as its Secretary General in 2004, and still holds that position today. Prior to joining politics, he held a senior executive position in the banking industry. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Monash University, Australia and is a qualified accountant.
PROFESSOR MICHAEL EWING-CHOW, WTO Chair, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (“NUS”)
Professor Michael Ewing-Chow worked in Allen & Gledhill before joining NUS, and was involved in the negotiations for some of Singapore’s early free trade agreements. He has been a consultant to the Singapore Government, Asian Development Bank, ASEAN, UN Conference on Trade and Development, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. He has also advised clients all over the world on trade and investment law, as well as governance. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the "Journal of International Economic Law".
DR AZMI SHAROM, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Malaya
Dr Azmi Sharom has taught at the Faculty of Law since 1990. He currently teaches private international law, international environmental law, and human rights law, and is Head of the Human Rights Research Group in his Faculty. He is Chief Editor of the "Human Rights in Southeast Asia Series" by the Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies Network (“SEAHRN”) based in Bangkok. He writes regular newspaper columns, and a compilation of his articles was published last year in a book entitled "Brave New World: Greatest Hits".
KIRAN DHALIWAL, Partner, Messrs Y N Foo & Partners
Kiran Dhaliwal was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1990, and the Malaysian Bar in 1992. Since 1997, her main practice area has
been family law, with diverse cases including cross-border disputes involving children. Kiran is an accredited mediator, and a member of
both the Bar Council Family Law Committee (“FLC”), and the Executive Committee of the Association of Women Lawyers (“AWL”). She has
represented FLC and AWL at law reform consultations with the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
DATO' MALIK IMTIAZ SARWAR, Advocate and Solicitor, Messrs Malik Imtiaz Sarwar
Malik Imtiaz Sarwar has more than 22 years of experience in the legal profession, with about 200 reported decisions in a diverse range of
practice areas to his credit. One of his key practice areas is in dispute resolution. He has acted as counsel in a number of leading constitutional and administrative law cases over the last 15 years. He was the 2009 recipient of the Index on Censorship Award for law and campaigning.
THE HONOURABLE DATUK RAMLY HJ ALI, Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia
Since 1978, The Honourable Datuk Ramly Hj Ali has been attached to the Government’s Judicial and Legal Service in various capacities including as Magistrate, Registrar of the High Court of Malaya, and Chief Registrar of the Federal Court. In 2002, he was elevated as a Judge of the High Court. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in April 2009, and subsequently as a Judge of the Federal Court in September 2013. Currently, he is also the Managing Judge for the High Court of Shah Alam (Civil Division).
TAN SRI DR REBECCA FATIMA STA MARIA, Former Secretary-General Ministry Of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia (“MITI”)
Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria has served in various capacities in the then-Ministry of Trade and Industry since the 1980s. In 1988, she was seconded to the ASEAN Plant Quarantine and Training Centre as its Chief Administration and Procurement Officer. In 2006, she chaired the ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting, and is currently the Chair of the ASEAN High Level Task Force for Economic Integration. She is also the Vice Chair of the World Economic Forum, Global Agenda Council on South-East Asia.
IRA BISWAS, Partner, Messrs Chooi & Co.
Ira Biswas was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in July 1987. She has been a partner in Messrs Chooi & Co’s Dispute Resolution Department since 1992. Ira has been a litigator for more than 28 years and is experienced in a wide spectrum of commercial litigation cases with her focus being on insolvency law and commercial frauds. Ira is actively involved in the Advocacy Training Programme run by the Malaysian Bar Council and is currently the Chairperson of the Bar Council Advocacy Training Committee.
PETER CUTHBERT LOW, Managing Director, Peter Low LLC, Singapore
Peter Low graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree from the National University of Singapore in 1977. He is a past President of the Law Society of Singapore, and has about 35 years of experience in various types of civil, criminal and family litigation. He started his career as State Counsel and Deputy Public Prosecutor before moving into private practice. Prior to starting Peter Low LLC in 2011, he was the head of the Dispute Resolution Department of M/S Colin Ng & Partners. Apart from legal work, Peter takes a keen interest in human rights work, and is one of the founding members of MARUAH, a leading human rights non-governmental organisation in Singapore. Through MARUAH, he actively engages in forums and speaks on human rights issues in the region.
MICHAEL HEIHRE, Panellist, KLRCA
Michael Heihre is a Fellow of the Malaysian Society of Adjudicators, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators. He has served as a speaker, tutor, and facilitator in the KLRCA’s training programmes for adjudicators; as the conference chair for the KLRCA’s 2015 Annual CIPAA Conference; and as the editor for the first four issues of the newsletter of the Malaysian Society of Adjudicators. He has a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and has practised extensively as a litigation and arbitration lawyer, arbitrator, and adjudicator in complex commercial, construction, environmental, insurance, intellectual property, product liability, and real estate disputes.
RICHARD TOWLE, Representative, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ("UNHCR") in Malaysia
Prior to his current assignment in Malaysia, Richard Towle was the Regional Representative for UNHCR covering Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific based in Canberra, Australia (2007 to 2013). He has also served in various senior positions with UNHCR including in Hong Kong, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. He was also Chief of Mission for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights field operation in the Former Yugoslavia from 2000 to 2003 covering Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo, and was based in Belgrade. He has an LLB (Hons) degree from Canterbury University (New Zealand) and an LLM (Dist) from the University of London in
the UK.
LAM WAI LOON, Partner, Messrs Harold & Lam Partnership
Lam Wai Loon sits as an arbitrator and is a qualified adjudicator to adjudication disputes under the Construction Industry Payment and
Adjudication Act 2012 (“CIPA Act 2012”). His publications include a co-authored text titled Construction Adjudication In Malaysia (CCH-Kluwer, 2013). He is the current Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Malaysia Branch (2016–2017), Deputy President of the Society of Construction Law, Malaysia (2016–2017), and the Vice President of the Malaysian Society of Adjudicators (2015–2016).
ZAINAH ANWAR, Director, Musawah
Zainah Anwar is a founding member and former Executive Director of Sisters in Islam (“SIS”). She is now the Director of Musawah, the SIS-initiated Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family. She also writes a monthly column, “Sharing the Nation”, in The Star. Her illustrious career includes stints at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London; Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur; and as Political and Diplomatic Writer with The New Straits Times. She also served as a member of SUHAKAM from 2000 to 2004. She was named the most influential Muslim woman in a list of 10 leading women visionaries and changemakers from San Francisco-based International Museum of Women’s virtual exhibition, Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art & Voices.
RAYMOND MAH, Managing Partner, MahWengKwai & Associates
Raymond Mah's primary area of practice is in dispute resolution, including civil and commercial litigation, construction arbitration and adjudication, and land related disputes. He graduated from the University of Queensland, Australia with a double Bachelor of Economics and Laws (Honours Class I) degree in 2003 and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 2005. He qualified in 2012 as a Certified Adjudicator and is empanelled as an Adjudicator with the KLRCA. He has been recognised by Legal 500 in the areas of dispute resolution, and real estate and construction. He was also selected as one of Asian Legal Business’ 40 Under 40 Brightest Young Legal Minds in 2015.
STEPHEN L DREYFUSS, former President, Union Internationale des Avocats ("UIA"); Partner, Hellring Lindeman Goldstein & Siegal LLP, Newark,
New Jersey, USA
Stephen Dreyfuss is a member of Hellring Lindeman Goldstein & Siegal LLP in Newark, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B. magna cum laude, 1971) and Columbia University School of Law (J.D., 1974). A former prosecutor in New York, he is the former President of the Paris-based UIA (International Association of Lawyers), the world’s oldest international association of Bars, Law Societies and lawyers. He also is the former President and current Executive Vice-President of the French-American Chamber of Commerce in New York. Mr Dreyfuss’ practice is concentrated in transnational business matters, including complex civil and criminal business litigation, joint ventures and international direct investment. His more than 40 years of international experience have given him particular expertise with regard to issues requiring a practical synthesis of the European civil law and the Anglo-Saxon common law systems. Fluent in French, he is frequently interviewed on French radio and television and in the French press with regard to high-visibility cases and legal/economic issues, and lectures frequently to American and foreign lawyers, accountants and other professionals on selected issues in comparative private international law and litigation.
EVALYN G URSUA, Human Rights Lawyer, Philippines
Evalyn Ursua has worked on women and children’s rights issues since the early 1990s. In 2008, she filed, as counsel for a rape survivor, Karen T Vertido, a complaint against the Philippines for discrimination under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women ("CEDAW") and its Optional Protocol. In 2011, she filed another communication with the CEDAW Committee on behalf of a young deaf woman who was a victim of discrimination in the judicial process because of her disability. In both cases, the CEDAW Committee found the Philippines liable for discrimination. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of San Agustin in the Philippines, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines, and a Master of Laws in Asian Legal Studies from the National University of Singapore. She is presently completing her Master of Studies in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford.
