Partners
Dato' John Clark Sumugod
Joseph Ooi Peng Cuan
Syed Fadzil Bin Hashim Alhabshi
Nurul Huda Bt Suparman
Tan Mui Teck
Tan Hong Kait
Eric Leong Kai Meng
Jagjit Kaur
Muhammad Nasim Bin Shafie
Brendan Phang
Daniel Chuah Chen Yean
Tey Son Liang
Dato' John graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (Second Class Upper Honours) from the University of Malaya in 1991 and was called to the Malaysian Bar on 21st February 1992. He joined the Firm as an Associate in 1992 and was made a Partner in 1997. Dato' John is the current Managing Partner and Head of the Litigation/Dispute Resolution Department and coordinates and supervises all the litigation cases in the Litigation Department. As the Managing Partner, Dato John also handles the day to day administration and management of the Firm.
In early years of practice, Dato' John was actively involved in all types of dispute resolution.
Currently Dato' John specialised in Civil, Commercial and Corporate Litigation. Dato' John has conducted trials and hearing in the Magistrate Court, Sessions Court, High Court and Appeals in the Court of Appeal and Federal Court. Dato John also supervises and vets the work of Junior lawyers in the Firm regularly.
His area of expertise includes the following :
Dato John was invited by the Association of Banks in Malaysia and the Association of Hire Purchase Company in Malaysia to be the advising Solicitor for an exercise to amend the Hire Purchase Act 1967 of which advise was accepted and passed by Parliament on 15.04.2005 to include inter alia amongst other for Term Charges at a variable rate and to allow for alteration of the Hire Purchase Agreement via a Supplemental Agreement.
E.g. of cases handled by Dato’ John that has been reported in the Malaysian Journals are as follows:-
Joseph Ooi graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of London and was called to the English Bar in July 1996. He is a member of the Lincoln's Inn. He obtained his masters in laws (ll.M) from the university of wolverhampton and was called to the Malaysian Bar on 26 September 1997.
Joseph has extensive experience in financing transaction works, covering acquisition financings, syndicated loans, club deals, debt restructurings and rescheduling. He acts for major local as well as foreign banks and lending syndicates. He has also acted for major investment and property development groups, with operations in Malaysia. He also advises financial institutions on banking and financial laws and regulations.
Joseph is also focused on corporate real estate works. His experience includes representing and advising various major real estate developers, corporations, institutions, REITs and registered societies in the acquisitions and/or sale of agricultural, residential, industrial, commercial land and buildings by tender, private treaty and the development and sale of the completed properties. His other areas of practice include representing and advising major commercial landlords such as shopping mall owners and office building owners in commercial leasing.
In terms of merger and acquisitions works, Joseph is involved extensively in corporate mergers and acquisitions and restructuring work, particularly private limited companies work, including local and offshore acquisitions, restructurings, joint ventures and shareholder agreements.
His recent significant transactions include:-
Syed Fadzil graduated from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 1999 with LLB (Hons) and obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Shariah Laws & Practice from the same university in 2001. Syed fadzil has been with the firm since 2000 and was made partner of the firm in 2005. He specializes in Corporate Banking and Islamic Banking Practice. He is also a qualified Syarie Counsel in the state of Wilayah Persekutuan since April 2010. Syed Fadzil has been involved in Corporate Banking practice in an advisory capacity with numerous financial institutions involving advisory on receivership, insolvency, restructuring and planning. He is also much involved in litigation wherein he acts for Corporate Banking Recovery Centers of numerous financial institutions. Syed Fadzil also has background in Islamic Banking wherein he is the head of the Firm’s Islamic Banking Litigation Department. With the development of Islamic Banking in Malaysia, he has been able to develop his knowledge and experience in relation to Islamic Banking issues particularly in the area of advisory, litigation, restructuring, financing and shariah compliance. Although Syed Fadzil specializes in Corporate Banking and Islamic Banking matters, he also has experience in handling matters involving disputes in Industrial Relations, ownership of land, consumer leasing, credit card recovery, charge action/ foreclosure, tenancy dispute, construction law and defamation action. Syed Fadzil is also tasked with managing the distribution of court work and day to day running of the Banking Litigation department
Nurul Huda graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1995 and Bachelor of Laws (Shariah) in 1996 from the International Islamic University Malaysia. She was called to the Malaysian Bar on 1st August 1997. In October, 2006, Nurul Huda joined the Firm as a Senior Associate and she was then elevated as a Partner of the Firm in October, 2008. Nurul Huda’s current field of practice is in Conveyancing and Banking with special focus in Islamic Financing including but not limited to Islamic consumer, commercial and corporate banking and Islamic finance product development. Being trained in Shariah as well as common law, she has advised Islamic Financial institutions seeking her expertise to structure and prepare documentation for Islamic financing matters including project financing, trade financing, business financing, consumer credit financing, rescheduling, restructuring and rehabilitation of credit facilities and security arrangements and financing required by corporations for various purposes including bridging financing and end financing for property development as well as re-financing. She has acted and advised on numerous property-related transactions including residential, commercial and retail property projects, sale and purchase of properties of various types in the secondary market involving both individuals and corporations and acquisition of properties disposed in auctions and private treaty and attributed to the preparation of banking instruments and documentation relating to property and real estate transactions. She is also very familiar with the requirements and the documentation for housing loans approved by the Government of Malaysia.
