Sylvester read law at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle and obtained the Certificate in Legal Practice from Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board in 2016. He was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak, and a member of the Sarawak Bar since early 2018. He is a member of the Advocates’ Association of Sarawak.
Sylvester’s area of legal practice is in general litigation with a focus on contractual & commercial claims, defamatory actions, family & matrimonial disputes, compulsory land acquisitions & compensation, and construction disputes. Amongst others, he is also experienced in handling contentious probate and administration matters, company & partnership disputes, and/or disputes revolving housing development law in Sarawak.
Out of court, he is also an active ADR practitioner in the local scene, by regularly involved in various modes of construction dispute resolution, such as statutory adjudication under the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act 2012 (CIPAA 2012), and both domestic and international arbitration. He is currently a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (“MCIArb”), Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators (“MMIArb”) and Asian Institute of Alternative Dispute Resolution (“MAIADR”). He has also obtained a Diploma in International Arbitration, awarded by Brickfields Asia College in collaboration with Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators.
He is also an insolvency practitioner, and he is a registered Insolvency Nominee pursuant to Section 2F of the Insolvency Act 1967, to serve as an independent party to oversee and supervise the implementation of the voluntary arrangement i.e. a composition in satisfaction of a debtor’s debt or a scheme of arrangement of a debtor’s affairs.
Sylvester is known for his pragmatic approach, acting in the best interests of his clients. His guidance and advice often take into consideration, both reputational and financial risks. He is a trilingual person and has good rapport with his clients, which is often maintained through his friendly demeanour and active reporting.
In his spare time, Sylvester enjoys lecturing in the local university college. He is a permitted lecturer under the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996.