At the 7^th annual ALB Malaysia Law Awards held virtually on 14 August 2020, our Senior Partner, Tan Sri Dato’ Cecil Abraham, received the “Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year” award whilst the firm received the “Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year” award.

At the recent Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2019 held in Hong Kong on 19th September 2019, our Senior Partner, Tan Sri Dato’ Cecil Abraham, received the “Lawyer of the Year” award whilst the firm was recognised as the “Boutique Firm of the Year” and also received a special award for “Impact Case of the Year – Malaysian decision to widen the test for seeking to challenge an Arbitral Award.“

‘Cecil Abraham is “Malaysia’s leading international arbitrator“’, remark sources who applaud his experience. ‘(He has) sat on numerous investment treaty claims as arbitrator – be it under the ICSID Rules or the UNCITRAL Rules.’

Cecil Abraham is “a big name” in the region thanks to his extensive experience handling contentious proceedings before an array of courts, including appellate tribunals and the Supreme Court.

Cecil Abraham is among the most experienced commercial litigators in the market and sits among “the best of the best in Malaysia”.

‘Cecil Abraham & Partners is a heavyweight. The new firm has hit the ground running,’ says one rival partner. Cecil Abraham and Sunil Abraham are representing Astro All Asia Networks, Maxis Communications, South-East Asia Entertainment Holdings, Ananda Krishnan and Ralph Marshall in a charge sheet before the 2G special court in New Delhi. The prosecution alleges that Maxis’ acquisition of Aircel was approved by the then Minister of Communication in India, in return for Astro investing in his brother’s company, Sun Direct TV Private. Cecil Abraham & Partners is running the entire litigation process in India, the UK, Mauritius and Malaysia for the companies and advising on bilateral investment treaty claims against the government of India.

The highly regarded team handles complex, high–profile disputes across a broad range of industry sectors. Highlights included representing Petronas in a Federal Court dispute with the State of Kelantan government.

“The department earns plaudits for its smooth service and accessibility. Clients assert: “They are always well-prepared, efficient and have quick response times. Cecil Abraham is a renowned figure in the market, highly experienced in both litigation and arbitration and praised by clients as “clinically incisive” in his approach.

Cecil Abraham has a ‘legendary reputation in Malaysia’ and handles a significant number of appellate and arbitration cases. He is also regularly involved in international disputes and investment arbitrations as an arbitrator. Clients particularly appreciate his ‘excellent legal knowledge and strategic guidance.’

Arguably Malaysia’s most prominent international arbitrator, Abraham has sat on over 55 commercial cases. He is Malaysia’s appointee to the ICSID panel of arbitrators, and represents the state on the ICC Court and as a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. He is a member of the advisory boards of the International Council of Commercial Arbitration and the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA).

 In 2016, Tan Sri Dato’ Cecil W. M. Abraham was named by Asian Legal Business as ‘Dispute Resolution Practitioner of the Year’. In the same year, Dato’ Sunil Abraham was named by Asian Legal Business in the Top 40 Under 40 Practitioners in Asia.