Malaysia’s RDS Partnership has bolstered its ranks with the addition of partners Michael Soo, Wai Ming Yap, David Lee Lai Huat, Rajeswari Karupiah and Chee Khoon Tan.
Soo, a veteran in IP practice with more than 40 years of experience, will lead the firm’s IP team. He recently retired as the managing partner of Shook Lin & Bok, and has a background in IP enforcement and civil litigation. He appeared as lead counsel in high-profile cases before Malaysia’s High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.
Joining the firm’s corporate finance and fintech practice is Yap, who holds dual qualifications in Malaysia and Singapore. Previously the managing director of Morgan Lewis Stamford in Singapore, Yap specialises in corporate finance, fintech, digital asset-related matters, securities and debt restructuring.
Yap, who has a longstanding relationship with RDS partners, told Asia Business Law Journal that he saw his move to the Kuala Lumpur-based firm as a homecoming because the city was his hometown. He noted that RDS’s strong reputation and high-calibre work aligned well with his professional approach. Despite his new role, he remains a consultant at Harry Elias Partnership.
Lee, a corporate lawyer with nearly three decades of experience, joins RDS with a focus on corporate transactions, capital markets and general corporate advisory. He was previously a partner at Zul Rafique & Partners and Tay & Partners.
With more than two decades of experience, Karupiah is a former chair of Malaysia’s Industrial Court. She has a background in compliance due diligence for publicly listed companies and fraud investigations for financial institutions. Her tenure on multiple Industrial Court committees has shaped significant developments in Malaysian employment law.
Tan’s expertise in restructuring and insolvency, fraud and asset recovery further strengthens the dispute resolution practice at RDS. Called to the Bar of England & Wales and admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court in Malaya, Tan also holds accreditation as a mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Institute.
