Yee Mei Ken
Partner
Dispute Resolution
Private Client & Family Business
Regulatory Compliance & Enforcement
Arbitration & Mediation
Qualifications
- LL.B (Hons), University of Wales (Cardiff)
- Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn
- Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya
Admissions
- England & Wales (1997)
- Malaysia (1998)
Languages
English, Malay, Chinese
My Resume
About Mei Ken
Corporate and commercial litigation, family business feud, shareholders and directors’ disputes, banking and insolvency litigation, winding-up proceeding, asset and debt recovery and arbitration. Ken has advised on schemes of arrangement for creditors and syndicated lenders and has been involved in matters relating to anti-money laundering, anti-corruption and breach of trust. He is highly experienced in advising private clients, family corporations, wills and probate action.
Defamation and libel including online publication claims. Ken often defends the media and news publishers. He also has the niche experience of conducting a globally unique market research and readership litigation. He is involved in pre-publication vetting and consulted for his legal opinion by the media. He frequently appears as Counsel at the High Court and Appellate Courts.
Effectively trilingual, he delivered talks on shareholders’ rights and directors’ liabilities and frequently conducted training for editors and journalists at both English and Chinese media organizations.
Ken is the Head of our China Desk.
• Acted as lead counsel in the high profile and contentious Genting dispute involving multiple litigation ranging from shareholders’ dispute, trust litigation and probate action.
• Acted as counsel for Nielsen in a globally unique market research and readership litigation and successfully defended a RM300 million claim premised on negligence, defamation and malicious falsehood. Also recovered costs of RM600,000 for Nielsen by reason of the complexity and expertise involved in the dispute.
• Acted as defence counsel for the Star Media Group and its Editor in Chief in a high profile libel claim filed a Malay Rights Group and successfully struck out the claim.
• Acted for a leading Real Estate Agency in an online publication claim premised on defamatory Facebook and social media postings and successfully claimed damages against the defendant and established a novel point of law regarding secondary liability of online commentaries.
• Represented an Indonesian party in a multi-jurisdictional litigation involving Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia in defending a RM185 million fraud and breach of trust and fiduciary duties claim.
• Acted for subsidiary of Malaysian public listed company in a real estate dispute and successfully removed a private caveat and concluded a RM30 million property transaction whilst defeating a parallel claim for substantial liquidated damages.
• Advised an established property developer on a tenancy dispute of an office tower with a foreign party and successfully negotiated a settlement of a potential USD10million claim.
• Acting as defence counsel for an international bank in a multi-million negligence claim arising from scammed investment transactions by customer.
• Advising a reknowned American MNC in the liquidation of the Robinson Departmental Store.
• Advising an international aviation training provider in the restructuring and creditors’ scheme of arrangement for Air Asia X.
• Chambers Asia-Pacific (2020-2021)
“Band 4” Lawyer in Dispute Resolution Yee Mei Ken is “very prompt, capable and a pleasure to work with; someone to have in your corner,” attests a client. – Chambers Asia-Pacific 2021
• The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (2016 – 2018)
“Recommended Lawyer” in Dispute Resolution… heads the team that includes the ‘speedy, approachable and smart’ Yee Mei Ken, who is defending Star Publications in a libel suit brought by the president of a Malay rights group. – The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2016
• The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (2019 and 2020)
“Leading Individual” in Dispute Resolution
• Disciplinary Committee Panel Member, Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board
• Commerce Committee Member, Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of KL and Selangor (KLSCCCI) 2018 – 2021
• Member, Malaysian Bar
• Member, The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
• Member, Belt and Road International Lawyers Association (BRILA)
• Member, World Law Group (WLG)
• Member, International Bar Association (IBA)
• Member, Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA)
• Firm Representative, Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of KL and Selangor (KLSCCCI)
• Member, The English-Speaking Union of Malaysia
The Legal 500 & The In-House Lawyer
Comparative Legal Guide
Malaysia: Litigation (2nd Edition), 2019