Datuk Tania Scivetti

Tania Scivetti is an international lawyer based in Kuala Lumpur with more than 25 years' experience advising and representing clients in complex criminal defence, asset forfeiture, extradition, and cross-border enforcement matters. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Scivetti & Associates, a boutique law firm recognised for handling legally and politically sensitive cases involving multiple jurisdictions, foreign authorities, and parallel proceedings.

Born in Sydney and of Italian descent, Tania relocated to Malaysia in 1999 and has since developed a practice that bridges Southeast Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States. She is admitted to practise in Malaysia, New York, and New South Wales, and regularly works with overseas counsel, foreign prosecutors, investigative agencies, and international institutions in matters requiring coordinated cross-border strategy.

Her practice focuses on corruption and anti-money laundering prosecutions, civil and non-conviction-based forfeiture, extradition and habeas corpus, organised crime, and capital and non-capital drug offences. She has acted in numerous cases carrying the mandatory death penalty, as well as in high-value forfeiture proceedings involving assets valued in the hundreds of millions of ringgit.

Her experience on both sides of the enforcement landscape enables her to approach asset recovery with a forensic understanding of how funds are moved, concealed, and ultimately recovered.

In addition to her defence practice, Tania advises victims of financial crime — including corporates, institutions, and individuals — on the tracing, recovery, and repatriation of misappropriated assets. This work includes matters arising from fraud, corruption, embezzlement, and complex cross-border financial schemes, often involving layered corporate structures and assets concealed across multiple jurisdictions.

Tania has been involved in several of Malaysia's most closely followed criminal and enforcement matters, including proceedings arising from the 1MDB investigations, major asset forfeiture actions, and extradition requests initiated by foreign governments, particularly the United States. Her work frequently centres on evidentiary integrity, jurisdictional reach, and the lawful exercise of prosecutorial and enforcement powers.

In the course of her practice, Tania has acted for senior public office-holders, political organisations, and individuals holding prominent public roles, as well as for leading multinational and domestic corporate entities, across a range of criminal, regulatory, and asset-related matters. These engagements frequently involve heightened sensitivity, reputational exposure, and complex stakeholder considerations, and are approached with a strong emphasis on discretion, independence, and strategic judgment.

She has also acted for foreign embassies and diplomatic missions, representing foreign nationals in Malaysia across criminal, civil, and immigration matters, and advising on issues involving consular protection, due process, and international cooperation. In addition, she has advised government ministries on matters of public importance, including preventive detention, immigration control, and human-trafficking enforcement.

Tania began her career with leading firms in Australia and Malaysia, including Corrs Chambers Westgarth and Zaid Ibrahim & Co., before founding Scivetti & Associates in 2010. In recognition of her professional contributions, she was conferred the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) in 2025, carrying the title Datuk.

Her work is characterised by careful judgment, long-term perspective, and an acute awareness of what is ultimately at stake for those she represents.

The most difficult cases do not benefit from scale. They benefit from judgment.

- Tania Scivetti