Steven Thiru
{{Short description |Malaysian lawyer}}
{{BLP sources|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Steven Thiru
| image = Steven Thiru President Malaysian Bar.jpg
| imagesize =
| alt = 2019, 2025
| caption =
| office = 31st President of the Malaysian Bar
| term_start = March 2015
| term_end = March 2017
| predecessor = Christopher Leong Sau Foo
| successor = George Varughese
| deputy =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|01|28}} or {{Birth date and age|1948|01|28}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Malaysian
| spouse =
| children =
| relations =
| alma_mater = University of Leicester, England
(LLB Law),
University of Malaya (LLM)
| occupation = Lawyer
| data1 =
| blank1 =
| data2 =
| blank2 = Asialaw (Distinguished Practitioner, 2020, 2021)
| data3 =
| blank3 = Chambers Asia Pacific (Recognized in Dispute Resolution, 2018, 2022)
| data4 =
| blank4 = Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific (Litigation Star, 2024)
| data5 =
| website =
| footnotes =
| awards = Legal 500 Asia Pacific (Leading Individual, Dispute Resolution, 2019, 2025)
}}
Steven Thiruneelakandan is a Malaysian lawyer with practice areas in Employment law, Administrative law, and General Litigation. He became a partner in 2000.
Education
Steven studied law at the University of Leicester, graduating in 1990. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales at Middle Temple in 1991, and was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1992. He received a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of Malaya, graduating in 2000.{{Cite web |title=S Thiru {{!}} LAWASIA |url=https://lawasia.asn.au/about-us/organisation-structure/executive-committee/s-thiru |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=lawasia.asn.au}}
Legal career
Steven has had an extensive legal career, focusing on litigation in Malaysia. His areas of practice include:
- Constitutional and administrative law
- Corporate and commercial law
- Employment and industrial relations law
- Energy law
- Native title law
Leadership roles
= President of the Malaysian Bar (2015–2017) =
Thiru served as the 31st President of the Malaysian Bar from 2015 to 2017. During his tenure, he was involved in advocating for legal reforms, judicial independence, and human rights.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}
= Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) =
A long-time member of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Thiru has been involved with the organization since 1999. He was elected Vice President (Australasia) in 2019 and has served on the CLA Executive Committee since then. In 2023, he was elected President of the CLA.{{Cite web |title=Steven Thiru |url=https://www.commonwealthlawyers.com/steven-thiru/ |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=Commonwealth Lawyers Association |language=en-GB}}
Recognition and awards
- Ranked as a "Leading Individual for Dispute Resolution" by Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2019, 2025).{{Cite web |title=Legal 500 |url=https://www.legal500.com/firms/230956-steven-thiru-sudhar-partnership/c-malaysia/lawyers/1835099-steven-thiruneelakandan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250315180611/https://www.legal500.com/firms/230956-steven-thiru-sudhar-partnership/c-malaysia/lawyers/1835099-steven-thiruneelakandan |archive-date=15 March 2025}}
- Recognized as a "Distinguished Practitioner" by Asialaw (2020, 2021).{{Cite web |title=Steven Thiru & Sudhar Partnership |url=https://www.asialaw.com/Firm/steven-thiru-sudhar-partnership/Profile/1229#undefined |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=asialaw}}
- Featured in Chambers Asia Pacific for Dispute Resolution (2018, 2022).{{Cite web |title=Steven Thiruneelakandan |url=https://chambers.com/lawyer/steven-thiruneelakandan-asia-pacific-8:340939?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=chambers.com |language=en}}
- Ranked as a Litigation Star in Labour & Employment Law by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific (2024).{{Cite web |title=Steven Thiru & Sudhar Partnership - Malaysia - Firm Profile {{!}} Benchmark Litigation |url=https://benchmarklitigation.com/Firm/Steven-Thiru-Sudhar-Partnership-Malaysia/Profile/108393#undefined |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=benchmarklitigation.com}}
- Inducted into the Hall of Fame for Dispute Resolution in Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2025).