David Lim, a co-founder of Malaysian boutique firm D&P Law Group, has left to set up a new legal practice catering to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups in the country.

With heightened refinancing costs impacting property values and changing consumer behaviour stifling demand for commercial and residential real estate in the Asia-Pacific region broadly, South and Southeast Asia have stood out with pockets of optimism in this sector.