Active since 1981, Albar & Partners excels in banking and finance and capital markets work and has strong corporate and project offerings. The firm is based in Kuala Lumpur and is led by Lily Tan Chea Li and Chung Swee Loong who serve as the joint managing partners.

Focusses / specialisms

The firm is well recognised for its capabilities in the banking and finance practice, especially Islamic finance. The firm is also very active in the debt and equity capital markets, corporate and M&A sectors.

Key clients

The firm regularly advises clients including state-owned entities, local and foreign companies, multinational and government-linked corporations, financial institutions, private equity investors and other professional firms.

Research period review: 33rd edition (2022/2023)

During the research period, the firm was very active in Islamic finance, capital markets and the M&A area.

In banking and finance, the firm kept busy advising financiers, borrowers and lenders in transactions related to Islamic term loan financing and multilateral financing.

The capital markets team continued to be busy handling an array of matters including sukuk, wakalah, asset-backed securities, perpetual instruments, IPOs, rights offerings and secondary offerings. The team also regularly advised cross-border listings, vanilla bond offerings, equity swaps, and post-issue matters such as restructurings and refinancing.

The corporate team was preoccupied with transactions in relation to private acquisitions. Active industry sectors include aviation and shipping, banking and financial services, consumer goods and services, project & energy, infrastructure, real estate, and technology and telecommunications.

Deal highlights: 33rd edition (2022/2023)

Weststar Aviation Services’’ RM942 million ($206 million) Murabahah financing.

KAB Energy Power’s RM500 million sukuk Murabahah.

Malaysia Debt Ventures’ RM2 billion bond and sukuk issuance.

Client feedback: 33rd edition (2022/2023)

Banking and finance

“Timely delivery, ability to provide commercial point of view, agile in their comments, attentive to client's needs, friendly, accessible.”

Capital markets

“Solution provider and commercially minded. Tenacity, excellent partner to help solve 'kinks'.”

Abraham The Tat Hon

“He is friendly, attentive, listens to client's views, provides commercial input, provides examples on how to resolve issues, willing to go the extra mile to get the work done.”

Cassandra Hogg

“Commercially minded, communication skills and industry knowledge.”