Hui Wen Tan

The past 12 months have been huge for University of Auckland-trained lawyer Hui Wen Tan. She not only was elected to the committee of the Malaysia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (MNZCC), but also became a partner in and head of dispute resolution at Malaysian law firm Jeff Leong, Poon & Wong (JLPW).

But the honour that matters more to Hui Wen was bestowed on her by her alma mater.

“I realised I had achieved success when I received news about my selection as a University of Auckland 40 under 40 Business Leader,” she says.

Since graduating from Auckland Law School and beginning work as a lawyer in Malaysia more than a decade ago, Hui Wen has maintained strong links with the University as alumni coordinator in her home country. The citation for her inclusion on the 40 Under 40 list notes her long-standing commitment to pro bono and community work.

As the International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitration and ADR (alternative disputes resolution) Forum South Asia regional representative from 2019 to 2021, and an elected member of the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee and chair of its Young Lawyers Committee from 2023 to 2024, she distinguished herself through her promotion of youth empowerment and access to legal education.

In 2023 Hui Wen spearheaded the Kuala Lumpur Bar’s biggest moot and nearly two dozen other events for junior lawyers and future lawyers. She has trained university students from a number of Asian countries in advocacy and coached refugee students in public speaking.

In her MNZCC role, Hui Wen is the youngest committee member, one of just three women and the only New Zealand-trained lawyer.

“I aim to bring a fresh perspective and support the chamber’s kaupapa of fostering trade, investment and collaboration between Malaysia and Aotearoa,” she says.

“This role aligns with my volunteer work as University of Auckland alumni coordinator in Malaysia, where I have witnessed the power of building networks and meaningful partnerships beyond borders.”

Through her efforts at the MNZCC, Hui Wen says she will work to strengthen connections, inspire innovation and create opportunities for growth between Malaysia and New Zealand.

New Zealand’s trade relationship with Malaysia is our 10th-largest, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Malaysia is our third-largest export market in Southeast Asia. Two-way trade in goods was close to $4 billion in 2024.

Hui Wen’s other major milestone of the past 12 months, her appointment to JLPW after a decade at top-tier law firm Skrine, was hailed by JLPW as pivotal in the firm’s evolution in dispute resolution practice.

JLPW is availing itself of her experience with Fortune 500 companies, government-linked companies and state agencies in Malaysian courts and international arbitration. Hui Wen’s involvement in high-profile cases involving major infrastructure projects and native customary rights was recognised by Asian Legal Business in 2024.

“Several of these matters are now part of Malaysia’s reported appellate case law,” says Hui Wen, who is able to conduct trials and hearings and negotiations in both English and Malay.

Hui Wen considers herself an all-rounder: an advocate, thought leader and community builder.

“I’m proud to be achieving my dream of being part of legal scholarship and thought leadership, contributing as an author to legal encyclopedias and speaking at international and domestic conferences,” she says.

Looking ahead, her professional goal is to make a meaningful impact “in the law, in people’s lives and in the next generation of legal professionals”.

On a personal level she is just as ambitious.

“I would like to master another language well enough that I can write and recite a poem in it.”

Her record to date suggests both goals are well within reach.