Mui Teck graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Kingston Polytechnic, Kingston upon Thames and was called to the English Bar on 25th July 1991. She is a member of Lincoln’s Inn. She was called to the Malaysian Bar on 23 October 1992. Mui Teck was previously a partner with an established firm in Kuala Lumpur. Mui Teck joined our Firm as a Senior Associate on 1 March 2010 and on 1 January 2011, Mui Teck was made a Partner of the Firm. She advises corporate and individual clients on a range of real estate transactions, corporate and retail banking, sale and purchase of vessels, title and mortgage registration for vessels, mergers and acquisitions of private and public listed companies in Malaysia.
Hong Kait graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of London and was called to the Malaysian Bar on 19th June 2003. Hong Kait has represented various banking and financial institutions, large corporate organizations as well as individuals up until the appellate level. As a Partner, Hong Kait is also famed for his ability to provide strategic and risk management advise in court litigation and appellate proceedings as well as his ability to advise clients for a most beneficial, viable and effective resolution method. Hong Kait’s practice focuses on the following areas:-
Hong Kait continues to be recognized as one of the few market leading lawyers in scrutinizing and structuring hire purchase transactions with exceptional commercial and legal skills, as a result of which Hong Kait has been involved in the proposing and advising amendments to the law as well as the compliance thereof.
Eric Leong was first educated in the United Kingdom for his tertiary studies and graduated with an LLB (Hons) from the University of Cardiff. He was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 2007. Upon his return from the United Kingdom, Eric started his legal career in one of the legal firms in Malaysia and has further established himself with Sidek Teoh Wong & Dennis. He is now the Partner of the firm and specialises in Corporate and Conveyancing matters He has long juggled private practice, where he acted in a range of financing transactions for the purposes of project financing, trade financing, asset acquisition and debt restructuring for his clients which include local and foreign banks, private and listed companies, multinational corporations and government linked corporations. He also deals largely with the coordination of due diligence checks and ensure compliance of regulatory approvals to permit initial public offers on companies to be listed. He is responsible in reviewing shareholders agreements, business sales and purchase, joint venture agreements, leases and other corporate documentation. In addition, Eric has been actively involved in the general administration of conveyancing key issues and served as trusted advisor to various companies and developers. Eric has been instrumental in creating both internal/external new business relationships for the firm, across sphere of influence, by bringing in numerous conveyancing transaction portfolios, which is conducive to the revenue stream for the firm.
Ms. Jagjit Kaur Gill graduated with Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Hons from the University of London (External) United Kingdom in the year 1991. She was called to the Malaysian Bar and admitted to the High Court in Malaya in February 1995. She started her legal career by taking conduct in various litigation matters including but not limited to banking litigation, breach of contracts relating to commercial, construction and corporate dispute, disputes between corporate clients, shareholders and joint ventures, industrial relations disputes, judicial reviews, family matters and general litigation matters and manage individual portfolio consisting corporate and government link companies as clients. She assists Dato’ John who specializes in Civil, Commercial and Corporate Litigation. She has conducted numerous trials and hearing in the Magistrate Court, Sessions Court, High Court and Appeals in the Court of Appeal. She also give talks to Clients on Court proceedings and new matters/law that arises besides giving Advice/Consultancy related to day to day legal issues arises and requested by Panel Clients with the guidance of Dato’ John.