TAN SRI RAZALI ISMAIL, Chairman, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia ("SUHAKAM")
Tan Sri Razali Ismail retired from 35 years of service with the Malaysian Government in 1998, after 10 years as Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations ("UN") and earlier postings. At the UN, he served in various capacities in diverse organisations — Group of 77, UN Security Council, Commission on Sustainable Development and President of the General Assembly developing positions on development, sustainability, governance, UN reforms, and on political/security. He continues his involvement in these subjects in Malaysia and outside. He was the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Myanmar from 2000 to 2005. Tan Sri Razali Ismail heads an NGO foundation — Yayasan Chow Kit — on displaced children, sits on the Board of the Razak School of Government, and is Chairman of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation. He was appointed to serve as Chairman of SUHAKAM for 3 years, since April 2016.
KAREN CHEAH YEE LYNN, Secretary, Malaysian Bar; Partner, Messrs Chooi & Co.
Karen Cheah has been in active legal practice for over 20 years since being called to the Malaysian Bar in October 1995 and is the current Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Bar. She was awarded the ATC Outstanding Alumni Award in 2016. Her primary focus is on corporate and commercial contracts and conveyancing matters. She also has experience in contentious matters which adds to her abilities in her corporate and commercial practice. Karen Cheah is passionate in her quest for knowledge, commitment to clients, the betterment of the Bar and the legal profession, and has an ardent interest in public interest issues. She graduated with a degree in law from the University of London in 1993, and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 1995.
THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE TAN SRI AZAHAR MOHAMED, Judge, Federal Court of Malaysia
The Honourable Justice Tan Sri Azahar Mohamed has been attached with the Malaysian Judicial and Legal Service since 1980, serving in a variety of capacities, including as Magistrate, Deputy Public Prosecutor, and Senior Federal Counsel. In 2006, he was elevated as a High Court Judge, and in 2011, as a Judge with the Court of Appeal. In 2014, he was elevated as a Federal Court Judge. From October to December 2015, he attended the Inns of Court Fellowship at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies ("IALS"), University of London, under the auspices of IALS, Middle Temple, Inner Temple, Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn.
DATUK J JAYASIRI, Secretary-General, Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia ("MITI")
Datuk J Jayasiri joined the Malaysian civil service in December 1981 as Assistant Secretary of International Affairs, Ministry of Primary Industries, dealing with international commodity issues. He later assumed the post of First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of Malaysia in Geneva from 1988 to 1997, representing Malaysia in the Uruguay Round of negotiations to establish the World Trade Organization. He returned to MITI in 1997 and served as Principal Assistant Director of Multilateral Trade Relations, and subsequently Director of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). He was Malaysia’s Senior Official to APEC from 2002 to 2006. He went on to become Senior Director, Bilateral and Regional Relations; and then Senior Director of Multilateral Trade Policy and Negotiations. He was Deputy Secretary General (Strategy & Monitoring), MITI from January 2015 to June 2016. Datuk Jayasiri led Malaysia’s team in the ASEAN-China FTA (Free Trade Area), Malaysia-Japan FTA, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement ("TPPA") negotiations.
THE HONOURABLE MRS JUSTICE AUDREY CAMPBELL-MOFFAT, Judge, Court of First Instance, High Court of Hong Kong
Prior to her appointment to the Bench in May of 2016, The Honourable Mrs Justice Audrey Campbell-Moffat practised at the UK Bar for 13 years and thereafter at the Hong Kong Bar for over 15 years as a criminal practitioner, specialising in commercial crime. She is an editor of Archbold Criminal Pleadings and Practice, the Magistrate’s Courts Manual for practitioners and a book on Tort Law in Hong Kong. She was a founding member of the Hong Kong Advocacy Training Council, and of the International Advocacy Training Council of which she was the treasurer. She has been teaching advocacy for over 15 years and is involved in introducing advocacy training to new jurisdictions as well as training new trainers. She has taught in many different jurisdictions including England, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji and South Africa.
BRENNDON KEITH SOH, President, Sabah Law Association
Brenndon Keith Soh graduated from the University of Leeds, with a Bachelor of Laws LLB (Hons) degree. He subsequently pursued the Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law, London. He was called as an Advocate to the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak in Kota Kinabalu in 2000. He is a general practitioner focusing predominantly in the field of civil litigation as well as conveyancing. Aside from the legal field, he is a past president of a Rotary Club.
WONG TAT CHUNG, Partner, Messrs Wong Beh & Toh
Wong Tat Chung graduated in his first degree in law from King’s College, University of London in 1985. He was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales in 1986 as a Barrister-at-law of Lincoln’s Inn. In 1987, he obtained his Master’s degree in law from King’s College, University of London. He was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on 18 Oct 1988. His practice areas include corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets, and other corporate and commercial matters. He is the Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Corporate and Commercial Law Committee. He also chairs the Limited Liability Partnership Sub-Committee (formerly the LLP Task Force), Competition Law Sub-Committee and SSM Sub-Committee, of that Committee.
SHANMUGA KANESALINGAM, Partner, Messrs Kanesalingam & Co; Director, Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights
Shanmuga Kanesalingam has been partner in Messrs Kanesalingam & Co since 1999, practising mainly in the areas of corporate insolvency, general and corporate litigation and administrative law. He was a Fulbright scholar and graduated with an LL.M degree from the Columbia Law School in New York. He is also actively involved in human rights and public interest litigation, primarily in the areas of freedom of religion and freedom of expression. He has acted for numerous persons alleging that they were wrongfully considered Muslims and denied the freedom to profess and practise their actual and preferred faith, as well as for Hindu mothers who alleged that their children were unlawfully converted to Islam by their ex-husbands. He also represented an online news portal in a case establishing a constitutional right to free press in Malaysia, and a political satirist whose collections of cartoons were banned. He is one of the six founders of the blog, www.LoyarBurok.com, which has now evolved into the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights.
SYAHREDZAN JOHAN, Member, Bar Council; Partner, Messrs RamRais & Partners
Syahredzan Johan’s areas of practice include general litigation, criminal and public interest litigation relating to human rights and the Malaysian Constitution. In 2009, he was appointed as the Co-Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee. The Bar Council subsequently appointed him as Chairperson of the Constitutional Law Committee for the 2011/2012 term and re-appointed him for a second term in 2012. In 2011, he was elected as a Committee member of the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee. He was then appointed as Chairperson of the Information Technology and Communications Committee of the Kuala Lumpur Bar. Syahredzan is an elected member of the Bar Council and has been serving since 2012. He served as Chairperson of the Bar Council National Young Lawyers Committee from 2013 till 2015. He has also written articles which are published in the mainstream media and the internet, as well as fortnightly columns in The Star’s online edition and Malay language daily Sinar Harian. His views and comments on legal issues have also been published by the media.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JUSTICE DATO’ DR HAJI MOHD NA'IM HAJI MOKHTAR, Chief Syarie Judge, Selangor
Prior to his elevation to the post of Chief Syarie Judge, The Right Honourable Justice Dato’ Dr Haji Mohd Na'im Haji Mokhtar had served as the Director of the Family Support Division at the Syariah Judiciary Department Malaysia, and a Syariah High Court Judge for the state of Selangor. He was selected and served as a Malaysian Chevening Visiting Fellow at Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies,Oxford University, UK (2008/2009) and as Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School, Harvard University, USA (2012/2013). Dato' Dr Haji Na'im has participated and presented on family law, syariah and related topics at many conferences, local as well as international. He has also appeared on television and radio shows, such as on Astro Oasis and Radio IKIM.
DATO' M RAMACHELVAM, Member, Bar Council; Senior Partner, Messrs Rama-Rozi & Associates
Dato' M Ramachelvam read law at the University of Malaya and obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons) in 1984. He was admitted and enrolled as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1985, and has wide experience in handling litigation and conveyancing matters. He is the Past Chairman of the Pahang Bar Committee, and had served as a Council Member of the Bar Council of Malaysia for 11 terms, including the current term. Presently, he serves as the Chairperson of the Bar Council Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Committee and the Bar Council Task Force on the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission ("IPCMC"). He was a founding member of the National Human Rights Society Malaysia ("HAKAM") and now serves as an EXCO Member of HAKAM. He also serves as a Commissioner of the Energy Commission of Malaysia.
