Ms Lai Ling Tong > Raja, Darryl & Loh > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia > Lawyer Profile

Ms Lai Ling Tong

+603 2632 9878 tonglailing@rdl.com.my

Work Department

Technology, Multimedia and Telecommunications

Position

Partner; Head of Technology, Multimedia & Telecommunications

Career

Lai Ling graduated from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, in 1993 and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in the same year.  Following this, she practised in Auckland, New Zealand in the areas of conveyancing and commercial law until her return to Malaysia in late 1998.  Admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 1999, Lai Ling became a partner of the firm in 2005.

Heading the Technology, Multimedia & Telecommunications (TMT) practice group, Lai Ling works with a range of clients in the TMT sector, advising on commercial issues and drafting and negotiating IT and telecommunications contracts, including agreements relating to procurement, software development, maintenance and support services, outsourcing, service level agreements, e-commerce, cloud services and privacy policies.  She also advises clients from a variety of industries on compliance with personal data protection law, privacy laws and cyber laws.  In line with the development of the digital economy, Lai Ling has been busy rendering advice on issues such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Lai Ling has been recognised as a leading individual in TMT by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific, asialaw and Chambers Asia Pacific.  In 2021, Legal 500 Asia Pacific enrolled her in its Hall of Fame.  She has maintained that status.     Lai Ling was also recently listed in Asian Legal Business’s Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyers, one of only two lawyers from Malaysia to be included.  In recognition of the high quality of her work in relation to the law on data protection, the Who’s Who Legal 2023 has recommended Lai Ling as a National Leader for Southeast Asia – Data 2023.

Lai Ling has been described in legal publications as ‘a recognised expert in this sector’, ‘meticulous, responsive and practical’, that she ‘really understands clients’ needs’ and that she has ‘experience and knowledge on IT and software agreements.’

Languages

English; Bahasa Malaysia; Cantonese (spoken only).

Memberships

Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand (1993); Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya (1999); Member of the Malaysian Bar Council Ad Hoc Committee on Personal Data Protection; Member of the Malaysian Bar Council Information Technology and Cyberlaw Committee; Vice-Chair of the Inter Pacific Bar Association TMT Committee; Member of the Society for Computers & Law (UK) .

Education

Bachelor of Laws (Hons), Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand [1993].