Kuala Lumpur: Boutique law firm Chan Ban Eng & Co (CBE) marked more than five decades of legal practice with the launch of “Directors & Officers Liability Insurance: Selected Articles, Cases and Materials”, here, recently.
The book is co-authored by CBE Managing Partner JJ Chan, a Barrister-at-Law of Gray’s Inn, London, and Kevin LaCroix, a globally recognised expert in directors’ and officers’ (D&O) liability insurance.
Advertisement
It carries a foreword by Tan Sri Zainun Ali, Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya, former Federal Court judge and member of the Judicial Appointments Commission.
In her opening remarks, Zainun said the publication filled an important gap in regional legal literature and would serve as a valuable reference for directors, academics and policy-makers in Malaysia and across the region.
She said it was the first publication of its kind in the Asia-Pacific on a niche but emerging area of law, noting that there had previously been no comparable work in Malaysia or the region, nor clear judicial or authoritative guidance.
Describing the book as “pioneering and necessary”, she said it would deepen understanding of D&O liability and insurance among board members, regulators, insurers and the judiciary.
JJ Chan is widely recognised for his work in financial lines, corporate and directors’ liability, insurance and reinsurance, as well as medical negligence litigation.
He is the first Malaysian lawyer to be recognised across Asian Legal Business’ Asia’s Top 30 Litigators and Super 50 Disputes Lawyers, the Malaysia and South-East Asia Law Awards, and Asia Business Law Journal’s A-List of Top Lawyers 2025.
He was recently named the No. 1 Professional Negligence Lawyer in Malaysia by the Lexology Index Client Choice Awards 2026.
Chan has also been profiled by government media, his alma mater, the Inns of Court School of Law, and Gray’s Inn, London, and is the first Malaysian legal practitioner to be featured by these institutions.
He serves as a subject matter expert for the Asian Institute of Insurance and the Singapore College of Insurance.
Co-author Kevin LaCroix has more than 40 years’ experience in D&O liability insurance. He is the author of The D&O Diary, whose analyses are cited internationally by publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.
The book is not for sale and was produced primarily for academic purposes as part of Chan’s contribution to legal scholarship and the advancement of corporate governance and board effectiveness.
During the event, Chan also shared other pro bono publications and legal writings on subjects ranging from medical negligence to corporate, commercial and insurance matters.
Copies of the book have been presented to the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, Cabinet Ministers and leading universities.
The launch was attended by Tan Sri Razak Ramli, Chairman of Shangri-La Malaysia; Tengku Mohamed Fauzi Hamid, Vice-Chairman of Suhakam; Mohd Radhi Abas, Advisory Board Chairman in the Prime Minister’s Department; Dr Ahmad Fareed, Deputy Director-General of the Medico-Legal Unit at the Health Ministry; Datuk Dr
Arasu, President of the Malaysian Medical Association; Anwar Anis, Honorary Secretary of the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia; Datuk Mohamad Farid, Chief Operating Officer of KPJ Healthcare Group; and Chua Kim Soon, Chief Executive Officer of the General Insurance Association of Malaysia.
They were joined by chief executives and senior representatives from the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia, FIDE Forum, MITBA, MCCD, leading insurers and reinsurers including Lloyd’s of London, as well as healthcare, education institutions and corporations from across the region.
The book launch coincided with CBE’s milestone of more than 50 years of legal service in Malaysia.
