Transactions handled with care and precision.

In a share sale, the buyer acquires the company itself — including all its liabilities, contracts, and regulatory licences. In an asset sale, specific assets and liabilities are selected and transferred. Each structure carries different stamp duty implications, foreign ownership considerations, and treatment of employee entitlements. The right choice depends on the buyer's objectives and the target's regulatory profile. We cover this at the term sheet stage, before the structure becomes difficult to change.

The Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) merger framework applies to mergers and acquisitions that substantially lessen competition in any market in Malaysia. While MyCC does not operate a mandatory pre-notification regime, certain transactions in regulated sectors or markets with concentrated players warrant early screening. We assess this at the structuring stage so there are no filing or compliance considerations that surface mid-transaction.

A straightforward private transaction — clean target, cooperative counterparty, limited regulatory conditions — can complete in eight to twelve weeks from signed term sheet. More complex transactions, particularly those involving real property, regulatory licences, or employment harmonisation, often run to four to six months. The most common delays arise from due diligence findings that require renegotiation and from completion mechanics that were not planned in advance.

Our due diligence report covers corporate status, material contracts, disputes, employment, intellectual property, real property, regulatory approvals, and data protection obligations. The report leads with an executive summary and risk heat-map, followed by findings grounded in the documents we have actually reviewed. We do not produce reports padded with extracts and schedules. The aim is a document your board can read and act on, with material risks clearly identified alongside our reasoning.

We do not act for both parties in a transaction where their interests diverge — which is the case in most M&A deals. We are instructed by one principal and act for that party throughout. Where we have an existing relationship with a counterparty, we declare this at the outset and allow our client to decide how they wish to proceed.

A change of shareholding requires notification to SSM within 14 days via Form 49 (now CCM Form). Directorships, registered charges, and company secretary details may also require updating. Listed companies have separate Bursa Malaysia disclosure requirements. Where licences or regulatory approvals are held by the target, the relevant authority must be notified of the change of ownership. We coordinate all of this as part of the completion engagement.