SHANTHI DAIRIAM, Malaysian human rights and women's rights advocate
Mary Shanthi Dairiam served on the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women ("CEDAW") from 2005 to 2008. She is also the founder and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific, an international non-governmental organisation devoted to facilitating the implementation of the CEDAW Convention globally. She has provided technical services to several governments in the Asia Pacific region and in selected African and Latin American countries to build capacity for the implementation of the CEDAW, as well as to review specific laws and policies pertaining to women’s rights for compliance with international human rights standards. She is an EXCO member of Women’s Aid Organisation in Malaysia, a programme addressing domestic violence; and an EXCO member of the National Council of Women’s Organisations Malaysia.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE TAN SRI DATO' SERI MD RAUS SHARIF, President, Court of Appeal
The Right Honourable Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Md Raus Sharif obtained his LL.B (Hons) degree from University of Malaya in 1976 and went on to pursue and obtained his LLM degree at London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom. His Lordship was appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeal, Malaysia in 2006. Apart from his academic qualifications, His Lordship comes equipped with multitudinous experience garnered from his postings as a Magistrate, Deputy Public Prosecutor, Senior Federal Counsel, State Legal Adviser, and Treasury Solicitor. He was appointed as Judicial Commissioner in November 1994, and in January 1996, His Lordship was elevated as a Judge of the High Court of Malaya. He was next appointed to the Court of Appeal in July 2008. On 12 Sept 2011, His Lordship was appointed the President of the Court of Appeal.
BELDEN PREMARAJ, Principal Partner and Head, Messrs Belden Advocates & Solicitors
Belden Premaraj heads the firm of Messrs Belden Advocates & Solicitors, a construction and engineering dispute resolution and advisory practice. He is a Barrister of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn and an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK and the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators, and is listed in the Panel of Arbitrators and Panel of Adjudicators for KLRCA. Belden has specialised in arbitration and advisory practice for over 20 years with a focus on the construction, engineering, energy and utilities, and oil and gas industries. He is also regularly appointed as an arbitrator for construction and engineering, and oil and gas domestic and international disputes.
PHILIP KOH, Senior Partner, Messrs Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh
Philip Koh has over 30 years of expertise in three arenas: academic, professional and industry. His specialisations include contract and investment laws, mergers and acquisitions ("M&A"), financial services and securities, corporate law and governance, commercial and civil litigation, and public law. Philip is also a member of the following: Financial Stability Executive Committee of Bank Negara Malaysia, Private Sector Group Global Corporate Governance Forum, and Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group. He previously held the posts of Adjunct Professor of Deakin University and visiting Fulbright Scholar attached to the Harvard University Economics Department. He is also a speaker and author.
PROFESSOR LOCKNIE HSU, Full Professor of Law, School of Law, Singapore Management University
Locknie Hsu received her legal training at the National University of Singapore and Harvard University, and is a member of the Singapore Bar. She specialises in international trade and investment law, dispute settlement, ASEAN integration, trade and public health, and sovereign wealth funds. She has published extensively and her book, Trade, Investment, Innovation and their Impact on Access to Medicines – An Asian Perspective, was published by Cambridge University Press in February 2016. Locknie is Chair of the Trade and Investment Group, a member of the Legal Harmonization Working Group, and a member of the Singapore National Committee’s Executive Council, in the ASEAN Law Association. She is also a co-rapporteur of the International Law Association’s Committee on Sustainable Development and the Green Economy in International Trade Law, and a member of the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) Study Group. Locknie is a member of the Editorial Board of the peer-reviewed Journal of World Investment and Trade.
THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE DATUK NALLINI PATHMANATHAN, Judge, Court of Appeal
The Honourable Justice Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan began her legal career as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya at Skrine in January 1986. In 1995, she became a partner at Skrine. She was then appointed a Judicial Commissioner in March 2007, and heard cases at the Shah Alam High Court (Criminal) before being transferred to the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Civil). In October 2009, she was appointed a High Court Judge, and at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, she sat at the New Commercial Court and Admiralty Court. In September 2014, she was elevated to the Court of Appeal.
NICK EDMONDES, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins (Malaysia)
Prior to moving to Malaysia in 2014, Nick Edmondes enjoyed an international career primarily based out of the firm's London headquarters. Between 1994 and 2000, Nick lived and worked in the Middle East, as resident managing partner of the firm's Oman
office. He is now a leading member of team dealing with the firm's work for Malaysian and ASEAN clients. Nick's experience includes project development and finance, privatisation, corporate structuring and inward investment into the UK and Europe. He is co-head of the firm's Islamic Finance Group and is client partner for a number of Islamic Financial Institutions. Nick has written many articles and has spoken regularly on a variety of topics on a range of subjects, from cross border investment, corporate and project financing, port reform, infrastructure project structures, to Islamic finance.
JAL OTHMAN, Partner, Messrs Shook Lin & Bok Malaysia
Jal Othman heads the Islamic Finance practice in Messrs Shook Lin & Bok. His tasks include setting the policy direction for the incremental development of this area of practice within his firm, and developing a structured research and development unit to promote an effective
continuing legal education scheme within the firm. Jal's portfolio of work includes advising on a wide range of sukuk issuances for financing power plants in Malaysia and China, vessel construction, project financing for the automotive industry, the textile and garment industry, the downstream and upstream palm oil industry, as well as advising on Islamic structured products and Islamic syndicated financing. In addition to Islamic Finance, Jal’s other major areas of practice are corporate commercial law and real estate. Among others, he holds positions in INCEIF (International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance) University, and has participated on various international platforms as a speaker, moderator, panellist and commentator.
MOHAMAD SAFRI SHAHUL HAMID, Senior Managing Director & DCEO, CIMB Islamic
Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid rejoined CIMB Islamic as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer ("DCEO") in 2011. He first joined CIMB Islamic as one of its pioneer members in 2003 and was credited for a number of ground-breaking, “world’s first” and award-winning transactions — the notable ones include all the exchangeable sukuk transactions by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, first rated corporate sukuk in the Middle East, world's first hybrid sukuk issuance, world’s first Renminbi-denominated sukuk by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, world’s largest Renminbi-denominated sukuk by Axiata, world’s first stapled Islamic REITS and most recently, the inaugural as well as historic global sukuk issuances by the Governments of the UK and Hong Kong, respectively. Mohamad Safri sits on the boards of CIMB Islamic Trustee Berhad, CIMB Commerce Trustee Berhad and CIMB Trust Limited. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the International Islamic University Malaysia and an MBA (Globalization) from Maastricht School of Management, the Netherlands. He is a Chartered Accountant with the Malaysian Institute of Accountant ("MIA").
GAYATHRY VENKITESWARAN, independent media researcher
Gayathry Venkiteswaran is a PhD candidate at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Her research focus is on media reforms in Southeast Asia. Prior to this, she was executive director of the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance ("SEAPA") for five years, working on press freedom and access to information in the region. Before joining SEAPA, she headed and was co-director of the Malaysian press freedom organisation — the Centre for Independent Journalism ("CIJ") — for seven years, had a stint as a journalist for five years, and taught media history and journalism in a number of private colleges and universities. She has an MA (International Relations) degree from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Mass Communications degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
TENGKU DATO’ SRI ZAFRUL TENGKU ABDUL AZIZ, Group Chief Executive Officer, CIMB Group Holdings Berhad
Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz is the Group Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Group Holdings Berhad, a leading ASEAN universal bank and a world leader in Islamic finance, with presence in 17 countries worldwide. With over 19 years of experience in the
financial services sector, specialising in investment banking, Tengku Zafrul’s last position was with Maybank Investment Bank Berhad and
Maybank Kim Eng Holdings as Chief Executive Officer. He graduated from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Economics and Accounting. He obtained a Master of Arts degree in Finance and Management from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. He also holds a fellowship with the Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers.
TATIANA POLEVSHCHIKOVA, International Case Counsel, KLRCA
Tatiana Polevshchikova is involved in the administration of international and domestic arbitrations, and adjudications. She also works on various projects relating to alternative dispute resolution ("ADR") policy, investment arbitration, and promotion and knowledge dissemination. Before joining KLRCA, Tatiana practised in Russia, obtained an LLM degree in the US, and also gained arbitration experience in Hong Kong.
LUNG WAN PUN, Legal Expert, Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law ("UNCITRAL")
LUNG Wan Pun is a Legal Expert in the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific. With a particular focus and interest in international law, electronic commerce and international arbitration, he has practical experiences in the practice of international law in Asia and the Pacific. He is responsible, at the Regional Centre, for disseminating UNCITRAL texts, providing technical assistance to States in the Asia-Pacific region on the implementation and uniform interpretation of UNCITRAL texts, as well as facilitating communications between States in the region and UNCITRAL.
TANG AI LEEN, Head, Corporate Real Estate practice group, Messrs Zul Rafique & Partners
Tang Ai Leen has been in practice for more than 17 years. She specialises in the areas of land developments (both commercial and residential) and various types of property conveyancing and property financing matters. She has advised and represented clients from individuals to corporations, both local and foreign, on land development, acquisition and disposal (whether direct or indirect) of diverse types of properties, sale and lease-back arrangement, commercial leasing, and land-related issues. The types of properties include both landed as well as strata-title properties.
