Aaron Mah Zhee Haang
Senior Associate
Aaron practises as a corporate and commercial litigator, primarily in areas involving fraud and white-collar offences, asset recovery, boardroom disputes, real estate and trusts, and commercial contractual disputes.
On fraud and asset recovery matters, his experience includes acting for companies and statutory bodies involving the fraudulent transfer of lands, maritime cargo theft, and financial fraud through the manipulation of company records and misappropriation of inventory. He is familiar with Malaysian criminal law and procedures and often advises clients on these aspects in tandem with civil legal proceedings, including guiding them through the law enforcement processes.
His experience in real estate matters include acting for property developers and joint management bodies in disputes involving commercial landlords and tenants, management of strata properties, housing development, and claims for misrepresentation and defects. He has represented registered proprietors in bringing judicial review proceedings against a public authority arising from a decision for compulsory land acquisition.
He has also acted for company directors involved in boardroom disputes including successfully defending a former director against a claim for breach of fiduciary duties.
Aaron graduated from the University of Leeds and is a Barrister-at-Law (Middle Temple). In 2018, Aaron was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court in Sabah & Sarawak, and practised in Sabah mainly as a criminal defence lawyer. Prior to joining Lim Chee Wee Partnership, he worked in one of the largest law firms in Malaysia with a prominent dispute resolution practice.
Key Practice Areas
Fraud and Asset Recovery
- Acted as junior counsel for a foreign company in an action for fraud against multiple foreign parties involving maritime theft of petroleum cargo in Johor.
- Assisted counsel in advising a statutory body and commencing a claim against defendants premised on fraudulent transfer of lands with an estimated commercial value of RM1.5 billion.
- Assisted counsel in advising a company on financial fraud through the manipulation of company records and misappropriation of inventory, including assisting with drafting a police report to be lodged with law enforcement authorities.
- Assisted counsel in advising a company on the freezing and forfeiture of bank accounts pursuant to orders under the Malaysian anti-money laundering laws.
Commercial Litigation
- Acted as junior counsel in defending a data centre from a claim by a financial institution for breach of a service level agreement.
- Assisted counsel in successfully defending an energy and commodity products company against a claim in the sum of approximately USD1.2 million brought by a contractual party.
Corporate and Shareholder Disputes
- Acted as junior counsel in successfully defending a former director against a claim for breach of fiduciary duties.
- Acted as junior counsel in a statutory derivative action against directors of a company arising from misstatements and inaccuracies in company records and accounts.
Real Estate Disputes
- Acted as junior counsel for a landlord in successfully resisting an appeal by a tenant challenging the validity of a termination of lease.
- Acted as junior counsel in defending a developer from claims of misrepresentation and workmanship defects brought by 122 owners of condominium units.
- Acted as junior counsel in bringing judicial review proceedings by registered proprietors against the decision of a public authority to compulsory acquire land.
- Assisted counsel in successfully resisting a public authority’s motion for leave to appeal to the Federal Court challenging the granting of a judicial review in respect of a decision not to construct an access road to a condominium.
International Arbitration
- Assisted counsel in arbitration proceedings under the London Maritime Arbitration Association Rules premised on an alleged breach of a maritime cargo storage contract arising from the storage of US-sanctioned cargo.
Qualifications and Professional Affiliations
- Advocate & Solicitor, High Court in Malaya (2020)
- Advocate & Solicitor, High Court in Sabah & Sarawak (2018)
- Barrister-at-Law (Middle Temple) (2016)
- LL.B. (Hons), University of Leeds (2015)
Professional Affiliations
- Selangor Bar Civil Practice and Court Liaison Sub-Committee Member 2023/2024
- Bar Council Cyber and Privacy Laws Committee Member 2024/2025
Publications and Talks
- Contributor, Malaysian Civil Procedure (2021, Sweet & Maxwell)
- Contributor, Law and Practice of Civil Litigation (2022, Sweet & Maxwell): Chapter 4 Documentary and Discovery Evidence
Talks
- Co-Speaker, Webinar Keeping Abreast of Recent Key Developments in Real Estate Litigation, Selangor Bar, 2021