Page 5 - COL Asia Newsletter (25 October 2017)

Balakumar Balasundram dispute resolution, with a focus on
Bala graduated from the University of Keele with Bachelors of corporate and commercial
Social Science in Law and Economics in 1988 and obtained litigation, civil disputes, defamation
the Certificate in Legal Practice in and other torts. Ms Soo is the
1989. He was called to the SME for Civil Litigation Practice
Malaysian Bar in September 1990. (Malaysia) in collaboration with
Bala's area of practice encompasses Brendan Siva.
advisory and litigation relating to
both life and general insurance, Datuk N. Sivananthan Soo Siew Mei
reinsurance and Takaful Law. Mr
Balasundram is a partner in Azim, Datuk Siva graduated LLB (Hons) from the University of
Warwick and was admitted to Lincoln's Inn as Barrister. He is
Tunku Farik & Wong, an 11-partner
Kuala Lumpur law firm that focusses also admitted as an Advocate &
on banking, commercial, corporate, Solicitor in Singapore. Siva is a
Counsel with International Criminal
Bala Balasundram conveyancing, commercial and Court (ICC); a Member of the
general litigation and insurance
litigation. Bala and two Senior Associates at Azim, Tunku International Criminal Bar (ICB); and
Farik & Wong. Leena Manaharan and Audrey Eva Fernandez, a Member of the International
are the SMEs for Personal Injury and Torts Practice Criminal Court Bar Association
(ICCBA). Datuk Siva is also the first
(Malaysia).
Malaysian to be admitted as a
Leena Manaharan counsel of the International Criminal
Leena graduated from the University of London with LLB Datuk N Sivanathan Court based at The Hague Datuk
(Hons) in 2004 and obtained her Certificate in Legal Practice Siva is founding partner of his firm,
in 2006. She commenced her pupillage in with Bala in this Sivanathan Advocates & Solicitors. He regularly represents
firm. And was admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High both individual and corporate clients in complex securities
Court of Malaya in 2007. Ms Manaharan currently practises in offences, white-collar crimes, corruption charges and general
insurance and Takaful litigation. offences under the Penal Code. He
Audrey Eva Fernandez provides a wide range of services MALAYSIAN TITLES
from advisory work to appearances
Audrey Eva graduated with a second class upper from at all levels of the Malaysian courts. Datuk is one of three titles
University of London (external) programme in 2007. She His versatility as a criminal lawyer that Malaysia’s Federal
obtained a second class lower in the CLP examination the also extends to handling King - the Yang di-Pertuan
following year. She did her pupillage at Shearn Delamore & environmental and preventive Agong - can bestow. The
Co and was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor in the High detention matters. Datuk Siva is the highest ranking is Tun, the
Court of Malaya in 2009. She joined Azim, Tunku Farik & SME for Criminal Law Practice second ranking is Tan Sri
Wong in 2009. Ms Fernandez also currently practises is
Insurance and Takaful Litigation. (Malaysia) and supervised the work and Datuk is third ranking.
of Rafika Hassan.

Brendan Siva
Rafika Shari'ah Mohd Hassan
Brendan is a University of Sydney graduate with a double Rafika graduated LLB from University Technology Mara
degree in Law and Economics in 1997. Brendan, who (UTM) in 2010 and LLM in 2014. A sole practitioner, she
founded his Kuala Lumpur firm, Brendan Siva, Advocates and focusses on criminal and civil litigation.
Solicitors in 1999, practices in Rafika has conducted criminal hearings
commercial and civil litigation. Mr to appeal level.. She is actively involved
Siva is currently Co-Chairperson, with the National Legal Aid scheme and
Legal Profession Committee at Bar is a volunteer with Yayasan Bantuan
Council Malaysia. Brendan has Guaman Kebangsaan (YBGK). Rafika
also been a past chairman of the is also a Committee Member of Pahang
Bar Council’s Advocacy Training State Bar with responsibility for Editorial
Committee and Kuala Lumpur Bar & IT and is Co-Chair for Pahang YBGK. Rafika Hassan
Committee. He is actively involved Rafika is the junior SME for Criminal
in delivering the Bar Council’s Law Practice (Malaysia).
Brendan Siva advocacy training programme.
Brendan is the SME for Civil
Litigation Practice (Malaysia), in collaboration with Soo Siew Jeremiah Gurusamy
Mei. Jerry graduated LLB from the University of London and has a
LLM (Companies and Securities) from the University of

Soo Siew Mei Malaya. He was admitted to the Malaysian Bar as an
Advocate & Solicitor in 1999, after completing the Certificate
Siew Mei graduated LLB (Hons) from the University of Malaya of legal Practice. Mr Gurusamy is a partner in Kuala Lumpur
and was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 2008. Ms Soo is a law firm Messrs Koh Dipendra Jeremiah (KDJ Law). Jerry is a
partner in Shearn Delamore & Co. (a firm established in 1905 much sought after speaker/trainer across a range of practice
and now one of Malaysia’s largest) and she practices in
areas. Over the years, Jeremiah has acted for a wide range of

OCTOBER 2017 Page 5