ALAN DAVIS, Lecturer, Law Faculty, Monash University
Alan Davis teaches in criminal law and is completing a PhD that examines whether Australian youth restorative justice programmes are compliant with children’s rights. Alan is a graduate of Edinburgh, Bristol and Cardiff Universities and was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 2007. He practised as a barrister in the UK where he is a member of Goldsmith Chambers. In 2011, he was awarded a Pegasus Scholarship by the English Inns of Court. His Pegasus Scholarship led into his PhD research and teaching at Monash University.
LAU KEE SERN, Specialist Banking and Finance Litigation Partner, Messrs Shook Lin & Bok
Lau Kee Sern graduated from the University of London with an LLB (Hons) degree and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on 17 Nov 2000. He is experienced in the full range of banking and insolvency litigation, including corporate restructuring and receivership matters. He is a member of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Malaysia and is frequently called upon to advise and act for financial institutions. He conducts training workshops and speaks regularly at seminars, and is one of the trainers of the Bank Negara Malaysia Banking Supervision Course 2016.
ONG HOCK AN, Partner and Head of Insolvency Practice, BDO
Prior to joining BDO in 2014, Ong Hock An was the Head of the Restructuring and Insolvency Practice in KPMG. Hock An has more than 30 years of experience in corporate recovery and restructuring, acting as Receiver and Manager, Liquidator, and appointee and independent financial advisor in corporate restructuring assignments. He also advised financial institutions on the acquisition, management and divestment of non-performing loans portfolio. He is the secretary of the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Malaysia and a committee member of the Insolvency Practice Committees of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He holds an audit licence and liquidator licences issued by the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, and the Labuan Financial Services Authority.
JAROM BRITTON, Corporate Attorney, Microsoft
Jarom Britton is a corporate attorney for Microsoft, based in Singapore. He currently manages commercial legal affairs in 10 emerging and frontier markets in South and Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2013, he started practice at the New York office of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft before moving to the Singapore office of Allen & Overy, where he managed several record-setting and award-winning initial public offerings and Islamic finance deals. He has also published on aviation and public international law matters. Jarom holds law degrees in both common law and civil law from McGill University, where he specialised in commercial negotiation, and is a member of the New York state bar. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Jarom is bilingual in English and French and also speaks some German and Mandarin Chinese. In his spare time, Jarom enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and diving and spending time with his wife and 5-year-old daughter.
IVAN HO YUE CHAN, Partner, Messrs Shook Lin & Bok
Ivan Ho Yue Chan joined Messrs Shook Lin & Bok in 1987 as an associate, and became a partner in 1994. He practises in the areas of Corporate; Banking and Finance; and Technology, Multimedia and Telecommunications ("TMT"). He has advised on and acted in respect of Malaysian and international transactions, including acquisitions as well as disposals of corporations, and of the business undertakings of corporations including commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies, stockbroking companies, takeovers of companies, restructuring and
amalgamation of companies, section 176 of the Companies Act related to schemes of arrangement, the issuance and offering of shares, debt and other securities, and legal due diligence exercises. Ivan contributes to the Malaysian section of the Simmons & Simmons Navigator Services in respect of, inter alia, share disclosure requirements and other corporate matters. He has spoken at seminars and conferences relating to companies and securities laws as well as contract laws.
ANDREW COOKE, Regional Director of Legal Affairs, Microsoft Asia Pacific and Japan
Andrew Cooke is responsible for providing commercial legal support in the Asia-Pacific and Japanese markets with a particular focus on the legal and regulatory aspects of cloud computing. He has been with Microsoft since 2007, initially providing legal support for the Australian and New Zealand operations before moving to Singapore in 2012. Prior to joining Microsoft, Andrew worked in private practice in London and Singapore before moving to in-house legal roles in banking and information technology. He holds degrees in Economics from the University of Sydney and Law from the Australian National University.
TAN LEE CHIN, Chief Content Officer, MCIL Multimedia
Tan Lee Chin is an online journalist, and she currently heads the content team of SinChew.com.my and Pocketimes.my. She joined Sin Chew Daily as a reporter in 2008 and was appointed the chief editor of SinChew.com.my in 2011. She has since lead the digital editorial team to cover the 2013 general election, MH370 incident, Bersih 4.0 rally and the recent 2015 Sarawak state election. She writes a weekly column for Sin Chew Daily and occasionally moderates online talk shows. She visited the United States in 2015 as a participant of the International Visitor Leadership Program. Lee Chin graduated from the University of Sheffield with an LLB degree in 2003, and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2005.
MURAD ALI ABDULLAH, Messrs K' Mura & Co
Murad Ali Abdullah handles civil, commercial, and corporate litigation as senior counsel, and attends to real estate works, local and international investment, trade and commercial negotiations, and documentations. He is a life member of LAWASIA and currently the Chair of the Real Estate and Transactions Law Committee of LAWASIA. Murad also presides as Chairman of the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Committee in Malaysia. He is a member of Transparency International Malaysia, and speaks on the Law and Us programme on Malaysian radio and Debat Perdana on Malaysian television, from time to time. He is a life member of the ASEAN Law Association, and actively promotes the ASEAN fellowship on democracy, rule of law, justice, and brotherhood.
SRIVIDHYA GANAPATHY, Trainer of Child Rights; Managing Partner, Muhendaran Sri
Srividhya Ganapathy is a law graduate from the United Kingdom and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 1996. Her areas of legal practice include family law litigation, civil litigation, and conveyancing. She has a passion for child rights, and has been trained to provide training in child rights law by the Canadian Bar, in collaboration with the Bar Council and the United Nations Children's Fund ("UNICEF"). She is currently the Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Child Rights Committee.
ANDREW CHIEW, Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Andrew Chiew was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1997 and admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1998. His areas of practice are banking, civil fraud, insolvency, and shareholders disputes. He has been an advocacy trainer since 2011 and has conducted advocacy training throughout Malaysia and in Dublin, Ireland. He was a member of the faculty for the Advanced International Advocacy Training Course at Keble College, Oxford, in September 2015.
AJEET KAUR, Trainer of Child Rights; Messrs Saha & Associates
Ajeet Kaur is a graduate of the University of London and was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1996. She is is well-rounded in her practice in civil, commercial and family litigation. Ajeet is Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Child Rights Committee and member of the Bar Council Court Liaison Committee. She was part of the inaugural group that attended the Training of Trainers for Ethical Representation of Children in Conflict with the Law, and for Custody and Adoption Proceedings (“Training of Trainers”) organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (“UNICEF”) in collaboration with the Bar Council, and conducted by the Canadian Bar Association.
MALEK ALI, Founder, BFM 89.9 – The Business Station
Malek Ali is the founder of BFM89.9, Malaysia's only business radio station, and a popular radio station among working professionals in Malaysia. BFM 89.9 is Malek's latest venture in a career theme of bringing new products to market, which included stints at Yahoo, JobStreet Corporation, Maxis, The Boston Consulting Group, and law firm Allen & Overy. He sits on the Asia-Pacific Advisory Board of Harvard Business School, where he earned his MBA degree. He is also a law graduate of Bristol University.
INDRAN SHANMUGANATHAN, Partner, Messrs Shearn Delamore & Co.
Indran Shanmuganathan was admitted to the English, Malaysian and the Singapore Bar in 1996, 1997 and 2002 respectively. He is an experienced intellectual property ("IP") practitioner in both contentious and non-contentious aspects of IP law, and deals with various aspects of the intriguing and ever-evolving law of IP. Indran advises niche clients, both local and foreign, on various complex issues and provides custom IP strategies both in and out of court, particularly on topics such as the far-reaching effects of social media on trademarks, patents, copyright, industrial designs, enforcement, consumer laws and ultimately, dispute resolution on IP infringements. Given his litigation experience in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal Court, Indran has in-depth foresight with a great appreciation of what the impact of social media truly is in the IP arena.
MARIANNE CLARK-HATTINGH, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund ("UNICEF") Representative, Malaysia
Marianne Clark-Hattingh assumed leadership of the UNICEF Malaysia country office in January 2016. She joins the country office with vast experience in child protection, change management and social policy development. She brings to her role sound expertise in child rights, capacity-building and results-based management. Driven by her commitment to ensuring a world fit for children, Clark-Hattingh first began her career in China and Thailand before joining UNICEF in Madagascar. She has since worked at the UNICEF Headquarters in New York and held progressively senior management positions in Guinea Conakry, Benin, and Somalia, as well as with the UN staff college in Turin, Italy. Clark-Hattingh holds a Bachelor’s degree in French and International Relations and earned her Masters in Economics from the London School of Economics, specialising in Social Policy and Development. She is a British and French national.
MICHELLE LOI, Partner, Messrs Shearn Delamore & Co.
