Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill

Employment

Senior Partner (Employment)

Heng Seng, a Consultant at LHAG, ranked as a Band 1 practitioner by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024, and leads the Employment & Industrial Relations Department, known for its “value and commitment”. Before entering private practice, he served in various capacities with the Malaysian Judicial and Legal Service, including a seven-year spell as Chairman of the Industrial Court, where he also served as Chairman of the Social Security (SOCSO) Appellate Board.

Heng Seng’s practice covers all aspects of employment and industrial relations law, with a particular focus on corporate advisory work. He advises widely on corporate reorganisation and restructuring where management of transition and migration of people requires sensitive and sensible handling.

Heng Seng has also developed expertise in advising corporate clients on the due and proper exercise of their managerial prerogatives based on good and accepted industrial relations practices and well-established principles of industrial jurisprudence.

Heng Seng’s forte is strategic and close collaboration with client’s human resource and/or legal personnel in identifying people issues and proposing systemic solutions aimed at resolving and settling complex workplace issues. This intentional, solution-based approach provides corporate clients optimises management time and resources otherwise diverted towards time-consuming and expensive litigation and nurtures good industrial relations.

Heng Seng selectively litigates employment and industrial relations cases in the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Federal Court. He chairs the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and actively acts as counsel in strategic litigation cases involving aboriginal and native peoples’ fundamental rights and the religious freedoms of minorities.

Heng Seng’s clients include international household names with significant operations in Malaysia, such as: (i) BASF (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; (ii) Orange SBusiness Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd; (iii) ACCA Malaysia Sdn Bhd; (iv) HRD Aero Systems, Inc.; (v) CIBA VISION Johor Sdn Bhd; (vi) CHEP (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; (vii) Samsung Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd; (viii) Vesta Partners; (ix) DHL Asia Pacific Shared Services Sdn Bhd; (x) ORIX Leasing Malaysia Berhad; (xi) Games Workshop Group PLC; (xii) Cochlear Malaysia Sdn Bhd; (xiii) Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Tax Services Sdn Bhd; (xiv) OTL Asia Sdn Bhd (f.k.a. CKE Transport Agency Sdn Bhd); (xv) Valmont Industries, Inc.; (xvi) Teknion Furniture Systems (M) Sdn Bhd; (xvii) Schenker Logistics (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd; (xviii) Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG; (xix) Cathay Pacific Airways Limited; (xx) COHU Malaysia Sdn Bhd; and (xxi) Rizing, LLC; as well as leading Malaysian corporates.

Heng Seng’s legal advisory expertise have also been sought by local and foreign government and statutory bodies, diplomatic missions, and international organisations such as: (i) Bank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia); (ii) the United States of America Department of Justice; (iii) Islamic Financial Services Board; (iv) International Committee of the Red Cross; (iv) International Rescue Committee, Inc; (v) The South East Asian Central Banks (SEACEN) Research and Training Centre, and (vi) the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Heng Seng has been a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the Industrial Law Reports published by the Malaysian Current Law Journal since 2004.

Heng Seng is a regular speaker and panelist in employment and industrial relations law seminars and conferences, where he shares his knowledge and experience on topics of current interest to practitioners. Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2024 ranked him as a “Litigation Star” in the Labour & Employment, and Commercial & Transactions categories. Heng Seng is also recognised in the “Hall of Fame” category for Labour & Employment in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 rankings. He is one of two consultants ranked as an “Elite Practitioner” in Asialaw 2023/2024.

English, Malay

Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya

LLB Hons (Hons), University of Malaya LLM, London School of Economics & Political Science, University of London Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya