Zul Rafique &Partners Enhances Real Estate Practice With Ainal Marlinda Md Said’s Return

Zul Rafique & Partners Enhances Real Estate Practice with Ainal Marlinda Md Said’s Return

Malaysian firm Zul Rafique & Partners has welcomed back Ainal Marlinda Md Said to its corporate real estate practice after more than two years.“We are seeing several significant shifts in Malaysia’s real estate market that are shaping new legal challenges for our clients. Key trends include the rapid growth of sustainable developments, increased urbanisation, and a surge in demand for data centres, driven by the rise of digital infrastructure and cloud services,” said Lukman Alias, Co-Managing Partner at Zul Rafique.

Following her recent tenure as head of legal at Sime Darby Property, Said’s return to Zul Rafique is a move to address growing complexities in Malaysia’s real estate and energy sectors. She initially joined the firm in 2015 after her more than a decade stint at Chambers of Farah Suhanah Advocates and Solicitors. Said’s experience spans across all types of property asset classes including residential, commercial, industrial, office units, buildings, warehouses and factories, data centres, vacant land and Malay Reserve lands. With a knowledge of property disposal/acquisitions, leases and Islamic and conventional financing, she is poised to drive new opportunities for clients navigating Malaysia’s property market.

The firm’s recent expansion includes the addition of partner Syed Haris Syed Yahya to its energy practice. Reflecting on this move, Alias said: “In reviewing our real estate and energy practice, we identified a growing demand from our clients for industry-specific legal skills in both complex property transactions and energy-related infrastructure developments.”