Michelle Loi was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 2004. Her area of practice is primarily contentious in nature. She has acted in court proceedings involving patent, trade mark, copyright and design infringement, breaches of confidential information, and passing off. Her intellectual property ("IP") litigation experience transcends across a broad range of industries. She also represents clients in the Malaysian Intellectual Property Offices'
opposition procedures as well as trade mark prosecution proceedings, and advises on domain name disputes. Michelle co-authors Lex Foundation’s Franchising in Asia — Malaysian Chapter. She is currently the Vice President of the Licensing Executives Society of Malaysia ("LESM"); committee member of the International Chamber of Commerce ("ICC") Malaysia, Competition Committee and a member of the International Bar Association
("IBA"). She contributes on an annual basis to the Malaysian chapter of Katzarov’s Manual on Industrial Property.
PRAVEEN RAJAN, Chief Digital Officer, Digi.com Berhad
Praveen Rajan was appointed Chief Digital Officer on 1 June 2016. He joined Digi in 2007, and brings more than 15 years of experience in the internet and mobile industries. He has held multiple leadership roles in his decade with Digi, and these include Head of Advanced Data Services, Head of Products — Internet & Services, and Head of Postpaid & Digital Services. Prior to joining Digi, Praveen co-founded a social networking startup called LifeLogger in 2003, where he served as the Chief Technology Officer.
PROFESSOR EDMUND TERENCE GOMEZ, Professor of Political Economy at the Faculty of Economics & Administration, University of Malaya
Professor Edmund Terence Gomez has held appointments at the Universities of Leeds (UK), Murdoch (Australia), Kobe (Japan), Michigan (Ann Arbor) and California (San Diego). Between 2005 and 2008, he served as Research Coordinator at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development ("UNRISD"), in Geneva. His international publications include Malaysia’s Political Economy: Politics, Patronage and Profits
(Cambridge University Press, 1997); Chinese Business in Malaysia: Accumulation, Ascendance, Accommodation (University of Hawaii Press, 1999); The State of Malaysia: Ethnicity, Equity and Reform (Routledge, 2004); The Politics of Resource Extraction: Indigenous Peoples, Multinational Corporations and the State (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2012); and Affirmative Action, Ethnicity and Conflict (Routledge, 2013).
DATO’ DR AHMAD FAROUK MUSA, Chairman and Director, Islamic Renaissance Front
Dato' Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa is an academic at Monash University Malaysia and a trained cardio-thoracic surgeon. He is also a Director at the Centre for Combating Corruption and Cronyism ("C4") and a former Deputy-Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0. As a Chairman and Director of the think-tank Islamic Renaissance Front since 2007, he has conducted numerous seminars, forums, colloquiums, and symposiums involving national and international figures on issues concerning democracy, human rights, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, religious extremism, and the
emerging discourse on post-Islamism. He is also involved in interfaith dialogues especially with regard to Christian-Muslim relations and also
intra-faith dialogues especially on the Shi’i-Sunni discourse.
YONG HWAN HWANG, Secretary-General, Korean Bar Association
Yong Hwan Hwang is a graduate of the Sung Kyun Kwan University Law School with a Master’s degree in Public Law. He has a wealth of legal experience, including as a committee member of the National Administrative Appeals Commission of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights
Commission of Korea since 2012; member of the Policing Board of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office since 2010; Legal Adviser of the Ministry
of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family since 2008; and Uniform Law Community Commissioner since 2005.
He was formerly Director of Legal Affairs, Director of General Affairs, and Secretary-General of the Seoul Bar Association.
DATO’ NG WAN PENG, Chief Operating Officer, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation ("MDEC")
Dato’ Ng Wan Peng has been a core and pioneer member of MDEC from the inception of Multimedia Super Corridor initiative since 1998. She has more than 25 years of industry experience and has extensive experience in managing large-scale projects, in the areas of Strategic IT Planning, Project Management, Systems Integration, and Methodologies Development. Dato’ Ng has consulted for both private and public sector organisations in IT policy and project implementation in the Government, as well as the defence and education sectors in Malaysia and abroad.
RAGUNATH KESAVAN, Messrs Kesavan
Ragunath Kesavan is a legal practitioner for more than 25 years and has previously served as the President of the Bar Council from 2009 to 2011. He qualified as a Barrister-at- Law at Gray’s Inn, London, and was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 1990. He was enrolled as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1991. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree (Genetics) from the University of Malaya in 1985, LLB degree from the University of Aberystwyth, Wales, in 1989, and LLM degree from the University of Malaya in 1995. Ragunath is on the panel of arbitrations and adjudicators of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre of Arbitration ("KLRCA").
JUSTIN D'AGOSTINO, Global Head of Dispute Resolution Practice and Regional Managing Partner for Asia and Australia, Herbert Smith Freehills
Justin D'Agostino is a leading international arbitration lawyer, having acted as counsel and advocate before tribunals all over the world. He recently represented the Government of Malaysia in the high profile "Railway Lands" arbitration. Justin is on the panel of arbitrators of the KLRCA. He is also a member of the Council and Executive Committee of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre ("HKIAC") and sits on the board of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce ("SCC"). A Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Justin is admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and as a solicitor advocate in England and Wales.
TAN SRI DATUK SERI PANGLIMA ABDUL GANI PATAIL, Former Attorney General of Malaysia (2002–2015)
Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Abdul Gani Patail began his career as a Deputy Public Prosecutor in Sabah from 1980 to 1994. He then took on various roles within the Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia from 1994 to 2002: as the Head of the Prosecution Division, Head of the Advisory and International Division, and Commissioner of Law Revision. From January 2002 to July 2015, Tan Sri Abdul Gani served as the Attorney
General and Public Prosecutor of Malaysia. As principal legal adviser to the Government, he advised the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the
Government of Malaysia on legal matters and discharged functions conferred on the Attorney General by or under the Federal Constitution
and any other written law.
GOH SIU LIN, Partner, Messrs Shook Lin & Bok
Goh Siu Lin graduated from the University of Bristol, England and has been called to the English and Malaysian Bars. She has an active practice with emphasis on banking litigation, probate, adoptions and matrimonial disputes with an international jurisdictional avour. She has held watching briefs for the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (“JAG”) in several landmark cases involving interfaith conversion custodial disputes, citizenship for
stateless children, and a domestic violence murder trial. She advocates and lobbies for law reform on child and family legislation, and is working on establishing a team of lawyers to provide victim support to survivors of child sexual abuse. Siu Lin regularly writes for the IBA Family Law News
newsletter and is a contributing editor on Order 72 (Contentious Probate Proceedings) of the Malaysian Civil Procedure. She is currently the Deputy Head of the Family, Probate & Trusts Department of her firm, and President of the Association of Women Lawyers (“AWL”).
SAIFUL EDRIS ZAINUDDIN, State Prosecution Director, Serious Crimes Unit, Attorney General's Chambers ("AGC")
Saiful Edris Zainuddin graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree from Institut Teknologi MARA in 1992 and LLM degree in Prosecution from the University of Wollongong, Australia in 2009. Among his credentials are: Deputy Prosecutor in the AGC from 1993 to 1996; Deputy Prosecutor with the Anti-Corruption Agency ("ACA") from 1996 to 2003; Deputy Prosecutor with the Legal Advisor's Office of the State of Selangor from 2005 to 2007; deputy prosecutor/senior federal counsel (Appellate and Trial Division, AGC) from 2009 to 2014; and Head of the Prosecution Unit for the State of Johore from 2014 till August 2016. Through the course of his career with the AGC, Saiful Edris has handled high-profile cases including the Mona Fandey case in 1995, the corruption involving Dato' Sahar Arpan (Malacca Exco) in 1998 and Dato' Waad Mansor (Negeri Sembilan Exco) in 1999, and the Dato' Sosilawati murder trial.
MOHD ARIF ABDUL HAMID, Head of Legal Advisory Department, Land Public Transport Commission ("SPAD")
Mohd Arif Abdul Hamid was formerly a Senior Federal Counsel in the International Affairs Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers. He was
involved in the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (“TPPA”), Malaysia-US Free-Trade Agreement (“FTA”), Malaysia-Australia
FTA, Malaysia-Pakistan FTA, and the ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand FTA, specialising in intellectual property (“IP”) and competition. He was also a former Counsellor to the Malaysian Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) in Geneva, where he chaired the
negotiations of special and differential treatment and simplification of customs procedures under the WTO Trade Facilitation Negotiating Group. He has a Masters degree in IP from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and an LLM degree in Competition Law from King’s College, London.
