Arissa, a key member of the Cyber Data & Privacy, Employment and Industrial Relations Practice Groups, read law at Queen’s University of Belfast. She was called to the Bar of England and Wales by the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple before being admitted as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in November 2018.

With a commitment to protecting organisations’ most valuable assets – their people and their data – Arissa’s practice focuses on two critical areas: data privacy and employment law. She assists clients with data protection and security compliance, and risk management, particularly in addressing the intersection of data privacy obligations and employment practices. She works closely with clients across various industries on managing sensitive employee data, ensuring compliance with data protection laws, as well as managing cybersecurity risks at the workplace.

Arissa’s experience extends to contested employment matters, where she has defended clients in trade disputes and unfair dismissal claims arising from restructuring exercises, misconducts ranging from conflicts of interest to sexual harassment, performance issues, and constructive dismissals. In non-contentious matters, she offers strategic advice on a wide range of matters spanning every stage of the employment lifecycle.

Arissa has been recently acknowledged as a Recommended Lawyer by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025 for Labour and Employment.

In addition to being a co-author of A Practical Guide to Personal Data Protection, Employment Law in Malaysia: Practice, Compliance & Disputes and a contributor to a number of practitioner guides, Arissa frequently speaks and conducts training sessions on matters relating to her areas of practice.

• Cybersecurity Data & Privacy
• Industrial Relations
• Employment Law

• LLB (Hons), Queen’s University of Belfast
• Bar Professional Training Course, BPP University Manchester
• Called to the Bar of England and Wales, The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple

• Co-author – ‘Employment Law in Malaysia: Practice, Compliance & Disputes’
• Co-author – ‘A Practical Guide to Personal Data Protection’
• Co-author – ‘LexisAdvance Practical Guidance Malaysian Employment Module’
• Contributing editor – ‘Annotated Statutes of Malaysia – Industrial Relations Act 1967 (2021 update)’
• Contributing editor – ‘Annotated Statutes of Malaysia – Trade Unions Act 1959 (2021 update)’

• Successfully defended Kuari Trengganu Tengah Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Ketengah Holding Sdn Bhd, a Government-Linked Company under Lembaga Kemajuan Terengganu Tengah, an agency under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development against an unfair dismissal claim filed by its former Chief Executive Officer. The Industrial Court in finding that the former had acted inconsistently with his fiduciary relationship with the company and in a manner that violated the confidence and trust that the company, held that his dismissal was with just cause and excuse.
• Successfully defended Brahim’s Food Services Sdn Bhd, the principal inflight catering services provider at both the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Penang International Airport, against an unfair dismissal claim involving the former employee’s breach of the company’s standard operating procedures. The Industrial Court found that the former employee’s misconducts in this case clearly point to a breach of his duties to faithfully and diligently discharge his duties owed to the company as his employer, making it unsafe and unreasonable for the company to keep him in employment.
• Successfully represented FGV Transport Services Sdn Bhd, a logistics solutions provider and a subsidiary of FGV Holdings Berhad, a major Government-Linked Company with a strong presence in the palm oil and consumer goods sector, our services are based on proven contributions and capabilities before the Social Security Organisation’s (SOCSO) Appellate Board. The Appellate Board upon being convinced that properly structured contracts for service and limited operational control support independent contractor arrangements, overturned the Director General of SOCSO’s decision.
• Co-counsel: Successfully represented Konica Minolta Business Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd in a trade dispute involving a trade union’s claim for recognition. The Company is a subsidiary of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Asia Pte Ltd, whose ultimate parent company is Konica Minolta Inc., a company incorporated in Japan. The Industrial Court found that the the secret ballot process was conducted in compliance with the Industrial Relations Regulations 2009 and hence, the Union’s allegation that there had been unlawful interference by the company was not established.
• Co-counsel: Successfully represented Padiberas Nasional Berhad, the company responsible for managing and maintaining the National Rice Stockpile, at the Court of Appeal, in a matter involving three senior management members who failed to explain the loss of RM1.845 million at the Rice Milling Factory.
• Co-counsel: Successfully represented ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., one of the major crude oil producers and supplier of natural gas in Malaysia at the Court of Appeal in an appeal filed by its former Maintenance Planning Clerk, to challenge the High Court’s dismissal of his judicial review against the Industrial Court decision which dismissed his claim that he had been forced to resign from his employment.
• Co-counsel: Successfully defended a subsidiary of FGV Holdings Berhad, which is a public listed company and one of the largest crude palm oil producers in the world, against eight unfair dismissal claims by its former employees. In holding that the company had acted in good faith in discharging the employees, the Industrial Court decided that the divestment by FGV of its subsidiary, which was a genuine business decision, had directly impacted the company, and thus rendering its inevitable closure. The Court also held that this is a case where the discharge of the claimants was inevitable as there would no longer be a business with the means or capacity to maintain any employee.
• Co-counsel: Successfully represented Lotuss Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a leading retail chain in Malaysia, in a constructive dismissal claim filed by 4 former employees. The successful outcome of this case affirms that organisational restructuring, when properly implemented, does not warrant claims of constructive dismissal. This case offers valuable precedent for employers managing operational change in labour-intensive industries, especially providing guidance for large employers navigating operational realignment while mitigating litigation risk involving frontline employees.