Senior Associate Profiles

Lim Yi Rou, Kayla

Background

Kayla graduated with an LL.B (Hons) from Multimedia University and was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 2020. Prior to joining Lee & Tengku Azrina, she practised in the real estate, conveyancing, commercial, and banking departments of established firms in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, gaining broad exposure and hands-on experience across all three core practice areas.

Kayla is fluent in English, Malay, and Chinese. Her proficiency in Chinese has supported her work with Chinese and Taiwanese investors. Outside her legal practice, she enjoys reading, golf, and participating in professional and social networking events, which help foster client relationships and support business development.

Experience

Kayla has over five years of experience advising on a broad spectrum of corporate and commercial matters, banking and finance transactions, and real estate projects. Her multidisciplinary practice allows her to support clients across all major stages of a transaction, from structuring and negotiation to documentation, compliance, and completion. Kayla acts for developers, financial institutions, multinational corporations, listed companies, and foreign investors across diverse sectors.

Her corporate and commercial work consists of advising foreign companies on establishing operations in Malaysia, including regulatory compliance, investment structuring, acquisition of assets, and the development of manufacturing facilities. She has conducted due diligence for listed companies in connection with corporate acquisitions, disposals, and Bursa Malaysia submissions, and regularly collaborates with foreign solicitors to support cross-border elements of commercial, investment, and regulatory matters.

In banking and finance, Kayla advises financial institutions as well as corporate borrowers on a wide spectrum of financing matters, including corporate financing, construction financing, acquisition financing, and restructuring exercises. She prepares, reviews, and negotiates comprehensive suites of banking and security documentation.

Kayla has substantial experience in real estate and property advisory work, including acting in a single sale and purchase transaction with a purchase price exceeding RM800 million, involving significant commercial real estate assets. She advises developers, corporate landowners, and institutional investors on development planning, project structuring, regulatory and land compliance matters, end-financier arrangements, and large-scale asset acquisitions and disposals across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.

Notable Work Highlights

  • Managed and executed a single high-value real estate transaction exceeding RM800 million, involving complex structuring and negotiations for the acquisition of development land.
  • Managed a diverse portfolio of real estate instructions for Malaysian companies, delivering end-to-end advisory on acquisitions, disposals, development projects, commercial leasing, and banking documentation involving substantial commercial value.
  • Advised foreign investors and multinational corporations on the acquisition of assets in Johor, including compliance with state authority approvals, foreign investment thresholds, land restinctions, and structuring considerations.
  • Advised foreign manufacturing companies on establishing production and industrial facilities in Malaysia, covering land acquisition, project development issues, regulatory compliance, planning permissions, and construction documentation.
  • Acted for property developers on end-to-end development matters, including development planning, project structuring, end-financier arrangements, regulatory approvals, and full compliance with Malaysian housing and development legislation.
  • Prepared, reviewed, and negotiated complex development agreements and joint venture structures for large-scale property development projects, ensuring legal soundness, commercial viability, and compliance with state authority requirements.
  • Drafted, structured, and reviewed high-value tenancy and leasing documentation, including premium commercial and retail leases with rental commitments of up to RM500,000 per month.
  • Drafted, negotiated, and reviewed the full suite of loan and security documentation for a single high-value financing exceeding RM200 million, while also handling numerous other financing transactions across multiple sectors.
  • Provided legal advice, risk assessments, and regulatory compliance guidance to financial institutions.
  • Worked closely with foreign solicitors and international counsel across multiple jurisdictions to facilitate cross-border investments, corporate structuring, and the establishment of foreign-owned business operations in Malaysia.
  • Advised clients on Malaysian banking, financial, and exchange control regulations, including regulatory reporting obligations, approval pathways, and compliance risks under the Bank Negara Malaysia framework.
  • Conducted and coordinated corporate due diligence exercises for public-listed and private companies in relation to acquisitions, disposals, and Bursa Malaysia compliance requirements.
  • Advised corporate clients on governance and compliance matters, including board and shareholder processes, statutory requirements, regulatory filings, and compliance with the Companies Act 2016 and subsidiary legislation.
  • Delivered extensive legal opinions for corporate and financial sector clients, including capacity and authority confirmations, enforceability assessments, regulatory and land compliance analysis, banking and corporate structuring reviews, and transaction-specific advisory notes designed to address legal risks and support commercial decision-making.
  • Liaised extensively with key government and regulatory authorities, including the Land Registry/Office, the State Authority, Local Councils, the Companies Commission of Malaysia, Bursa Malaysia, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), and the Iskandar Malaysia Facilitation & Joint Committee (IMFJ), to secure regulatory approvals, obtain exemptions, and confirm compliance for major corporate, real estate, and cross-border transactions.
  • Managed and executed a single high-value real estate transaction exceeding RM800 million, involving complex structuring and negotiations for the acquisition of development land.
  • Managed a diverse portfolio of real estate instructions for Malaysian companies, delivering end-to-end advisory on acquisitions, disposals, development projects, commercial leasing, and banking documentation involving substantial commercial value.
  • Advised foreign investors and multinational corporations on the acquisition of assets in Johor, including compliance with state authority approvals, foreign investment thresholds, land restinctions, and structuring considerations.
  • Advised foreign manufacturing companies on establishing production and industrial facilities in Malaysia, covering land acquisition, project development issues, regulatory compliance, planning permissions, and construction documentation.
  • Acted for property developers on end-to-end development matters, including development planning, project structuring, end-financier arrangements, regulatory approvals, and full compliance with Malaysian housing and development legislation.
  • Prepared, reviewed, and negotiated complex development agreements and joint venture structures for large-scale property development projects, ensuring legal soundness, commercial viability, and compliance with state authority requirements.
  • Drafted, structured, and reviewed high-value tenancy and leasing documentation, including premium commercial and retail leases with rental commitments of up to RM500,000 per month.
  • Drafted, negotiated, and reviewed the full suite of loan and security documentation for a single high-value financing exceeding RM200 million, while also handling numerous other financing transactions across multiple sectors.
  • Provided legal advice, risk assessments, and regulatory compliance guidance to financial institutions.
  • Worked closely with foreign solicitors and international counsel across multiple jurisdictions to facilitate cross-border investments, corporate structuring, and the establishment of foreign-owned business operations in Malaysia.
  • Advised clients on Malaysian banking, financial, and exchange control regulations, including regulatory reporting obligations, approval pathways, and compliance risks under the Bank Negara Malaysia framework.
  • Conducted and coordinated corporate due diligence exercises for public-listed and private companies in relation to acquisitions, disposals, and Bursa Malaysia compliance requirements.
  • Advised corporate clients on governance and compliance matters, including board and shareholder processes, statutory requirements, regulatory filings, and compliance with the Companies Act 2016 and subsidiary legislation.
  • Delivered extensive legal opinions for corporate and financial sector clients, including capacity and authority confirmations, enforceability assessments, regulatory and land compliance analysis, banking and corporate structuring reviews, and transaction-specific advisory notes designed to address legal risks and support commercial decision-making.
  • Liaised extensively with key government and regulatory authorities, including the Land Registry/Office, the State Authority, Local Councils, the Companies Commission of Malaysia, Bursa Malaysia, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), and the Iskandar Malaysia Facilitation & Joint Committee (IMFJ), to secure regulatory approvals, obtain exemptions, and confirm compliance for major corporate, real estate, and cross-border transactions.

Admission & Education

  • Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya (2020)
  • Multimedia University (LL.B Hons)