Nasim graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from International Islamic University. He was called to the Malaysian Bar on 18th June 2004 and assists Dato' John in Banking and Finance division. He started his legal career in various litigation matters and have appeared in various courts including Appellate level; involving Corporate recovery, Commercial recovery, General litigation, Banking litigation (including Small/Medium Industrial Facilities, Industrial Hire Purchase, Hire Purchase, Mortgage Facilities and other various Banking Facilities). Nasim also involved in advising clients on Islamic consumer recovery and issues related to compliance with Bank Negara Guidelines, civil and execution procedures and other related legal issues. Apart of the above, Nasim also conducted several full trial cases against Customs involving quasi criminal cases under the Customs Act. He had also attended other area of legal practice including Industrial Relation cases and Criminal cases. Along the way in legal practise, some of the cases handled by Nasim are reported in the Malaysian Law Journal and Current Law Journal, e.g :
Brendan Phang, is a conveyancing lawyer. His areas of expertise include housing development and strata management related matters. He heads his own team who are committed to provide excellent legal service, analysis and advice, and work towards developing long-lasting Client relationships through communication, trust and understanding. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from University of London and was called to the Malaysian Bar on 23rd October 2009. His true passion and experience for his works has helped many Clients accomplish their objectives by the completion of proper legal documentations for their transactions.
Mr Daniel Chuah Chen Yean graduated with Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Hons from Multimedia University in the year 2010. Daniel commenced his pupillage and read in the Chambers of our Dato’ John Clark Sumugod. On 5th May 2011, he was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. Daniel was retained as an Associate on 1st June 2011 and was promoted to become a Senior Associate on 1st July 2017. On 2nd April 2021, Daniel was made a Partner of the Firm. Daniel’s area of practice encompasses Contractual Disputes, Hire Purchase Matters, Debts Recovery, Construction And Engineering Disputes, Arbitration, Corporate And Commercial Litigations, Probates, Letter Of Administrations, Bankruptcy, Winding-Up, Foreclosures, Land Disputes, Corporate Insolvency, Land And Vehicle Forfeiture Matters, General Litigation and more recently, adjudication proceedings under the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012 (CIPAA). Daniel has conducted numerous trials and hearings in the Magistrate Court, Sessions Court, High Court and Appeals in the Court of Appeal. Daniel also advises various Financial Institutions (including Islamic financial institutions), public listed companies, International companies and construction companies on matters relating to his practice area and day to day legal issues requested by our panel clients. Daniel regularly gives talks to panel clients on court proceeding, enforcement proceeding as well as new development in case law and legislation.
Ms Tey Son Liang graduated from the University of Malaya in 2008 with Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree and was called to the Malaysian Bar on 30th of April 2009. She began her legal career as a litigator in a prominent legal firm in Kuala Lumpur for 2 years. Son Liang then joined STWD in 2012 in the corporate and conveyancing department. Throughout Son Liang’s practice at STWD she has worked on various corporate merger and acquisition exercises, large land deals, joint venture for development of land, tenancy and lease agreements, advisory work such as estate administration and distribution and other commercial contracts
Ms Christina Cheong’s professional specialization is in banking and conveyancing. She hails from the MMU graduation cohort of year 2010 and was called to the Malaysian Bar on 13th June 2011. Her range of specialties include conventional and Islamic financing for both local and international bank and financial institutions, contract financing for government and private sector contract, rescheduling and restructuring of financing facilities and security arrangements, developer project sale and purchase agreement and end financing as well as provision of advisory services to banks and developer. With her background and experience in the field of conveyancing, she is well versed in all aspect of the Malaysian legal framework relating to commercial, residential and industrial property with clientele consisting of both local and foreign investor/ buyer/ property developer and other types of stakeholder seeking for any property legal expertise and services into the country real estate. In addition, she is also well placed to advance her client’s business objectives from her professional network within the property industry such as key financial institution and property players.