Qualifications

Datuk Antony Roderic Fernandez, J.P., is an advisor to Shelley Yap and is the most senior lawyer in our team. His extensive experience, which includes almost four decades of private practice as well as six years as the 8^th Attorney-General (A-G) of the State of Sabah, has given him an in-depth understanding not just of Sabahan law but of its impact on our daily lives. Chambers & Partners recognises Datuk Roderic’s notable activity in civil and public interest cases and ranks him as one of only eight Band 1 lawyers in Sabah. (Source: https://chambers.com/lawyer/antony-roderic-fernandez-asia-pacific-8:1583770)

Datuk Roderic read law externally at the University of London and is a member of The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Save for his tenure as the State A-G of Sabah, he has been with us since 1982 as a pupil, associate, partner and now advisor.

In recognition of his contributions to the State of Sabah, Datuk Roderic was awarded the Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (which carries the title of Datuk) in 2008.

Areas Of Practice

The early years of Datuk Roderic’s legal career saw him mainly conducting general litigation such as debt collection, banking and finance cases as well as several criminal trials. As he gained experience, he began handling a wide variety of cases ranging from breaches of contract to election petitions and even forestry matters.

At present, Datuk Roderic mainly takes up complex cases on an ad hoc basis. In recent years, these have included cases concerning native customary rights, land disputes, joint venture agreement disputes as well as appeals in the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court.

Interests

Despite having quite literally been there and done that, Datuk Roderic believes that one never truly stops learning. As such, he continues to keenly pursue knowledge with a particular interest in the fields of philosophy, sociology, history, geography, politics, religion and literature. He also enjoys travelling and watching movies.