Raphael Kok Chi Ren

What is your current role, or what are you working on?
I am a partner at Lim Chee Wee Partnership, a dispute resolution firm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I specialise in shareholder feuds, asset recovery, and energy disputes. Whilst Malaysia has a fused legal profession, I consider myself — or at least, aspire to be — more of an advocate than solicitor. Amidst the daily grind of practice, what drives me is advancing novel points of law before the superior courts — especially to correct misconceptions that may dangerously steer judges and lawyers astray from first principles. Yes, I am a law geek!

What is your proudest achievement?
In recent times? Having my article on “The Dichotomy between Jurisdiction and Admissibility in International Arbitration” (2024) 73(2) ICLQ 417 cited by the High Court of Australia in CBI Constructors Pty Ltd v Chevron Australia Pty Ltd [2024] HCA 28 (albeit buried in a footnote of the majority judgment). This came as a welcome surprise, as I had posited a contrarian view that swam against the tide of jurisprudence in England & Wales, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

There are now 25 hours in a day! How would you spend your extra hour?
As the only living being conscious and active in that extra hour? Finally, a quantum of solace! I would wander across the Earth, pondering on the mysteries of law and life (e.g., Case of the Speluncean Explorers). But if everyone else equally had 25 hours daily, then this wouldn’t bring any difference, honestly. All of us will still get caught up in the prolonged daily grind — due to the inextricable nexus between work and the space-time continuum (aka Parkinson’s Law).

If you weren't a lawyer, what would you do?
An astronaut. Or an astrophysicist (if I can’t pass the gruelling fitness training). Realistically? Maybe a struggling author spinning tales from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Your favourite food haunt is...?
Any local kopitiam will make my day. Lately, due to its ubiquity at malls, my go-to fix is Bungkus Kaw Kaw for some good old coffee (tambah kaw, kurang manis!), nasi lemak, glutinous rice, and kaya toast.