Disputes
Clear legal strategy for disputes.
Led by Justin Yap · Civil Litigation & Digital Assets
Overview
JPP LAW acts in civil and commercial disputes from Kuala Lumpur: litigation, arbitration, CIPAA adjudication, digital-asset and cryptocurrency disputes, and enforcement, advised directly by a partner.
A dispute is rarely just a legal problem. It can affect cash flow, business relationships, reputation, family arrangements, assets, and future decision-making.
We help clients understand their legal position, assess the available evidence, and choose the right course of action. Where a firm response is required, we act in court proceedings, adjudication, arbitration, and enforcement. Where a practical resolution is possible, we help clients negotiate from a stronger position.
Areas We Handle
We act in a broad range of civil, commercial, and private client disputes.
Our work includes corporate and shareholder disputes involving directors, shareholders, business ownership, company affairs, breach of duty, fraud, forgery, conspiracy, and related commercial misconduct.
We also handle commercial and contractual disputes involving unpaid sums, debt recovery, service agreements, business arrangements, banking matters, professional negligence, and other civil claims.
We act in disputes involving digital assets and cryptocurrency, including fraud, scams, and misappropriation, exchange and wallet disputes, asset tracing and recovery, and the enforcement or freezing of digital-asset holdings.
For construction and payment-related matters, we assist with CIPAA claims, construction payment disputes, arbitral proceedings, and the enforcement of adjudication decisions or arbitral awards.
We advise on employment and workplace disputes, including unfair dismissal claims, constructive dismissal, retrenchment issues, disciplinary processes, warning letters, and workplace complaints, acting for both employees and employers.
Our disputes practice also covers family, probate, and estate matters, including divorce-related disputes, estate administration, probate applications, will-related issues, and inheritance disputes.
Where court action is required, we act in injunctions, interlocutory applications, enforcement proceedings, appeals, and general civil litigation.
How We Approach Disputes
We focus on the strength of the documents, the available evidence, the client's objective, and the practical cost of each step.
Some disputes require immediate court action. Some are better handled through negotiation, adjudication, arbitration, or enforcement strategy. Our role is to help clients move with clarity, pressure, and purpose.
How a dispute engagement runs
01
First conversation
You tell us what happened and what you want to achieve. We ask for the documents that matter: the contract, the correspondence, the invoices, and any letter or court paper you have received. Where there is a deadline, we identify it on the first call.
02
Position and options
We give you a written read on where you stand: the strength of the claim or defence, the gaps in the evidence, the likely cost of each route, and the realistic outcomes. You decide with the full picture in front of you.
03
Strategy, then pressure
Some matters are resolved by a well-timed letter of demand and a negotiated settlement. Others need an injunction, a summary judgment application, an adjudication, or a full trial. We match the tool to the objective and move.
04
Enforcement and close
A judgment or award is only worth what you can collect. We plan enforcement from the start: winding up, bankruptcy, garnishee proceedings, seizure and sale, or asset tracing where funds have moved, including into digital assets.
Typical matters
- Unpaid invoices and debt recovery, from letter of demand to bankruptcy or winding up
- Breach of contract, service agreements, and supply and distribution disputes
- Shareholder and director disputes, oppression, breach of duty, and control of the company
- Fraud, conspiracy, and misappropriation claims, including asset tracing
- Cryptocurrency and digital-asset disputes: scams, exchange and wallet issues, freezing and recovery
- CIPAA payment claims, adjudication, and the enforcement or setting aside of decisions
- Arbitration and the enforcement of arbitral awards
- Unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, and retrenchment claims before the Industrial Court
- Probate, estate, and inheritance disputes
- Injunctions, summary judgment, setting aside default judgments, and appeals
Fees and how we scope work
For defined steps, such as reviewing documents and advising on your position, drafting a letter of demand, or preparing a response to a bankruptcy notice or statutory demand, JPP LAW can usually quote a fixed fee before starting. You know the cost before you commit.
Litigation, arbitration, and adjudication are staged. We scope each stage, from pleadings to interlocutory applications to trial, and agree the fee for that stage in advance, with an estimate of what follows. Court filing fees and disbursements are itemised separately. We will also tell you plainly where a claim is not worth the cost of pursuing.
Common questions
How long does a civil claim take in Malaysia?
It depends on the track and on whether the defendant contests the claim. An uncontested debt claim can reach judgment within a few months. A contested High Court action with a full trial commonly takes one to two years, and appeals add to that. Summary judgment, where the defence has no real merit, can shorten this considerably. We give you a realistic timeline once we have seen the documents.
What is a summary judgment application→Do I need to send a letter of demand before suing?
It is not always legally required, but it is usually the right first step. A well-drafted letter of demand sets out the claim, fixes a deadline, and often produces payment or a negotiated settlement without court. It also puts you in a stronger position on costs if you do have to sue.
What is a letter of demand→Can you recover the money once I have a judgment?
A judgment is a court order, not a payment. Enforcement is a separate step. The options include a judgment debtor summons, garnishee proceedings against bank accounts, a writ of seizure and sale, a bankruptcy notice against an individual, or a winding-up petition against a company. We advise on the route most likely to produce payment, not just paper.
The RM100,000 bankruptcy rule→Do you act for both claimants and defendants?
Yes. JPP LAW acts for parties bringing claims and for parties defending them, including businesses and individuals who have received a letter of demand, a writ, a statutory demand, a bankruptcy notice, or a CIPAA payment claim. Early advice on the defence side often changes the outcome.
What to do after receiving a letter of demand→Insights
Plain-language notes from this practice on the questions clients ask most.
- EmploymentCan You Be Dismissed During Probation in Malaysia?
- CIPAA AdjudicationWhat Is CIPAA and How Does It Help With Construction Payment Disputes?
- Disputes & LitigationDebt Recovery: What To Do If Someone Refuses to Pay?
- EmploymentCan Your Employer Reject Your Resignation in Malaysia?
- Disputes & LitigationWhat Is a Default Judgment and How Can It Be Set Aside?
- Disputes & LitigationWhat Is a Letter of Demand?
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