(From left) General Insurance of Malaysia assistant general manager William Tan, Dr Ahmad Fareed, Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr Arasu, Malaysian Insurance and Takaful Brokers Association chief executive officer Prof Datuk Shazme Sulaiman, Kevin LaCroix, Tan Sri Zainun Ali, JJ Chan, Tan Sri A. Razak Ramli, Tengku Mohamed Fauzi Hamid and Mohd Radhi posing for a group photo at the book launch.
IN October 2025, boutique law firm Chan Ban Eng and Co (CBE) marked a significant milestone with the celebration of over five decades of legal services, and the launch of the book titled Directors & Officers Liability Insurance: Selected Articles, Cases and Materials.
As a publication unique in the Asia-Pacific, the book – authored by CBE’s managing partner JJ Chan together with Kevin LaCroix, a global expert on directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance – sought to fill a critical gap in legal literature in this area of law within the region.
In a separate event held on Dec 19 at Zipangu, Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, it saw the launch of a special edition of the book featuring a foreword by Tan Sri Zainun Ali, Universiti Malaya pro-chancellor and former Federal Court judge, among other notable positions held.
In her opening remarks, Tan Sri Zainun noted that the work “would serve as a meaningful reference for directors, scholars and policy-makers in Malaysia and across the region.
"It is the first publication of its kind in the Asia-Pacific on a niche yet emerging area of law – where, until now, there has been no such publication in Malaysia or this region, and no clear judicial or authoritative guidance," she said.
She commended the publication as "pioneering and necessary, and would deepen the understanding of D&O liability and insurance among board members, regulators, insurers and the judiciary".
Chan (right) presenting Tan Sri Zainun Ali (left) with a special edition of the book featuring a foreword by the latter on Dec 19.
The book brings together a curated selection of articles authored by Chan and LaCroix, together with references and materials, blending global perspectives with regional relevance.
Chan is a recognised counsel in financial lines, corporate and directors and officers’ liability, insurance/reinsurance and medical negligence litigation. He became the first Malaysian lawyer recognised across Asian Legal Business' Asia's Top 30 Litigators and Super 50 Disputes Lawyers, Malaysia and South-East Asia Law Awards and Asia Business Law Journal’s A-List: Malaysia’s Top Lawyers 2025.
Recently, he was named “No. 1 Professional Negligence Lawyer in Malaysia” by Lexology Client Choice Awards 2026.
Chan has been profiled by the government media, his alma mater, the Inns of Court School of Law, as well as Gray's Inn, London (in an upcoming webinar) – notably the first legal practitioner from Malaysia, to be featured as such by these distinguished legal institutions. He also serves as a subject matter expert for the Asian Institute of Insurance and Singapore College of Insurance.
LaCroix, on the other hand, has over 40 years of experience in D&O liability insurance with his insights cited globally by publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.
For Chan, he recounted searching extensively for similar works, including from Wildy and Sons in London, a renowned legal bookstore for barristers and law students alike.
“They only had books from the United Kingdom and the United States, none from the Asia-Pacific,” he explained. “That was when I decided we should write the first one ourselves from Malaysia.”
Chan would later reach out to LaCroix, who was the author of The D&O diary and a guru in the field, where they “spoke, became friends” and began exchanging ideas. The rest was history.
As an honorary member of Gray’s Inn, London, Chan expressed that the publication was also driven by a desire to contribute to nation-building, adding that he hoped the book would demonstrate a “Malaysia boleh” moment in that our nation can also be known for world-class legal and professional scholarship and education, apart from other things our country is commonly known for.
“Being the absolute best that we can be, and contributing to our country and society, might just be the truest and best form of patriotism,” he said.
He hoped that it would inspire younger Malaysians to make their mark locally rather than feeling they need to migrate abroad to achieve that.
“You don’t have to go overseas to be the best in your field,” he said. “You can still be in our country, Malaysia, and be the best or one of the best in whatever you do.
“You just have to aim big, dream big and contribute something that has never been done before,” he affirmed.
The self-published work is not commercially available as it is prepared primarily for academic purposes, as part of Chan’s contribution to knowledge-sharing and the development of legal scholarship, as well as the advancement of corporate governance and board effectiveness.
Other than the book, Chan’s other pro bono publications and legal writings were also shared with attendees during the event, covering topics ranging from medical negligence to corporate, commercial and insurance/reinsurance matters.
Copies of the book have been presented to the significant public figures including the Malaysian Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, Cabinet Ministers and leading universities.
Chan (right) presenting the book to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) at the Parliament of Malaysia.
The launch was attended by distinguished guests, including:
> Tan Sri Razak Ramli (Shangri-La Malaysia chairman)
> Tengku Mohamed Fauzi Hamid (SUHAKAM vice chairman)
> Mohd Radhi Abas (PM’s department Advisory Board chairman)
> Dr Ahmad Fareed (Health Ministry Medico-Legal Unit deputy director general)
> Datuk Dr Arasu (MMA president)
> Anwar Anis (APHM honorary secretary)
> Datuk Mohamad Farid (KPJ Healthcare Group chief operating officer)
> Chua Kim Soon (PIAM chief executive officer).
The launch was also joined by other chief executive officers, chairmen, presidents and senior representatives from the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (ICDM), Financial Institutions Directors' Education (FIDE) Forum, Malaysian Insurance and Takaful Brokers Association (MITBA) and leading insurers/reinsurers, including Lloyds of London, as well as healthcare, education institutions and corporations across the region.
The law firm is expanding to Singapore in its next chapter as a Foreign Law Practice, bringing more than five decades of service, scholarship and advocacy to a broader regional stage.
