Janise Then is a seasoned litigation lawyer specializing in various forms of dispute resolution, including adjudication, arbitration, negotiation, and civil litigation. She is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb).

Experience

Janise handles all types of legal disputes such as construction disputes, divorce/family law, land disputes, defamation, contractual disputes particularly illegal contracts, sham agreement and breach of contract, tortious claims, judicial review, fraud etc.

She has notably rendered legal opinions to one of the largest communications service providers in Malaysia and a Construction Engineering Company from China.  She had assisted in high profile cases such as representing gold investors against Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd, local politicians namely Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh for his defamation case, Dr. Johnical Rayong for Election Petition, public interest case of Undi 18 and filing for injunction against PKR Tanjung Manis Election.

Educational Background

Janise is a proud law graduate of the prestigious University of Malaya, Malaysia’s top-ranking institution of higher education. During her university years, she made history as the first Chinese Sarawakian to become a national champion in the Inter-Varsity Malay Public Speaking Competition. Following this achievement, she was selected to represent Malaysia internationally against participants from Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, ultimately securing 1st Runner-Up in the 2015 Pidato Antarabangsa Bahasa Melayu Piala Perdana Menteri (PABM).

She was also an active member of the UM Malay Debate Team, representing the university in various intervarsity competitions and earning numerous accolades. Among them, she was a four-time recipient of the Overall Top 10 Best Speaker Award, the champion of Debat Bahasa Melayu Undang-Undang dan Masyarakat Piala Ketua Hakim, a semi-finalist in Debat Gender, and a quarter-finalist in Debat Perpaduan.

Her active involvement in debate competitions, particularly as a third speaker, honed her analytical and critical thinking skills—assets that have significantly contributed to her success in both academic and professional spheres. Notably, her Academic Project was selected to be published as part of the Legal Publication, University of Malaya Law Review, Volume 1.

She was the recipient of the following awards: –

1)           Dean’s List Award which recognizes students for academic excellence, requiring a semester GPA of at least 3.70 out of 4.00 – both semesters in Year 3 (2014/2015 Session);

2)           Hadiah Ketua Hakim Negara which is awarded to the best student in Final Year (ie with highest GPA in Final Year); and

3)           Anugerah Ikon Akademik Siswa Universiti Malaya 2016 which is awarded to 10 students out of all Graduating students in 2016 from all faculties of University of Malaya.

Professional Journey

Upon graduating, Janise returned to her hometown to complete her pupillage under the mentorship of Clement Wong, a renowned civil litigation lawyer in Kuching. For seven years, she gained invaluable experience, conducting trials and assisting in high-profile and highly contentious cases across all levels of courts. She had the privilege of working with esteemed Senior Counsel Datuk Hisyam on drug matters and Senior Counsel George Lo on complex litigation cases.

Janise credits her mentors for imparting strong advocacy skills and teaching her that effective litigation hinges on concise and precise presentation. Her dedication to her clients is unwavering; she has traveled to Sibu, Miri, and Bintulu for contentious matters, even during pregnancy and motherhood. The challenges and stress of balancing a demanding career with family life are real, but the gratitude and encouragement from her clients fuel her perseverance.

As one of the few female litigators, Janise is acutely aware of the demands of her profession, particularly the long hours required in contentious matters, which can strain family life. As a mother of two young children, she is deeply grateful for the unwavering support of her spouse and mother.

Janise finds a profound sense of purpose in her work and remains dedicated to becoming a better litigator every day.

Teaching Passion

Driven by her passion for teaching, Janise previously served as a part-time lecturer at UNIMAS for Law of Tort and Dispute Resolution and is now a part-time tutor at University of Malaya for Malaysian Legal System.