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"I think Kadir Andri & Partners are quite aggressive in negotiations and will try to get the best deal for us in any situation. They are knowledgeable, very responsive and technically sound," says a client.

Working off the growing popularity of projects in Malaysia's Iskandar region, Kadir Andri & Partners has had a stellar year. Though primarily known for its expertise in M&A transactions, the firm is building a reputation in banking and project finance with the expertise of partner and head of banking and finance Andri Aidham Badri, partner Adrian Chair and partner and projects and infrastructure head Dato' E Sreesanthan.

Sreesanthan is a renowned practitioner in the Malaysian market and project sponsors appreciate his expertise. "We often use Sreesanthan in strategic matters," says a client.

The same client also appreciates the expertise of partner Samuel Hong Soo Choon: "We generally use Samuel for advisory work and he's technically very good, very commercial but very busy."

Another client comments, "Partner Adrian Chair is very technically strong and proposes commercial solutions. He has a strong team and I can always access either himself or someone from his team."

The firm frequently acts for project sponsors and this year Chair was involved in the financings for highlight projects such as Raffles University Iskandar and Legoland Hotel Malaysia.

Deals
Showcasing the firm's presence in Iskandar, partner Adrian Chair, along with Constance Low and Lee Suan Suk, advised Education@Iskandar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Raffles Education City, in the RM200 million ($62 million) development of Raffles University Iskandar. Chair is also acting for LL Themed Hotel regarding the RM190 million development of Legoland Malaysia Hotel, which is to be adjacent to the highly-anticipated Legoland Malaysia theme park, which opened this year.

In a more conventional banking transaction, partner Samuel Hong represented borrower IHH Healthcare in obtaining a SGD470 million ($370 million) and RM450 million credit facility in connection with, among others, the share acquisition of Turkish healthcare company Acibaden Saglik Yatirimlari.

Kadir Andri & Partners' capital markets practice has been pursuing a growth strategy with plans for aggressive hiring ahead. The firm covers the whole capital markets spectrum and acts for both lenders and issuers.

Respected partners include head of capital markets Dato' E Sreesanthan. The firm boasts a specialised Islamic capital markets practice, led by Andri Aidham Badri who was involved with the first yuan-denominated offshore sukuk (Islamic bond) issuance this year.

Deals
In a highlight transaction that attracted international attention, partners Dato' E. Sreesanthan, Norinne Ira Dewal and Chin Wee Sung represented Bumi Armada regarding its IPO, which comprised a retail and institutional offering sold in Malaysia and outside the US under Regulation S. The company subsequently listed on Bursa Malaysia and was valued at RM2.66 billion ($834 million).

Demonstrating partner Andri Aidham Badri's prowess in Islamic capital markets, he advised Danga Capital as Malaysia law counsel in its issuance of RM500 million in trust certificates. The transaction was the first yuan-denominated offshore sukuk (Islamic bond) and was considerably oversubscribed. He also acted as local counsel to joint bookrunners and joint lead managers CIMB Bank, Citi Global Markets, HSBC and Maybank International regarding the $2 billion trust certifications issued by Wakala Global Sukuk, an SPV of the government of Malaysia. The sukuk was four and half times oversubscribed and was the largest dual tranche global sovereign US dollar-denominated sukuk ever issued, as well as the first ten-year deal of its type.

Kadir Andri & Partners boasts an impressive M&A practice that is frequently involved in Malaysia's largest deals. To name only a few of its blockbuster deals, partners at the firm took part in the formation of two joint ventures between Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek and it's Malaysian equivalent Khazanah and the merger between SapuraCrest Petroleum and Kencana Petroleum.

"Generally, Kadir Andri & Partners' lawyers are technically very sound and very commercial in approach. Just look at the deals they've completed and you realise that they are highly sought after," says a client.

However, another client takes a more measured view. "We use Kadir Andri & Partners for corporate work, because they're easily the best in the market. However it's necessary to find the right lawyer, which is an issue throughout the Malaysian market," he says.

Though the firm lost two partners, Steven Tee and Koh Poi San, this year, the firm has retained its key personnel and is looking to expand. Its strong M&A team includes partners like Tan Kong Yam, who wins accolades from clients for his solution-driven practice. "He considers all the necessary aspects and is very practical," says a client. "He suggests different solutions to issues and gives us a list of considerations regarding each possible solution."

Deals
In one of the largest cross-border deals this year, partners Dato' E Sreesanthan and Adrian Chair acted for Khazanah in forming two joint ventures for real estate developments in Malaysia's Iskandar region and downtown Singapore. The gross development value of the two projects is estimated at $10 billion.

Partner Samuel Hong was also active this year, advising IHH Healthcare and Khazanah in their acquisition of leading Turkish private healthcare group Acibadem Saglik Yatirimlari Holding. Hong also represented Sime Darby in its acquisition of 30% equity in Eastern & Oriental, valued at RM766 million ($240 million). The transaction generated controversy because it was unclear whether it would generate a mandatory general offer obligation.