KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Mohamed Ridza Abdulla has become the first Malaysian appointed as global chair of LAWorld, an international network of independent law firms.
The appointment was approved on May 8, 2026, following a unanimous vote at the LAWorld annual general meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.
LAWorld is a non-exclusive international network comprising nearly 70 independent mid-sized law firms, with more than 1,500 lawyers practising across over 100 cities worldwide.
Mohamed Ridza, managing partner of Mohamed Ridza & Co, whose firm joined LAWorld in 2007 as its Malaysian member and hosted the network’s annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 2019, has been appointed global chair of the organisation.
He previously served as LAWorld treasurer and later chaired the Asia Pacific region before his elevation to global chair.
In a related development, Muhammad Akhlil, a senior associate at Mohamed Ridza & Co, was appointed director of LAWorld’s NextGen Programme for the Asia Pacific region.
The programme focuses on leadership development, cross-border exposure and talent development for younger lawyers within member firms.
As global chair, Mohamed Ridza said his priorities include expanding LAWorld’s presence in underrepresented jurisdictions, particularly in Africa and the Gulf region, strengthening regional collaboration, and enhancing the NextGen Programme through structured training and international secondments.
He also said the network would focus on strengthening digital governance, improving connectivity across member firms and supporting clients with cross-border legal needs.
“I would like to thank the members of LAWorld represented by the firms’ respective senior leadership team in appointing me to this position,” he said.
“It is an honour and also a heavy responsibility to ensure that LAWorld continues to break higher grounds in legal excellence.”
His appointment takes effect immediately.