LEOW MUI LEE, Executive Director, TAXAND Malaysia
Leow Mui Lee graduated from Monash University, Australia with a Bachelor of Economics Degree, majoring in Accounting and Finance. She is a member of the Certified Practising Accountants ("CPA") Australia, the Malaysian Institute of Accountants ("MIA") and the Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia ("CTIM"). Mui Lee was involved in numerous goods and services tax ("GST") implementation projects for multi-national companies as well
as Malaysian listed companies. She has also been involved in GST advisory projects including GST risk assessments and GST health checks for her clients in the automotive, construction, property development, manufacturing, retail and services sectors.
KAMRAJ NAYAGAM, Partner, Messrs Mah-Kamariyah & Philip Koh
Kamraj Nayagam was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1996. He read English Literature at Trinity College Cambridge, graduating with Honours, before being called to Bar of England and Wales in 1993. Kamraj’s principal area of practice is that of construction law, both contentious and non-contentious, an area that he has specialised in since being called to the Bar. In addition, he continues to practise in the field of corporate disputes and more general litigation. He has conducted and assisted in cases at all levels of the Malaysian Courts, and before Arbitration Tribunals,
relating to a wide variety of civil disputes. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a qualified Adjudicator, and is on the KLRCA Panel for both Arbitration and Adjudication.
AVINASH PRADHAN, Partner, Rajah & Tann LLP, Singapore; Partner, Christopher & Lee Ong (associate firm)
Avinash Pradhan's practice encompasses a broad spectrum of commercial and corporate disputes, ranging from finance and banking matters, to construction, engineering, oil and gas, joint venture and shareholder disputes. He has experience in dealing with factually and legally complex
matters, as well as cross-border disputes and disputes involving a conflict between international arbitration proceedings and court litigation. Avinash also sits as arbitrator, and was recently listed by Best Lawyers International as a leading lawyer in Singapore in the field of international arbitration.
DATO' MOHAMAD ARIFF MD YUSOF, Founding Partner, Messrs Cheang & Ariff; Judge, Court of Appeal (Rtd)
Dato’ Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof is a retired Judge of the Court of Appeal. A graduate of the University of London (London School of Economics) (LLB, LLM), and Lincoln’s Inn, he started his career in 1974 as a law lecturer and subsequently an Associate Professor of the Law Faculty of the
University of Malaya before venturing into legal practice as an advocate and solicitor in 1985. He was one of the founding partners in Messrs Cheang & Ariff. He took leave from legal practice between 1993 and 1995 to join the newly-formed Securities Commission of Malaysia and became the first Director of its Market Supervision Department. He became a Judicial Commissioner at the High Court of Malaya in 2008, later a Judge of the High Court, and thereafter, a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 2012. He retired from the Malaysian Judiciary in early 2015. Dato’ Ariff’s experience ranges from company and commercial law, banking, securities, constitutional and administrative law, intellectual property, to arbitration.
BAHARI YEOW TIEN HONG, Head of the Intellectual Property and Technology, Media & Telecommunications ("IP & TMT") Practice, Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Bahari Yeow Tien Hong has been ranked a leading individual (Band 2) for Intellectual Property by Chambers and Partners. He is a fully-qualified Patent Agent, Trade Mark Agent and Industrial Design Agent who acts for owners of well-known brands, characters and trademarks. He is presently a member of the Group Standing Committee for Copyright (2015–2018) of the Asian Patent Attorney Association ("APAA") Malaysia.
He graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Nottingham. He is a contributing editor to The Malaysian Civil Procedure 2015 (Sweet & Maxwell Asia), Intellectual Property in the Malaysian Precedents and Forms 2014 (LexisNexis), and The Malaysian Civil Procedure 2013 (Sweet & Maxwell Asia).
FRED KAN, Chairman of the Belt and Road Committee, The Law Society of Hong Kong
Fred Kan was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1969, and in 1984 started Fred Kan & Co., an established commercial law firm in Hong Kong, of which he is the Senior Partner. He served on the Council of The Law Society of Hong Kong and was the Chairman of the Banking and Finance Committee of LAWASIA. Fred Kan was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Nottingham on government procurement law. He was admitted to the Roll of Honour of The Law Society of Hong Kong in May 2016.
MARIA CHIN ABDULLAH, Chairperson, BERSIH 2.0 (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections)
Maria Chin Abdullah is a women and human rights activist, trainer and researcher. She has been in the women’s movement for more than 30 years. She is also actively involved in making policy makers accountable to advance reforms in national policies, legislation and government institutions on issues related to gender equality and non-discrimination. Among the key legal reforms that she was involved in, together with the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (“JAG”), was providing input into the drafting of amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, the Sexual Harassment Bill, and the Domestic Violence Act. As Chairperson of BERSIH 2.0 (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections), she is involved in legal challenges against laws that violate human rights, and advocates strongly for electoral and institutional reforms to build a better democratic system. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, and a Master of Science degree in Urban Planning.
ELIAS MOUBARAK, Partner, International Banking and Finance Department, Trowers & Hamlins
Elias Moubarak trained and worked in London before moving to Dubai, and joined Trowers & Hamlins in 2014 from a "magic circle" law firm.
Elias has a broad range of experience both in the conventional and Islamic finance spheres. He has significant experience in representing the full spectrum of stakeholders on a range of banking and finance transactions, including project financings and real estate financings, as well as capital market issuances. His significant Islamic finance experience includes liaising with Shari’a scholars to develop Shari’a compliant finance products.
RAMMIT KAUR CHARAN SINGH, Head of the Legal Services Team, Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration ("KLRCA")
Rammit Kaur undertakes the role of Registrar responsible for the administration of arbitrations, adjudications, and other dispute resolution processes under the auspices of the KLRCA. She manages a team of international and local case counsel and provides general legal advice and support to all areas of the institution. With a total of 17 years working experience, Rammit Kaur has developed expertise in the areas of commercial litigation, contract drafting and advisory, contract management, and alternative dispute resolution. She has served as legal practitioner and also
in-house counsel with government-linked and multinational companies in the field of construction, transportation and logistics, and oil and gas.
RAPHAEL TAY, Corporate Partner, Messrs Chooi & Co.
Raphael Tay was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1986. He is a registered trade mark agent since 1998 and a Notary Public since 2007. His areas of practice are notably in mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, and information technology law. He has been the Chairman of the Moot Committee of LAWASIA since 2008, Chairman of the inaugural International Malaysia Law Conference 2012, Chairman for the Publications Committee which publishes Praxis — a Malaysian Bar publication — and a member of the Disciplinary Board. He is an adjunct lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, and a member of Taylor’s Law School Legal Profession Advisory Panel. His current areas of interest are in ASEAN, regional trade initiatives and innovation in the law, and its impact on the legal landscape.
LEONARD DAVID SHIM, President, Advocates’ Association of Sarawak ("AAS"); Partner, Messrs Reddi & Co.
Leonard Shim qualified as a barrister and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1991. He was admitted to practise in the High Court of Borneo (now called the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak) in 1992. He joined Messrs Reddi & Co. in 1993, having been a pupil at the firm since 1991. His practice areas are in civil litigation, shipping, admiralty, marine insurance, and industrial relations. He is an accredited mediator.
HALIZA AINI DATO' OTHMAN, Deputy Head of International Affairs Division 1, Attorney General’s Chambers
Haliza Aini Othman has served as the Deputy Head of the International Affairs Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers (“AGC”) since July 2013. Haliza has been involved in international trade and finance issues in recent years, in light of growing participation by Malaysia in negotiating and concluding free trade agreements. Among others, Haliza leads the Legal Working Group in the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (“TPPA”), the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement, as well as the
Malaysia-European Union (“EU”) Partnership Cooperation Agreement. Haliza also led the negotiations of the Malaysia-EU Free Trade Agreement, which have since stalled. She directly supervises and helps formulate Malaysia’s positions in the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) Dispute Settlement Understanding Review process. Besides trade, Haliza is involved in trade-related environmental and labour issues, and sustainable development. She has in the past dealt in international cooperation, to combat crime through mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition.
KHAIZAN SHARIZAD AB. RAZAK (SHERRIE), Messrs AmerBON Advocates
Sherrie Razak was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2008. She practises mainly in corporate and commercial advisory, and litigation, in areas including company law, shareholder disputes, banking litigation, employment law, family law, administrative law, and criminal law. Sherrie is currently the Chairperson of the Bar Council National Young Lawyers and the Chairperson of the KL Bar Publication Committee. She has over the years, served the Bar in many other capacities, including in the Bar Council Special Committee (2014-2016), the Human Rights Committee, the KL Bar Young Lawyers Committee, the KL Bar Social, Arts & Culture Committee, and the Persons With Disabilities Subcommittee of the Bar Council Human Rights Committee. Sherrie is also a filmmaker, with a special interest in highlighting human rights and public interest issues in her documentaries. She is the winner of the Freedom Film Festival Malaysia Award (2009) organised by Pusat KOMAS, as co-director of the documentary film titled No Silver Lining: The Perak Crisis.
THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE DATO' MARY LIM THIAM SUAN,Judge, Court of Appeal
The Honourable Justice Dato’ Mary Lim Thiam Suan read law at the University of Leeds, UK and graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree. She was admitted to Lincoln's Inn as a Barrister-at-Law. She also obtained an LLM degree from the University of Western Australia. Justice Dato' Mary Lim served as Judge of the High Court (New Commercial Court and Construction Court) until her Ladyship's recent elevation to the Court of Appeal.
DAVID DEV PETER, Partner, Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates
David Peter graduated from the University of Leicester, England and was called to the Bar in 1995. Before joining Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates in 2004, he served as corporate counsel for three years in Landmarks Berhad, a public listed company. For the last 12 years, David has been a partner in Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates. He is Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Trade in Legal Services Committee. This committee handles issues pertaining to the liberalisation and trade in legal services.
RANAJIT DAM, Managing Editor, Legal Media Group, Thomson Reuters
Ranajit Dam is the Managing Editor of Thomson Reuters’ Legal Media Group, which includes Asian Legal Business, Asia’s foremost publication covering the legal industry. A former lawyer, Ranajit has more than a decade of experience as a journalist, working in the United States, China, India and Singapore, which is where he is currently based. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and a law degree from the University of Pune, India.
KEVIN PRAKASH, President, The Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators ("MIArb"); Partner, Messrs Mohanadass Partnership
Kevin Prakash has an active practice in dispute resolution and has been involved in complex disputes in various forms since being called to the Malaysian Bar in 1998. He is regularly engaged in trial and appellate advocacy at the High Court and the superior Courts in Malaysia and as counsel in arbitration. He is experienced in diverse types of disputes, including corporate and commercial disputes, contractual, civil, and shipping
disputes.
JAMES KHONG, Messrs James Khong
James Khong was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2001 and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2003. James practices predominantly in the areas of corporate and commercial disputes. He has been an advocacy trainer since 2012 and has conducted advocacy training throughout Malaysia. Between 2014 and 2016, James was invited to conduct advocacy training in Stellenbosch, Hong Kong, Perth, and Dublin. He is currently the Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council Advocacy Training Committee.
BENEDICT TEO, Director, Dispute Resolution, Drew & Napier
Benedict Teo’s practice covers a wide range of criminal and commercial litigation, as well as complex arbitration matters. He is regularly sought to advise and act for prominent individuals, as well as major Singapore and foreign companies in multi-million dollar corporate disputes. In particular, Benedict’s clients include a number of major financial institutions such as UBS AG, Standard Chartered Bank, Mizuho Bank, Ltd, and ABN AMRO Clearing Bank N.V. He is actively involved in all levels of trial and appellate advocacy before the Singapore courts. Between 2008 and 2010, Benedict was an adjunct tutor at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore ("NUS"). He has also been a member of the Rules of Court Working Party ("ROCWP") since 2010. The ROCWP reviews and proposes changes to the procedural rules for civil litigation in Singapore.
Benedict was placed on the Dean’s List in his final year in NUS and was the chief editor of the Singapore Law Review from 2003 to 2004. He also represented NUS in mooting competitions.
DR ENGKU RABIAH ADAWIAH ENGKU ALI, Professor, IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance ("IIiBF"), International Islamic University Malaysia ("IIUM")
Dr Engku Rabiah Adawiah obtained her LLB (first class honours) and LLB (Shari’ah) (first class honours) degrees from IIUM. Shortly thereafter, she successfully completed her Master's of Comparative Laws ("MCL") from the same university. In 1998, she was conferred with a PhD in law from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. She used to teach both Shari’ah and civil law, particularly on the subjects of company law, Islamic banking and finance, and Islamic capital market at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She teaches Islamic capital market, transactions in Islamic banking and finance, Takaful and Retakaful and contemporary issues in Islamic finance for postgraduate students at IIiBF. Currently, she is a member of the Syariah Advisory Council of Bank Negara Malaysia, Malaysian Securities Commission ("SC"), and Labuan Financial Services Authority, and an independent Shari’ah Advisor for Islamic securities (sukuk) issuance, approved by and registered with the SC. In addition, she is also a member of the Shari’ah Board of Labuan Reinsurance, Gen Re, and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, the Shari’ah advisor for Danajamin (2009–2010), a member of the Board of Directors in the Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding, and a member of the disciplinary committee for the Bar Council.
MELISSA K PANG, Vice President, The Law Society of Hong Kong
Melissa K Pang has been a Council Member of the Law Society since 2005. She is an Executive Committee Member of LAWASIA since 2012. Melissa Pang was qualified as a solicitor in New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, and Hong Kong. She is a founding partner of Pang & Associates and has substantial experience in commercial and company litigations involving both local and international commercial disputes, corporate restructuring, employment disputes, and representing land developers in land-related issues and disputes. Also, she has wide spectrum of experience on handling assets planning, probate, estate protection, and cross-border estate litigations.
DATUK HJ KUTHUBUL ZAMAN BUKHARI, Chairman of the Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (“PROHAM”); 25th President, Malaysian Bar (2003-2005); Zaman & Associates
Datuk Hj Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari is currently the Chairman of the Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (“PROHAM”). He has served in a multitude of capacities within the Malaysian Bar. Prior to serving as President of the Malaysian Bar, he was Vice-President from 2002 to 2003, and Secretary from 2000 to 2002. He served the Johore Bar Committee actively, as the Johore Bar’s Representative from 1999 to 2000, and before that, as Chairman of the Johore Bar Committee from 1995 to 1997. His résumé also includes stints as the Organising Chairman of the 11th and 13th Malaysian Law Conference, and as Chairman of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) Committee from 1999 to 2003, and from 2006 to 2013. He was instrumental in establishing the Malaysian Mediation Centre in 1999. He was appointed as Commissioner on two Royal Commissions set up by the Malaysian Government: on improving the police force, and on search to be conducted on an arrested person.
SYUHAIDA ABDUL WAHAB ZEN, Undersecretary, National Strategic Office to the Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (“MAPO”), Ministry of Home Affairs
Syuhaida Abdul Wahab Zen started her government service in 2000 as an Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs ("MOHA"). She has served in various divisions in the Ministry, such as Finance, Internal Security and Public Order, Human Resources Management, and Parliament and Cabinet Division. She has concentrated her efforts on identifying areas for improvement in the Malaysian Government's counter-trafficking in persons ("TIP") efforts. She organises inter-agency meetings to learn about policies and practices regarding TIP and works with non-governmental organisations ("NGOs") to ensure government policies are informed by best practices from the field.
ADLIN ABDUL MAJID, Partner, Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill
Adlin Abdul Majid is experienced in information and communications technology ("ICT"), having spent close to a decade with a Malaysian government agency, advising on ICT laws and policies. During her tenure there, she was involved in local, regional and international ICT initiatives, such as the harmonisation of the e-commerce legal infrastructure in ASEAN, international cybercrime enforcement, and the development of an online dispute resolution system in Malaysia. She also served on ministerial level committees for the development of cyberlaws such as the Electronic Commerce Act 2006 and the Electronic Government Activities Act 2007. Since returning to legal practice, Adlin advises companies in the ICT industry on legal and regulatory requirements relating to the conduct online businesses, mobile applications, online payment systems, and website development. She is among a select group of lawyers in Malaysia focusing on all aspects of privacy and data protection laws, and has advised on various data protection issues, including cross-border transfer of data, direct marketing, business process outsourcing, cloud computing and street level data collection. Adlin is a graduate of the University of Oxford.
HE EDMUND BON TAI SOON, Representative of Malaysia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (“AICHR”); Member, Bar Council; Head of Chambers (Civil), Messrs AmerBON
HE Edmund Bon read law at University College London, and was called to the English Bar (Lincoln’s Inn) in 1997. He was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1998, and has been in active practice since then. Edmund is a Chevening scholar and has a Master's degree from Oxford University. Edmund routinely represents individuals, financial institutions, law enforcement authorities, governments and corporations at all stages of complex transactions, from negotiations to dispute resolution and mediation. The areas of law he has advised on include corporate, commercial, tax, contract, business, trusts, and land, oil and gas, and water law. Edmund is regularly invited to speak at local and international conferences on constitutional law and other matters of law, and on human rights advocacy. He has conducted more than 800 hours of training for young lawyers and activists on similar topics. His articles and papers have been published in law journals and by news media. Edmund’s latest published work is in the Halsbury’s Laws of Malaysia, entitled “Citizenship, Immigration, National Security and the Police”.
ANAND RAJ, Partner, Messrs Shearn Delamore & Co.
