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’s practice areas include banking, finance and real estate matters.
EXPERIENCE
CHINN YUAN has practiced in a few of the top law firms in Kuala Lumpur specializing in corporate real estate and banking work, before returning to Kota Kinabalu where she joined CSY. Her legal experience covers a broad range of banking, finance and real estate matters.
CHINN YUAN was also involved in various cross border and domestic syndicated financing in foreign and local currencies, including acting as local legal counsel for banks and financial institutions in structuring and negotiating terms relating to foreign currency financing. She represented and advised companies, including property developers, relating to joint venture and development of commercial and residential properties. She has also advised real estate investment trusts on tenancies and leases, and represented them in negotiating contractual terms with prospective tenants of notable shopping malls. CHINN YUAN is a licensed company secretary and a council member of Outward Bound Sabah. She was a part time lecturer with UiTM Sabah and the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA) covering topics on legal system and land laws. QUALIFICATIONS CHINN YUAN graduated from the University of Leeds, UK and holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from City Law School, London. She was admitted as a Barrister at Law (Gray’s Inn) and called to the Malaysian Bar in March 2013 and the Sabah Bar in July 2013 respectively.
She has experience in corporate banking and retail banking facilities, where she advised and represented banks, financial institutions and companies in various conventional and Islamic financing transactions, involving different class of assets as collateral ranging from properties to company shares.
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.