Albar & Partners

Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Islamic Finance.

Joint Managing Partner

Swee Loong is one of the founding partners of Albar & Partners. Swee Loong is the Joint Managing Partner. He co-heads the firm’s Banking & Finance and Debt Capital Markets practice groups. Swee Loong has a track record of having advised on many mega and innovative structures in Banking & Finance (both conventional and Islamic finance) and Debt Capital Markets instruments, structured finance, asset backed securitisation and project finance transactions, some of which have won awards as benchmark transactions in South East Asia.   

Swee Loong graduated with double degrees, a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney, Australia. He was admitted as a Barrister-at-Law to the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia in 1990. Subsequently, he was admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1991.

Swee Loong commenced legal practice as a Banking associate at Messrs. Shook Lin & Bok in Kuala Lumpur. In 1995, he joined Messrs. Albar, Zulkifly & Yap and was admitted as a Banking & Finance Partner thereafter. Swee Loong is one of the founding partners who established Albar & Partners. He is currently the Joint Managing Partner.

Swee Loong is acknowledged annually by Asialaw Leading Lawyers as an Elite Practitioner for Banking & Finance and Capital Markets . The Asia Business Law Journal recognised Swee Loong as one of Malaysia’s best private practice lawyers in “The A-List: Malaysia’s Top 100 Lawyers” in 2019. Within the Islamic finance space, he was regarded by the Islamic Finance News as a Leading Lawyer for Islamic Project Finance (2009) and M&A (2012). The Euromoney Expert Guide series have featured Swee Loong as an expert for Islamic Finance (2010), Capital Markets (2011), Banking & Finance and Transactional Lawyers (2012, 2017 to 2019), Best of the Best: Islamic Finance (2013 & 2015).

The Asia Pacific Legal 500: Guide to Asia’s Commercial Law Firms recommended Swee Loong as a Leading Individual in the practice areas of Banking & Finance, Capital Markets and Islamic Finance. Chambers Asia Guide also ranked him as a Band 1 Lawyer for Banking & Finance besides commending him for Islamic Finance. In the IFLR1000: Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, Swee Loong is a Highly Regarded Lawyer in Malaysia for Banking, Capital Markets, Energy & Infrastructure and Project finance.  

Swee Loong has a track record of advising on innovative structures which have won numerous awards including:

Advised the principal advisers and joint lead arrangers in the RM1 billion unrated medium-term note programme established by Tradewinds Hotels & Resorts Sdn Bhd, one of Malaysia’s largest hotel owners. Advised joint principal advisers and joint lead arrangers in the RM1.5 billion Islamic medium-term note programme established by ALSREIT Capital Sdn Bhd based on the Shariah principle of Ijarah. Advised Danajamin Nasional Berhad as the issuer in the inaugural Sukuk Programme of up to RM2 billion for Senior and Subordinated Sukuk Murabahah established by Malaysia’s first financial guarantee insurer. The deal was acclaimed Commodity Murabahah/ Tawarruq Deal of the Year (IFN Deals of the Year Awards 2017). Advised the principal adviser and lead arranger in an unrated Islamic medium-term notes programme issuance of up to RM10 billion established by Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, based on the Shariah principle of Murabahah (via a Tawarruq arrangement). This deal was recognised as Star Deal of the Year (Asia Business Law Journal Deals of the Year Awards 2017). Advised the joint principal advisers and joint lead arrangers in the establishment of a medium-term notes programme of up to RM3 billion in nominal value by MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems Sdn Bhd. Advised a corporation, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of a Forbes Asia’s Fabulous 50 company and a leading global integrated oil and gas services and solutions provider, in a multi-currency Islamic medium term-notes programme of up to RM7 billion in nominal value (or in USD equivalent), which was the first Sukuk lodged with the Malaysian Securities Commission under the Malaysian Guidelines on Unlisted Capital Market Products under the Lodge and Launch Framework 2015. Also advised the same oil and gas giant in its senior multi-currency syndicated facilities of up to USD5.5 billion obtained from regional and international lenders, in a deal which was recognised as Malaysia Deal of the Year and Debt Market Deal of the Year (ALB Malaysia Law Awards 2015). Advised Kencana Petroleum Berhad in the merger of businesses of the Kencana Petroleum Berhad group and the Sapuracrest Petroleum Berhad group through an offer to acquire the entire business and undertakings, including all assets and liabilities of Kencana Petroleum Berhad and an offer to acquire the business and undertakings, including all assets and liabilities of Sapuracrest Petroleum Berhad, resulting in the merger of assets of an aggregate value of over RM11.8 billion to form Sapura Kencana Petroleum Berhad, the largest O&G player in the nation and a top 5 in the world by asset size in 2012.

Bahasa Malaysia, English and Cantonese

Barrister-at-Law, Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya and member of the Malaysian Bar

B.Ec (Accounting), The University of Sydney, Australia.LL.B, The University of Sydney, Australia.Barrister-at-Law, Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia.Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.