Practice Areas

The legal services offered by the Firm are grouped into the following key practice areas:

CONVEYANCING AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

The Firm has a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area of practice. The Firm advises and prepares legal documentation for all forms of real estate transactions ranging from sale, lease, development and construction of residential, commercial and industrial properties. Since 2010 following the coming into force of the strata legislation, the Firm has taken the lead in the development of all the key documentation for development and sale of such properties and has been actively involved in an increasing number of strata commercial and residential projects in Brunei.

The Firm’s experience also includes advising local and foreign contractors in tendering and undertaking residential development and civil engineering projects for Government agencies.

The Firm advised the Brunei Economic Development Board on the setting up of the Sungai Liang Industrial (SPARK) comprising a 271-hectare land in Sungai Liang as well as co-advised on a long-term lease of a 260-hectare industrial land located at Pulau Muara Besar for an oil refinery and petrochemical complex.

CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL

The Firm has the transactional experience and ability to handle and offer a full range of advice and service in this area.

Significant experience includes bank mergers and acquisitions involving local banks, vesting of assets involving foreign bank branches located in Brunei, acquisition of retail and commercial banking assets in Brunei, advising and drafting of joint venture and project agreements for the industrial plants, telecommunication, pharmaceutical and ICT services and projects.

SECURITIES AND FUNDS

The Firm regularly advises foreign law firms, foreign and local financial institutions and asset management companies on local securities and collective investment scheme regulations, compliance, fund documentation and setting up of local collective investment schemes (funds) as well as on regulatory and legal compliance with respect to the marketing and offer of conventional and syariah compliant securities, fund interests and derivative financial products and asset management and investment advisory services.

The Firm also offers assistance and advice to clients who wish to secure the relevant licences and permits to operate in Brunei.

BANKING - CONVENTIONAL AND SYARIAH

The banking department handles all types of conventional and syariah compliant documentation work and advice in Brunei.

The Firm also provides regulatory and banking product related advice to local financial institutions as well as foreign financial institutions on their cross-border loans and security transactions with local residents.

In field of Islamic banking and finance, the Firm handles all forms of banking and security documentation. The Firm has advised on the set up and “conversion” of a conventional practice bank to an Islamic practice bank in Brunei including the preparation of all its legal documentation. The Firm regularly advises and assists a leading Islamic financial institution in the development and preparation of the documentation for its new syariah compliant financial products.

The Firm was also involved in the first ever private sector driven Islamic issue and subscription of Brunei Dollars 100 million Sukuk Al- Ijarah (bonds) in Brunei involving a local petroleum company and an Islamic bank in Brunei. Since then, the Firm has gone on to advice an international bank on the subscription and participation of a short term Islamic Sukuk Al-Ijara money market programme issued by the Brunei Government. It has also co-advised 2 leading conventional and Islamic banks on a proposed major offering of Islamic sukuk.

LITIGATION

Our litigation practice offers a range of contentious, non-contentious and advisory work on civil and criminal matters.

The Firm has advised and represented clients in areas and disputes involving bankruptcy & insolvency, building & construction, banking & corporate disputes, corruption, defamation, intellectual property, employment, real property, landlord & tenant, matrimonial/family law, probate & administration of estates, trust, vehicle & industrial accident claims.

SYARIAH PRACTICE

Our Syariah practice provides legal advice and services in the areas of family and matrimonial matters, wealth management and succession including drafting personal estate agreements relating to Hibah, Trust and Wasiat. We also provide legal representation in the Syariah courts on divorce, custody, maintenance and jointly asset claims, child adoption as well as all other matters within the Syariah court’s jurisdiction.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The Firm’s intellectual property practice offers advisory and registration services for trademarks.

INCORPORATION SERVICES

To complement the provision of legal service to its clients, the Firm provides and assists its clients to incorporate companies or register branches with the local company registry.