Lo Pui Lai Sophia, Partner
PRACTICE FOCUS
SOPHIA’s practice areas include real estate, banking & finance, estate administration, wills and succession.
EXPERIENCE
SOPHIA has been involved in a broad range of real estate, banking and finance work. She has handled and advised on joint venture and project related transactions which encompass industrial, commercial including retail mall, Airbnb and tourism type of development, serviced apartment, residential/housing and mixed development projects for developers and government-link companies.
QUALIFICATIONS SOPHIA graduated with the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.)(Hons) in 2005 from the University of London, External and was conferred with the Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP) in 2006. She was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in April 2008 and has been in continuous and active practice since. Prior to joining CSY as a partner on the 1st January 2015, her practice focused on civil litigation matters including contractual disputes, construction related disputes, debt recovery, landlord and tenant disputes, banking litigation and foreclosure proceedings, insurance disputes, wills and succession, estate administration matters, as well as other general legal and conveyancing matters.
She also handled both Conventional and Islamic banking documentations, sale and purchase agreements, lease and tenancy agreements, share sale agreements and advisory work on legal issues involving the Land Ordinance (Sabah Cap. 68), Land (Subsidiary Title) Enactment 1972 (Sabah No. 9 of 1972), Housing Development (Control And Licensing) Enactment 1978 (Sabah No. 24 of 1978), Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Rules 2008, amongst others. Her other areas of work include wills and succession, estate administration, land enquiry matters on right of way disputes and legal advisory work on land matters in Sabah.
Chua Chinn Yuan, Partner
PRACTICE FOCUS
CHINN YUAN has practiced in Malaysia’s leading law firms in Kuala Lumpur prior to her return to Kota Kinabalu, where she joined CSY and is a partner of the firm.
Her key practice areas and specialisation include Banking & Finance, Corporate & Commercial and Corporate Real Estate matters.
EXPERIENCE
Acted for a Malaysia real estate development group in the joint venture with a Sabah state government-owned investment holding company to develop a mixed masterplan project within the Kota Kinabalu port area.
Advising a Malaysia automobile company on their businesses and collaboration with China government-owned entities in setting up manufacture, assembly and distribution plants for automobiles in Sabah. Advised a Malaysia leading timber company in the acquisition of another joint venture timber company. Advised on a land lease between a Sabah state government agency (under the purview of the Sabah state Ministry) and a Malaysia company in relation to oil and gas related activities. Advising and acting for a global leading group of energy and petrochemical company, particularly in land transactions and equipment agreements. Appointed as Chairperson of the Election Supervisory Committee and Legal Advisor to the State’s Housing and Real Estate Developer’s Association on consecutive terms. Advising management corporations in all legal affairs relating to subsidiary titled properties and conducting annual general meetings. Advising and acting for Malaysia real estate development companies in their real estate developments including residential, commercial, industrial and mixed use developments in the State of Sabah. Advised Malaysia real estate investment trusts on tenancies and leases of properties. Advising and acting for Malaysia companies in disposal and acquisition of shares, lands and properties. Advising on joint ventures and strategic partnerships between Malaysia companies, local authorities, statutory bodies and the State Ministries. Advising and acting for retail and commercial banks in Malaysia, handling both conventional and Islamic facilities, involving different class of assets as collateral ranging from properties to company shares. Acted as local legal counsel for Malaysia banks in structuring and negotiating cross border and domestic syndicated financing in foreign and local currencies. CHINN YUAN is fluent in written and spoken English, Malay and Mandarin. CHINN YUAN主要的执业领域和专业包括银行与金融、融资事务、公司企业与商业事务、以及房地产建筑，发展与买卖。 QUALIFICATIONS LLB (Hons) (University of Leeds) Licensed Secretary (Companies Commission of Malaysia)
Acted for an international energy infrastructure and marine services provider in the acquisition of majority equity interest in a Malaysia company owning and developing luxury water bungalows resort in Sabah.
她是本律师事务所外国及中国事务的主要联系人，负责提供沙巴和马来西亚法律的相关服务。
Barrister-at-Law (Gray’s Inn)
LLM (Master of Laws) (City Law School, London)
Advocate & Solicitor (Malaya)
Advocate & Solicitor (Sabah & Sarawak)
Chua Chinn Harn, Partner
PRACTICE FOCUS
CHINN HARN’s practice areas include planning & development, real estate and banking & finance.
EXPERIENCE
CHINN HARN advises clients on a broad range of legal issues, including property-related transactions which encompass real estate acquisitions and disposal involving residential, commercial and industrial properties, leasing, joint ventures and collaborations. She is also involved in advisory work related to land matters, complex development in particular high rise, mixed use and projects intended for Airbnb and tourism related products. CHINN HARN also assisted international environmental organisations in the drafting of environmental regulations for the establishment of a marine park located in the north coast, and agreements with oil palm plantation owners for the setting up of wildlife corridor in the east coast of Sabah. She currently chairs the Land Law Revision Subcommittee of the Sabah Law Society and is the principal drafter of a new legislation governing the management of building in subsidiary titled developments under the purview of the State Attorney-General Chambers. QUALIFICATIONS CHINN HARN graduated from University of Leeds and has a Master of Law (London). She was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2013 (Grays’ Inn) and was admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in 2015. Prior to joining the legal industry, CHINN HARN worked in London as a consulting analyst for Accenture PLC.
She has handled government projects and regularly provides legal advice on issues relating to local authority and town planning with particular emphasis on land development process either by developers themselves or in joint venture involving research, drafting and negotiation. She also renders advices to the state authorities including local authorities and government-linked companies.