First Malaysian to Lead Global Legal Network LAWorld

Dato’ Mohamed Ridza Abdulla, Managing Partner of Malaysian law firm Mohamed Ridza & Co, has been appointed as the Global Chair of LAWorld, an international network of independent law firms with representation across major commercial centres worldwide. This elected appointment marks the first time a Malaysian has been selected to lead the global network since its establishment 30 years ago.

LAWorld is a non-exclusive international legal network comprising close to 70 independent mid-sized law firms, with more than 1,500 lawyers practising across over 100 cities globally. The network was established to provide clients with direct and immediate access to high-quality local legal advice across jurisdictions, while preserving the independence and partner-led service culture of each member firm.

Dato’ Mohamed Ridza’s appointment follows nearly two decades of involvement with LAWorld. Mohamed Ridza & Co joined the network in 2007 as the Malaysian member firm and later hosted the LAWorld Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 2019, which brought together member firms from Asia, Europe, the Americas and other regions. Within the network’s leadership structure, he has previously served as Treasurer and subsequently as Chair of the Asia Pacific region, a role he held until his elevation to Global Chair. His appointment was formally approved on 8 May 2026 following a unanimous vote by attending members at the LAWorld Annual General Meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal.

In a related development, Muhammad Akhlil, a senior associate of Mohamed Ridza & Co, has been appointed Director of LAWorld’s NextGen Programme for the Asia Pacific region. The NextGen Programme is the organisation’s dedicated initiative to develop the next generation of lawyers within member firms, focusing on leadership development, cross-border exposure and the nurturing of emerging legal talent across jurisdictions.

As Global Chair, Dato’ Mohamed Ridza has outlined plans to further strengthen LAWorld’s position as a global legal network. His priorities include expanding membership in underrepresented jurisdictions, particularly in Africa and the Gulf, enhancing regional collaboration, and scaling up the NextGen Programme through structured training, leadership tracks and international secondments. He also emphasised the importance of raising global visibility and quality benchmarks for member firms, strengthening digital governance and connectivity across the network, and building a broader professional ecosystem to better support clients’ cross-border needs.

LAWorld’s relationship-driven structure enables member firms to collaborate closely across borders through established personal connections, facilitating efficient coordination on cross-border transactions, disputes and international investments. Through this network, Malaysian clients gain structured access to overseas legal expertise, while international clients and law firms are able to engage Malaysian counsel through a recognised local gateway.

Commenting on his appointment, Dato’ Mohamed Ridza expressed appreciation to LAWorld members for their trust and highlighted his commitment to advancing the network’s standards of legal excellence. He said he looks forward to working closely with the Executive Committee across multiple jurisdictions and noted that LAWorld aligns with Malaysia’s long-standing heritage as a trading nation. He added that the network enables seamless access to global markets for Malaysian and international clients, while also supporting member firms worldwide in advising on Malaysian investments, and emphasised that LAWorld’s personal membership structure allows for faster and more direct access to legal advice across jurisdictions compared to many traditional global networks.