Lawyer’s Profile:

Rueben obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Law (Honours) degree from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England in 1987 and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Malaya in 2002. He is a Barrister-At-Law, Lincoln’s Inn, London (admitted in 1989), a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and the High Court of Australia (admitted in 1990) and an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya (admitted in 1990). Rueben is also a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom (FCIArb.) and the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators (FMIArb.), holds a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration [DipICArb. (CIArb)] and a Certificate in Adjudication from the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (now known as Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC)).

Career

Rueben was admitted to the Bar of England & Wales in 1989 by the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, London after which he returned to Malaysia to embark on his legal career. In December of the same year, he commenced his pupillage in the legal firm of Azman, Davidson & Co, Kuala Lumpur under the tutelage of his Master, Dato’ William Stanley Walker Davidson, an eminent lawyer and founding Senior Partner of that firm. Having successfully completed his pupillage, Rueben was admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in October 1990. Shortly thereafter, he was admitted as a Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and the High Court of Australia.

Upon his admission to the High Court of Malaya as an Advocate & Solicitor, Rueben was retained as an Associate in Azman Davidson & Co as of November 1990 and was later made a Partner in 1997.  Having been with Azman Davidson & Co for 13 years out of which a Partner of the firm ever since 1997, Rueben then accepted the offer of partnership in Malaysia’s largest law firm, Zaid Ibrahim & Co in February 2003. In May 2006, he ventured out to set up his own practice under the name and style of Rueben Williams. A year later, Rueben Williams merged with the firm of BH Lawrence & Co. and Rueben remained there as a Partner in the firm’s Litigation Division until the end of May 2009 after which he reverted to the former Rueben Williams on 1 June 2009. In June of 2014, Rueben accepted the invitation to become a Partner in Messrs T H Liew & Partners (now known as Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners), in which firm he practices until this day.

On 25 February 2010, Rueben was appointed a Notary Public by the Attorney-General of Malaysia.

Experience

Rueben has 31 years of litigation experience particularly in the areas of civil and commercial litigation encompassing a broad range of contractual disputes, acting for regulatory authorities like Labuan FSA (Labuan Financial Services Authority) in disputes involving them and others, defamation (libel & slander), arbitration, construction, debt collection, landlord and tenant and employment law. He has appeared before the courts at all levels in Malaysia and has represented and acted for many large corporations in a wide range of disputes.

Rueben has also appeared both as Counsel and presided as an Arbitrator in arbitration proceedings and is at present an Arbitrator and Adjudicator on the panel of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC).

Significant Matters:

• Acting as counsel and co-counsel in a case involving the registration of a foreign arbitral award in Malaysia obtained by World Sport Nimbus Pte Ltd (WSN) against Sri Lanka Cricket from the High Court all the way up to the Federal Court in which the matter was subsequently settled in favour of WSN.
• Representing various personalities and companies/organisations in their libel claims including Malaysia’s leading actress at the time Sofia Jane Hisham, the charitable organisation behind the iconic Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang, Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, former Deputy Minister and MCA CWC Member, and defending various news organisations like the New Straits Times (M) Berhad, Sistem Televisyen Malalysia Berhad, Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad, Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad in libel claims brought against them by various parties including Lim Guan Eng, former Chief Minister of Penang, Tan Sri Adnan Yaakob, former Chief Minister of Pahang, Dato Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, former Minister for Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries.
• Advising and assisting Star Publications (M) Berhad, publisher of Malaysia’s leading English newspaper in conducting their Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) offered to their employees nationwide.

Memberships/Appointments:

• Arbitrator and Adjudicator on the panel of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC).
• Notary Public, Kuala Lumpur appointed by the Attorney-General of Malaysia.
• Served on the Bar Council’s Industrial Court Rules and Practice Sub-Committee, Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee’s Public Relations Sub-Committee and as an Examiner of the Malaysian Bar’s Ethics & Professional Conduct Written Examination.
• Formerly a Committee Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom) Malaysia Branch for 2 terms.
• Past Secretary and Treasurer of the Kuala Lumpur Cricket Association (KLCA).
• Legal Adviser to the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC).
• Former Tender Board Committee Member of the Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur.
• Secretary of the Royal Selangor Club Cricket Section, Kuala Lumpur

Speaking Engagements/Articles written:

• January 2003: “Dealing with Breaches of An Employment Contract “ at a conference entitled “Structuring Employment Contracts and Effective Handling of Termination and Dismissals”;
• July 2008 & September 2009: “Essentials of Safe and Proper Article Writing from the Perspective of the Law of Defamation” at a Seminar cum Workshop for journalists at the New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.
• February 2012: “A Simple Guide to Safe and Proper News Reporting and Article Writing from the Perspective of the Law of Defamation” at a seminar cum workshop for journalists at Media Prima Berhad.
• February 2014 & January 2015: Lectured at the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators Membership upgrade course for the years 2014 & 2015 on “The Arbitration Hearing Process”.
• July 2017: “The Law Relating to Responsible Journalism” – Lecture and tutorial for journalists from Berita Nasional Malaysia (Bernama).
• October 2019 “News Reporting from Source to Print” – Lecture and tutorial for journalists from New Straits Times Press (M) Sdn Bhd.

Books authored:

• Evans on Defamation in Singapore and Malaysia (3^rd Edition) by Doris Cheah and Rueben Mathiavaranam (Lexis Nexis)

Year called to bar, University:

• Graduated with a BA (Hons) Law (Kent) in 1987 (from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England) – BA (Hons) Kent (Law)
• Obtained Bar-At-Law (Lincoln’s Inn) in 1989 – Barrister, of Lincoln’s Inn
• Admitted to the Bar of England & Wales by the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in 1989
• Admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court in Malaya in 1990
• Admitted as a Barrister & Solicitor of Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in 1990
• Admitted as a Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of Australia in 1990
• Graduated with a Master of Laws from the University of Malaya in 2002 – LLM (Malaya)
• Obtained Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) in 2013 – (Dip. ICArb.) (CIArb.)
• Certificate in Adjudication from the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) in 2014
• Admitted as Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators –  (FCIArb.)
• Admitted as a Fellow of the Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators –  (FMIArb.)

Languages spoken other than English:

• Malay
• Tamil