Could you provide a brief journey of how you arrived where you are today?
My first involvement with debt instruments (I’ll call them “bonds”, generically) was with bond restructuring, resulting from the fallout of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. I was involved in a number of high-profile ringgit and US dollar bond restructuring deals.

In what turns out to be a full circle, I find myself being involved in bond restructuring once again — after the bountiful in-between boom years of the Malaysian bond market — which is definitely a reflection of the current tough economic times facing bond issuers.

What does your role involve?
As head of the firm’s debt capital markets practice group, I lead the debt capital markets team. We are involved in both conventional as well as Islamic bonds. We handle both ringgit and foreign currency bonds.

What do you consider your greatest achievement to date?
Legal work for top-tier capital markets is what serious corporate firms aim for. We have generated, handled and successfully closed several notable top-tier deals, which demonstrate our strength and depth in performing such high-end work. We have also worked hard to increase our visibility amongst the major players in the capital markets industry.

Our team effort and determination have culminated in my being recognized by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) in 2008 as a “World Leading Islamic Finance Law Practitioner” in its inaugural Expert Guides on Islamic Finance.

What are the strengths of your company?
Our firm is highly ranked and recognized by leading international legal publications for our strengths in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance and capital markets.

While we have distinct practice groups, we do not operate in “silos” and hence, when a deal involves several areas of expertise, we can easily tap the resources of all our lawyers to handle every angle of the distinctive and specialized aspects of the deal.

What factors have contributed to the success of your company?
Without a doubt, firstly, it would have to be our clients. Unwavering priority to our clients is our service motto. We deliver practical and business-oriented solutions without the legalese.

A very close second is our lawyers. We engage lawyers with outstanding academic achievements and sound technical abilities, bolstered by a keen interest in business issues. Our team of lawyers is distinguished by its passion for the practice of law and it takes pride in making a difference.

What are the challenges/obstacles the company faces today?
The year 2009 brings with it devastating financial meltdown in the global economy. Malaysia’s export-driven manufacturing and commodity–based economy wasn’t immune from the global fallout and took a beating as a result of shrinking world trade.

We braced ourselves at the start of the year for financial shocks but, thankfully, we are grateful to report that thus far this year and the last two years have been the best performing periods in our firm’s history.

Law firms have an innate ability to survive, as lawyers thrive in downturns as much as they do in periods of boom.

Where do you see the Islamic finance industry in say, the next five years?
The Islamic finance industry will be a thriving industry. I believe the growth potential for Islamic finance will be tremendous.

I also foresee a more mature Islamic finance industry with a greater depth of product variety and sophistication, as well as a greater appreciation of risk management and credit issues.

Name one thing you would like to see change in the world of Islamic finance.
Islamic finance shouldn’t be touted as an “alternative” to conventional finance, as if it is a zero-sum game of either Islamic finance or conventional finance.

Instead, Islamic finance should be positioned as an “option” available to borrowers, financiers and investors seeking funding or investment opportunities.

It is a very viable option which could potentially open up the proposed issuance or investment to a large pool of investors who have specific mandates and funds to invest in such financial instruments. They wouldn’t otherwise have been able to invest if it had been conventional banking instruments instead.

Viewed from this perspective, a good case can be made for a financial product to be Shariah compliant, and the benefits of Islamic finance will appeal to both Islamic and conventional issuers and investors alike.