Anand Raj was admitted to the High Court of Malaya in 1996. His practice areas are in competition law and anti-trust, and tax and revenue. He advises and represents foreign, multinational and Malaysian enterprises on competition law and anti-trust matters across a variety of industries. He also acts for taxpayers on all aspects of tax and revenue law advisory, structuring, planning, audit, investigation, dispute resolution and litigation. Anand Raj also practises in the areas of energy, sports law, and regulatory compliance and enforcement. He is the Malaysia Rapporteur for the International Bar Association’s Antitrust & Competition Newsletter, and the Malaysia Rapporteur for the International Bar Association’s Tax Committee. He is one of the authors of Bloomberg BNA's Business Operations in Malaysia.
CHRISTOPHER LEONG, President-Elect, LAWASIA; 30th President, Malaysian Bar (2013–2015); Managing Partner, Messrs Chooi & Company
Christopher Leong is experienced in the fields of corporate and commercial litigation, shareholders’ disputes, banking litigation and insolvency.
Additionally, he practises in the areas of constitutional and administrative law and public interest litigation. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board of All Malaysia Commercial Reports published by Sweet & Maxwell Asia, a member of the Taylor’s University Law School Industry Advisory Panel, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs ("IDEAS"), a non-profit cross-partisan think tank foundation in Malaysia. Christopher graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in economics and philosophy in 1984 from Monash University, Australia, and completed reading law (LL.B) at the University of Nottingham in 1988. He was called to the Degree of Utter Barrister
of The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in 1989 and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1990.
SHARMILA SEKARAN, Chairperson, Voice of the Children; Partner, Messrs Jerald Gomez & Associates
Sharmila Sekaran studied law in the UK and graduated with an Honours Degree in Law and Economics. She was admitted as an Utter Barrister to the Bar of England and Wales, and is a member of the Honourable Society of Middle Temple Inn, London. She was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. She was in practice for many years, during which time she moved from general litigation practice to specialising in Intellectual Property ("IP") law, covering both contentious and non-contentious areas of IP practice. She left practice to head the Legal and Business Affairs Department of the RIM Group, which includes the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia, Public Performance Malaysia Sdn Bhd, RIMCop Sdn Bhd and RIM Digital Malaysia Sdn Bhd, as Senior Manager for five years. During this time, she was a Drafting Committee Member of the ISP Liability Legislation for the Government of Malaysia, chaired by the Deputy Director General of the Malaysian Intellectual Property Office. Sharmila is a co-founder and chairperson of Voice of the Children, an advocacy group with a mission to promote law and policy reform to ensure that every child in Malaysia is protected and is no longer at risk of violation.
DATO' MAH WENG KWAI, 24th President, Malaysian Bar (2001–2003); Consultant, Messrs MahWengKwai & Associates; Judge, Court of Appeal (Rtd)
Dato' Mah Weng Kwai is a retired Court of Appeal Judge, and currently a Consultant with Messrs MahWengKwai & Associates. He now sits as an arbitrator and as a mediator accredited with the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre of Arbitration ("KLRCA") and the Malaysian Mediation Centre respectively. He is a past President of the Malaysian Bar and of LAWASIA. Called to the Malaysian Bar in 1972, he had vast practical experience before being appointed Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Malaya in 2010 and subsequently elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2012. Dato' Mah also serves as a Commissioner of the Malaysian Aviation Commission ("MAVCOM") and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia ("SUHAKAM").
ROGER CHAN WENG KENG, Member, Bar Council; Chan Weng Keng & Assoc.
Roger Chan Weng Keng is a practising member of the Malaysian Bar with 25 years of experience. He has been the Chairperson of the Bar Council Environmental and Climate Change Committee from 2014 to 2016. He is also the current Chairperson of the Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee. Roger has taken up many environmental issues both in and out of court on behalf of people affected by environmental degradation. The case he has taken up are as diverse as radioactive waste disposal, indigenous peoples’ land rights, illegal logging and damage to catchment areas, rivers, solid waste disposal, to climate change and transboundary haze issues. In 2014, he involved the Malaysian Bar in the global movement against climate change by co-proposing and assisting in the drafting of its Environmental and Climate Change Resolution, the first ever by any Bar, and which was passed by a unanimous vote. He has represented the Malaysian Bar on many occasions in both regional and international environmental fora on climate change and sustainable development issues.
BRENDAN NAVIN SIVA, Member, Bar Council; Brendan Siva
Brendan Navin Siva is a B.Ec/LLB graduate of the University of Sydney. He was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1999 and practises mainly in commercial litigation. He has been a member of the Bar Council for seven terms, and was Chairman of the Kuala Lumpur Bar for two terms.
During his time in the Bar Council, he was Chairman of the Court Liaison Committee, the Professional Standards & Development Committee, the IMLC 2014 Organising Committee, and the Advocacy Training Committee, of the Bar Council. Brendan is currently the Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Legal Profession Committee.
ROBERT LOW, Messrs Ranjit Ooi & Robert Low
Robert Low was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1995. His areas of practice are primarily in corporate and commercial litigation, focusing on the main in the areas of shareholders' disputes and boardroom tussles. He has been an advocacy trainer since 2011. Robert was invited in 2015 to participate in the Advanced Teacher Training Course in Stellenbosch, South Africa and was also, in 2015, a member of the faculty for the Handling of Financial Expert Witnesses Course in Hong Kong. He was also the course leader for the inaugural Advanced Advocacy Course: Handling Financial Experts Course conducted in Kuala Lumpur in 2015.
ETELLE HIGONNET, Campaign and Legal Director, Waxman Strategies, Washington; Former Regional Research Manager, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Etelle Higonnet is Waxman Strategies’ Campaign and Legal Director, where she focuses on forest conservation in Southeast Asia and Africa, with an emphasis on the palm oil and rubber industries. Prior to this, Etelle worked with Greenpeace Southeast Asia on a broad range of environmental issues including climate, energy, oceans, toxic waste, ecological agriculture, environmental justice, and forest protection. As Greenpeace Southeast Asia Regional Research Manager, Etelle conducted or oversaw research for that region. Etelle also has significant experience in human rights, having worked primarily in war zones and post-conflict areas. She conducted research in West Africa on behalf of Human Rights Watch and later Amnesty International, including in the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. She also oversaw the analysis of human rights research projects in Iraq for the International Human Rights Law Institute. She has served as a human rights research consultant for various organisations, including UNICEF, Open Society, the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, the Royal Cambodian Government Task Force for the Extraordinary Chambers, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Etelle earned a BA degree from Yale University and a JD degree from Yale Law School. She has written numerous articles, reports and op-eds on environmental subjects and human rights, and is the author of the book Quiet Genocide. She speaks nine languages.
STEVEN THIRU, President, Malaysian Bar
Steven Thiru is the 31st President of the Malaysian Bar. He is a senior litigation partner of Messrs Shook Lin & Bok in Kuala Lumpur. He has been in practice for 24 years. His main areas of practice are administrative law, employment law, electricity supply law, native title law and a variety of areas of civil litigation. Steven read law at the University of Leicester and graduated in 1990. He was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales at Middle Temple in 1991, and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1992. Steven also holds a Masters of Law (LLM) degree from University of Malaya (2000). Steven is a Council Member of the London-based Commonwealth Lawyers Association.
GEORGE VARUGHESE, Vice-President, Malaysian Bar
George Varughese graduated with an LLB (Hons)(Manchester) degree in 1988 and thereafter obtained his LLM degree from University Malaya in 1998. His professional qualifications include Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn and MMI Arbs. He is also a certified Adjudicator with the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration ("KLRCA"). George was the Chairman of the Selangor Bar Committee from 2004 to 2007. He also served as the Treasurer of the Malaysian Bar, Chairperson of the Bar Council Finance Committee, and the Selangor Bar Representative on the Bar Council from 2007 to 2009. He was the Secretary of the Malaysian Bar from 2009 to 2011. George currently serves as the Vice-President of the Malaysian Bar (2015 to 2017), and is also the Chairperson of the Bar Council Small Firms Committee and Co-Deputy Chairperson of the Bar Council Professional Indemnity Insurance Committee.
ABDUL FAREED ABDUL GAFOOR, Treasurer, Malaysian Bar
Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor graduated with a LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Wolverhampton, UK in 1993 and obtained a Diploma in Syariah Law and Practice from the International Islamic University Malaysia ("IIUM") in 2004. He was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1996. He is an accredited mediator with the Malaysian Mediation Centre. Abdul Fareed currently serves as the Treasurer of the Malaysian Bar and Chairperson of the Bar Council Finance Committee (2015 to 2017), and was the Penang Bar Representative on the Bar Council from 2015 to 2016. Most recently, from 2013 to 2015 he was Chairman of the Penang Bar Committee, member of the Bar Council, and Deputy Co-Chairperson of the National Legal Aid Committee. He serves as a legal adviser to, among others, Persatuan Melayu Pulau Pinang, Penang Chinese Town Hall, Islamic Chamber of Commerce Malaysia, and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Austria in Penang.