Dato Syed Alwi Bin Tun Syed Nasir, received his early education at Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, where he studied alongside Prince Hassanal Bolkiah, now the Sultan of Brunei.

He then attended Geelong Grammar School in Australia, studying alongside Prince Charles III, King of the United Kingdom of England.

He later graduated with a Bachelors of Economics from the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia, and went on to study law at Lincoln's Inn, London; where he qualified as a Barrister-at-Law for England and Wales.

In 1980, Dato Syed Alwi co-founded the law firm, Messrs. Syed Alwi, Ng & Co. in Kuala Lumpur. It is now a prominent firm with offices in strategic economic hubs including Kuala Lumpur, Puchong, Cyberjaya, and Johor Bahru.

His legal practice spans a wide range of clients, including members of the Selangor and Pahang royal families, corporate companies, financial institutions, government linked bodies, insurance firms, and high profile celebrities such as Dato Sheila Majid.

Dato Syed Alwi serves as a legal advisor to DYMM Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Ibni Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz, Shah of Selangor.