The Partners of Skrine extend our best wishes for a very Happy 2023, with hopes for peace, prosperity and good health for everyone.
 
With the world being so interconnected today, issues such as ESG, climate change, supply chain issues, inflation due to rise in energy pricing and raw material shortages, and humanitarian issues caused by natural disasters and disruptions by conflicts in many parts of the world affect all of us. As a Firm, we are conscious of the need for quick, commercially minded legal advice to help our clients navigate through all of these hurdles, to prepare well for these challenges, and to provide the best service possible to clients. Through our networks and our law firm “best friends”, our ability to provide regional and international reach and rapid responses provide our clients with the ability to have a swift response to the challenges they face. 
 
We are constantly evolving to keep pace with the times, and continue in our efforts to break new ground, with the addition of Harald Sippel as Head of our European Desk (only the third foreign counsel to be admitted in Malaysia), our new Practice Groups of ESG ( an expansion of Skrine’s well established environmental, labour law, compliance and corporate governance practices), Data Centres & IT Infrastructure, Fintech, increased renewable energy focus under the Energy Practice Group and Skrine’s One-Stop Centre, just to name a few. 
 
Although we are already one of the largest law firms in Malaysia, the Firm continues to rapidly grow and expand, and we are pleased to announce the addition of five new Partners, one new Senior Associate I and four new Senior Associates II on 1 January 2023.
 
Skrine will turn 60 in 2023 … a legacy we are proud of, and a special milestone for a Firm built on integrity and work of the highest standards. On this strong foundation we forge ahead with wisdom, fortitude and integrity to serve our clients and communities. In the year ahead, we intend to continue our volunteer programs and to utilise our skills and resources to give back to communities and to increase our outreach. We will through our social responsibility unit of lawyers continue to serve communities, and will in 2023 via our volunteer programs, continue serving at soup kitchens, taking on pro bono litigation and mentoring underprivileged students as well as empowering future generations. In 2022, the Firm’s Go Green Initiative contributed 271 kilograms of paper to Alam Flora for recycling, in addition to donations to a children’s home and an old folks’ home from our annual year-end Food Donation Drive of dried food products to cultivate a culture at Skrine of reducing food waste. Under this initiative, we will continue in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through reduction of use of electricity and recycling also of aluminium, plastic and boxed cartons.
 
The Partners of Skrine express our sincere appreciation and heartfelt thank you to all our clients and collaborative partners for all your support, and are grateful for the support received which won the Firm recognition as the Malaysia Law Firm of the Year 2022 by Chambers Asia Pacific and Private Equity Law Firm of the Year 2022 by Islamic Finance News. We look forward excitedly to working together with you to achieve your goals and plans.
 
To quote Kahlil Gibran with a small adaptation “No human relation gives one possession in another—every two souls are absolutely different. In friendship or in [work], the two side by side raise hands together to find what one cannot reach alone”.
 
Have a wonderful start to the New Year and a truly successful 2023.
 
Thank you very much.
 
To’ Puan Janet Looi
Senior Partner
SKRINE