Advocates & Solicitors · Sarawak, Malaysia
DOCAlaw is a boutique law firm with a focused transactional and advisory practice across real estate, natural resources, and finance in Sarawak and Malaysia.
Advisory-led. Transactional in focus. Precise in execution.
The Firm
DESMOND ONG & CO. ADVOCATES is a boutique law firm based in Sarawak, Malaysia. Our practice is transactional and advisory in nature — we do not conduct litigation. We work with clients who need precise, commercially-minded legal counsel across real estate, natural resources and mining, and financial services.
The firm was founded on the principle that focused boutique advocacy serves complex commercial clients better than the generalist model. We concentrate on sectors where transactional depth and Sarawak-specific knowledge produce the clearest advantage for our clients.
We advise developers, resource companies, financial institutions, and corporate clients operating in Sarawak and across Malaysia. Our knowledge of Sarawak's distinct legal regime — including its Land Code, native customary rights framework, and natural resources laws — distinguishes our practice in the regional market.
Practice Areas
Our practice is concentrated across four areas where transactional depth and Sarawak-specific knowledge deliver the clearest value to commercial clients.
We advise on the full spectrum of real estate transactions — from site acquisition and development structuring to disposal and strata title documentation. Our work spans residential, commercial, and industrial assets in Sarawak and across Malaysia, with particular depth in native customary rights land and Sarawak land tenure law.
We counsel mining and resource companies, investors, and joint venture partners on concession agreements, regulatory approvals, and compliance under Sarawak's natural resources regime. Our advisory work covers each stage of a resource project's lifecycle, from initial licensing through to project documentation and offtake arrangements.
Our finance practice covers loan documentation, security arrangements, and project finance for lenders and borrowers operating in Sarawak and across Malaysia. We work with banks, development finance institutions, and corporate borrowers on transactions where precise documentation and regulatory compliance are essential to deal certainty.
We advise on corporate transactions and commercial contracts for private and institutional clients. Our corporate practice covers share acquisitions and disposals, sale and purchase agreements, call option structures, declarations of trust, and escrow arrangements — including stamp duty compliance and capital gains tax considerations on share instruments. We draft and advise on a broad range of commercial agreements including services contracts, memoranda of agreement, and tenancy documentation, and advise employers on Employment Act compliance, HR policy frameworks, and workplace obligations under Malaysia's evolving employment legislation.
Our People
Managing Partner
Desmond read law at Monash University and is admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Sabah & Sarawak and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria. He is the founding Managing Partner of the firm.
His practice is concentrated in real estate and finance. He advises developers, financial institutions, and corporate clients on property transactions, development structuring, joint development agreements, and commercial financing arrangements. Notable matters include acting for a financial institution in a RM40 million project financing facility to a publicly listed construction group, and working with major banks to structure Special Relief Facility financing for Sarawakian SMEs.
Desmond has advised local housing developer associations on regulatory reform to Sarawak's housing and strata legislation, and serves as an advisor to the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, School of Research.
desmond@docalaw.comPartner
Sharron read law at Universiti Malaya and holds the distinction of being called to the Bar across all states in Malaysia — admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Sabah & Sarawak and an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.
Her practice spans commercial advisory work across corporate, property, and employment matters. Sharron brings a uniquely cross-disciplinary perspective to the firm: a former professional pilot with thousands of flight hours logged in Australia and Malaysia, she has provided legal advisory services to air operators navigating regulatory requirements before the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), and has advised on aircraft acquisition transactions.
sharron@docalaw.comConsultations
We offer initial consultations for prospective clients to discuss their matter and whether our firm can assist.
Please select a time that suits you using the calendar. All initial consultations are conducted by a partner.
Prefer to reach us directly? Email contact@docalaw.com.
Booking a consultation does not create a solicitor-client relationship. Please do not share confidential information before a retainer is established.
Contact
For general enquiries, please use the form or reach us directly by email. We aim to respond to all enquiries within two business days.