Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific once again recognised our work in human rights and public interest cases, as well as in criminal litigation. AmerBON’s review is reproduced below.
The Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2024 is a guide to the region’s leading dispute resolution firms and lawyers. The lists of rankings are based on extensive interviews with litigators, arbitrators, dispute resolution specialists, and their clients. Recent casework handled by law firms and lawyers were also examined.
AmerBON, Advocates
Analysis
Review
Dispute resolution
AmerBON Advocates is renowned for its civil and human rights, and criminal litigation practices. In particular, its specialist business and human rights (BHR) team has been advocating with the Malaysian government to formulate national action plans on BHR. The firm is also experienced in handling advocacy on a wide range of other legal issues, from international law and constitutional and administrative law to commercial and corporate disputes, as well as construction and land claims.
Co-founders and partners Amer Hamzah and Edmund Bon are leading and respected figures in the market, particularly for criminal law and human rights law, respectively.
In commercial and transactional matters, the firm is currently representing a construction company in its pursuit of a civil suit against the defendants. The charges brought against the defendants include breach of a letter of indemnity, breach of an agency contract, and breach of directors’ duties.
In the realm of white-collar crime, the firm is undertaking the defence of the former Prime Minister of Malaysia. The primary objective is to dismiss the defective charges that have been brought against him, which encompass four counts of abuse of position under section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, as well as other related criminal proceedings.
Client feedback
“Effective client management, strong commercial understanding of business partnerships, and a brilliant comprehension of how, why, and what to seek in a commercial arrangement to advise on litigation pressure points.” – Commercial and transactions
“AmerBON excels in conducting extensive legal research.” – Government and regulatory
Edmund Bon
“A calm operator, very quick to understand the issues and the commercial aspects. Very easy to work with.”
“Edmund Bon is well known for his work on human rights, particularly among local and regional civil society organisations. He is certainly an all-rounder who lives up to the recognition. He possesses great communication skills and is a good listener. Moreover, he is well-versed in his field, meticulous, and confident in his deliveries, among other qualities. Working with him was easy due to these attributes.”
“Edmund is very responsive and conducts in-depth research on complex legal issues, staying up to date on changes in laws and regulations in Malaysia.”
“Committed to find the best solution for his client and give solutions from various angles.”
Sin Yew New
“He does everything well, especially human rights and legal recourse.”
Joshua Tay and Ern Tien (Michael) Cheah
“Knowledgeable, provide detailed explanations, and offers suggestions on how to proceed and safeguard the company’s interests.”
Rankings
Benchmark Litigation also ranked AmerBON as “Highly Recommended” under the category of White Collar Crime, and “Notable” under Commercial and Transactions.
The full list of Malaysian firms reviewed and ranked can be accessed here and here.
