Our People
.jpg)
M. Visvanathan
Managing Partner
General Civil and Criminal Litigation & Dispute Resolution
LL.B (Hons) (London), CLP
Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya
Mr.Visvanathan is the co-founder and the Managing Partner of the firm which
he formed together with Mr.Saibullah Abdul Majid in 1997.
Mr.Visvanathan earlier read in the chambers of Mr.V S Viswa at Messrs. TH Su & Co
and thereafter, he left to oversee the litigation department of Messrs.Zahari Ong & Co.
With more than two decades in legal practice, Mr. Visvanathan has firmly established
himself as one of the leading names in Malaysia's civil and criminal litigation circles.
Mr. Visvanathan has appeared at all levels of Court in Malaysia, with many of the
cases that he has conducted over the years being reported in various legal journals and
news media outlets in the country.
In the area of criminal law, Mr. Visvanathan has represented various high-profile clients in numerous legal suits in Malaysia. He has firmly established a reputation within the legal fraternity and the public for his valuable skills in conducting civil litigation cases involving amongst others, negligence and breach of statutory duties. In one of his recent cases at the Federal Court, the principle of awarding exemplary damages in custodial death cases was hailed by many as a landmark decision.
Mr. Visvanathan strongly believes in developing the skill set of Malaysian lawyers as well as creating public awareness. He conducts talks and seminars for young lawyers and human rights activists all over Malaysia. He regularly contributes his time to write articles on the law and has also co–edited the recent Lexis Nexis Annotated Statutes of Malaysia (Civil Law Act 1956).
Outside of legal practice, Mr. Visvanathan is the Chairman of a non-governmental organization (NGO) known as Eliminating Deaths and Abuse in Custody Together (EDICT). Due to his vast experience, his views and opinions on matters regarding custodial deaths are regularly sought after by human rights activists and government agencies.
As a seasoned professional with a strong conscience, Mr. Visvanathan's has always been heavily committed to achieve a long-lasting impact for the wider community. Mr. Visvanathan is passionate in being an enabler in using the law to build a better world for the general public. To that end, he is consistent in focusing his time, skills and energy to participate in pro-bono practice. He has a long-established reputation of supporting groundbreaking social developments with respect to the public's rights of access to justice and maintaining the rule of law. It is his unwavering commitment throughout these years, to strategic litigation in bringing about a systematic change for the public interest that has been the firm's continuing strength and public recognition in pro bono practice.
Izaidin Bin Mohd Zahari
Partner
General Corporate and Conveyancing
LLB.Laws (Hons) Leicester
Barrister-at-law, Middle Temple
Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya
Mr. Izaidin co-founded law firm Zahari Ong & Co in 1994 where he was the
managing partner overseeing the general corporate and conveyancing department.
Mr.Izaidin subsequently left legal practice to seek further challenges by serving as
in-house counsel for Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) from 2009 to 2013 where
he acted in various business-legal capacities including company secretarial for their
domestic and international operations.
From 2013 to 2022, Mr.Izaidin was Head Legal and Corporate for Malaysian listed Sime Darby Plantation Berhad) in Indonesia.
Mr. Izaidin's area of expertise is general corporate, mediation, dispute resolution, procurement and acquisition, financing and disposition of real property, commercial law, private equity mergers and acquisitions as well as cross-border transactions, restructuring, strategic-legal & operational for companies, joint ventures, due diligence and commercial transactions.
Mr.Izaidin is commercial minded with his years of global experience and exposure to business and corporate management at corporate leadership positions. He is skilled and tenacious, having nearly three decades of experience representing various clients whether private or corporate in negotiations and commercial ventures, . Having served in legal practice and subsequently, as in-house counsel to some of the largest multi-national organizations in the country and abroad, Mr. Izaidin understands and is thoroughly familiar with key business drivers and goals. He has invaluable experience in inter-alia, international merger and acquisitions encompassing strategy, financing, structuring, risk assessment, negotiations and mediation, business operations and post-closing.
Mr. Izaidin employes an entrepreneurial or business-legal approach that matches his clients to achieve results while building consensus. He strongly believes the best approach is to put himself in his clients' shoes, keeping in mind the big picture at every stage of the matter. He is a trusted advisor who can translate business strategy into a workable framework within the legal and regulatory environment. He brings complementary insights, a depth of knowledge regarding fundamental legal precepts and practical application of the client’s business to his work. Mr. Izaidin knows how to achieve the client’s commercial and legal objectives.
V. Sanjay Nathan
Partner
LL.B (Hons) (Cardiff)
Barrister-at-law, Middle Temple
Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya
Mr. Sanjay read law in Cardiff University and was subsequently called
to the English Bar in 2019. He then read in the chambers of Mr. K. Shanmuga
at Messrs Kanesalingam & Co. where he was exposed to public interest and civil litigation.
Mr. Sanjay joined as partner in 2021. With a combination of a keen eye for details
and innovation, he has contributed to the expansion and modernization of the firm.
He has a wide range in civil and criminal matters. He regularly assists Mr. Visvanathan
in preparation of trials and court work in order to safeguard the clients' best interests.
.jpeg)
R. Karnan
Senior Associate
LL.B (Hons) University Malaya
Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya
Mr. Karnan comes with a high level of experience in a wide range of
commercial litigation including companies and corporate disputes involving
shareholders and directors, winding-up and contractual disputes and tortious claims.
Mr. Karnan regularly advises clients in matters involving land and
tenancy disputes, probate and administration of estates including debt recovery and
insolvency matters.
Mr. Karnan has appeared as co-counsel and lead counsel at all tiers of the
Malaysian Courts and played a key role in many noteworthy cases which
are reported in the law journals. He appears regularly in the
High Court and Appellate Courts of Malaysia and has been involved in a number
of reported landmark decisions on novel principles of law in Malaysia.
Pushan Qin Nathan
Legal Assistant
LL.B (Hons) Cardiff University, CLP
Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya
Mr. Pushan was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2024 after having read in the chambers of Mr. Sandosh Anandan at Messrs Sandosh Anandan. He joins the firm with experience in industrial relations matters (employment disputes), commercial litigation (including company and corporate disputes), matters related to probate and administration of estates, and debt recovery.
Tel: 03-4294 5872 / 5809 (KL) 06-289 9261 (Melaka)
Fax: 03-4294 5871
KL Main Office Address: M2-A-21, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/3A, Pandan Indah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Melaka Branch Address: No. 36A, Jalan TKL 6, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka.
©2023 by Saibullah M. V Nathan & Co.
