STELLARIS LAW · COMPANY
A practice built specifically around construction law
Formed to serve the particular legal needs of parties working on Malaysian construction projects — from pre-contract review through to formal dispute resolution.
Back to HomeABOUT THE PRACTICE
Why construction law, and why Sabah
Stellaris Law was established in Kota Kinabalu with a deliberate focus: to provide legal support that is actually useful to people working on construction projects in Sabah and across Malaysia. The practice does not attempt to cover every area of law. The work is construction work — contracts, claims, disputes, and the statutory mechanisms that govern them.
The decision to base the practice in Sabah reflects a recognition that the state's construction sector — infrastructure, commercial, residential, and government — generates its own distinct legal requirements, and that parties here benefit from counsel with practical familiarity with regional project conditions and the procuring bodies involved.
The team's approach to any matter begins with the contract documents rather than general principle. What the specific contract says about certification windows, extension of time procedures, and dispute resolution mechanisms shapes every piece of advice. Generic answers are rarely useful in construction disputes.
The practice works with property owners who need their contracts reviewed before signing, contractors dealing with disputed certifications, developers managing delay claims from multiple parties, and subcontractors navigating the adjudication process for the first time. The engagements are structured to match the stage of the matter and the work involved.
ESTABLISHED
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Serving construction matters across Malaysia
PRACTICE FOCUS
Construction Law Only
Contract review · Payment claims · Adjudication · Arbitration · Litigation
PROFESSIONAL STANDING
Members of the Malaysian Bar and Sabah Law Society. Practitioners holding relevant qualifications in construction dispute resolution.
THE TEAM
The people behind the practice
Ahmad Junaidi bin Razali
Principal — Construction Law
Called to the Malaysian Bar and a member of the Sabah Law Society, Ahmad Junaidi has practised in construction and infrastructure disputes for over a decade. He leads the adjudication and arbitration work at the firm.
Shirley Lim Wei Ting
Senior Associate — Contract Advisory
Shirley focuses on pre-project contract review and payment claim preparation. Her background in quantity surveying before legal practice gives her a practical understanding of construction documentation and cost matters.
Rajan Murugesan
Associate — Dispute Proceedings
Rajan assists with dispute preparation, legal research, and submissions across the firm's adjudication and court matters. He has particular experience in delay analysis and extension of time claims.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
How the practice maintains its professional standards
Bar Council Compliance
All practitioners are members in good standing of the Malaysian Bar. Professional conduct, fee transparency, and client communication are governed by the Legal Profession Act 1976 and the Bar Council's Practice Directions.
CIPAA Practitioner Knowledge
The team maintains current working knowledge of the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012, including adjudication procedure rules, enforceability decisions from the courts, and evolving practice standards in the adjudication community.
Defined Engagement Letters
Every matter begins with a written engagement letter setting out scope, deliverables, fee structure, and re-evaluation points. Scope changes are documented in writing before additional work proceeds.
Client Confidentiality
All client information and project details are held in strict confidence. The firm does not discuss client matters outside the team without express authority. Conflict-of-interest checks are conducted before accepting new instructions.
Regular Client Updates
Clients receive written updates at meaningful stages of their matter. The team does not allow correspondence to go unanswered beyond one working day. Progress and position are reported in plain language.
Continuing Professional Development
The team participates in CPD programmes covering construction law developments, adjudicator training, and updates to standard form contracts in Malaysia. Minimum CPD hours required by the Bar Council are consistently exceeded.
PRACTICE VALUES
What guides the work at Stellaris Law
Construction disputes in Malaysia involve real financial consequences for developers managing cash flow, contractors carrying project costs, and subcontractors waiting on certified sums. The practice operates from the position that legal advice in this area should be honest about the strengths and weaknesses of a position, structured to the stage of the matter, and oriented toward a defined outcome rather than open-ended engagement.
The statutory adjudication mechanism introduced by CIPAA 2012 changed how payment disputes in the Malaysian construction industry are handled. The practice works within that framework as a matter of course — preparing claims and responses that are properly structured for adjudication from the outset, rather than adapting general litigation material when escalation becomes necessary.
The firm's work in East Malaysia means the team is familiar with the particular conditions affecting construction in Sabah and Sarawak — project remoteness, procurement through state bodies such as Jabatan Kerja Raya Sabah, and the practicalities of running construction programmes in the region. That familiarity informs the advice the practice provides.
Stellaris Law accepts instructions from property owners, main contractors, nominated subcontractors, developers, and employers across the construction sector. The firm does not represent parties in conflict where a conflict of interest exists, and conducts checks before accepting each new matter.
Speak with the team about your construction matter
The team is available for an initial conversation on any construction contract or dispute matter. There is no charge for an introductory call.
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