At 15 years old, JJ Chan (Professional Legal Skills, 2001) moved from Malaysia to the UK to attend school. As a young barrister-at-law, he had opportunities to work internationally but decided to advance his career in his home country. JJ was recently recognised in the prestigious ALB Malaysia Law Awards 2025 and the Regional ALB South East Asia Law Awards, and his new book ‘Directors & Officers Liability Insurance: Selected Articles, Cases and Materials’ is the first publication of its kind in Malaysia.
“I don’t know if you’re aware of how Asian culture works,” JJ Chan, Managing Partner of law firm CBE, asks, “But especially 30 years ago, there was no such thing as human rights. It was more like, “Listen, you either become a doctor or you become a lawyer”.”
JJ was 15 when he moved to the UK on his own to attend Malvern College. Studying biology for his A-levels, he had the unpleasant experience of watching a dead rabbit being cut open, and it informed his future career plans.
“I remember going back to call my folks,” he says. “And I said, “You know what? I think we can scratch that doctor route, right? I think I’ll just read law.”
JJ pursued his legal studies in the UK and completed his bar vocational training in 2001 at the Inns of Court School of Law, which would shortly thereafter join the City Law School. JJ had been warned the course would be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he primarily remembers having a great time and enjoying London.
“It’s not as though you can’t have a life,” he says, reflecting on the realities of studying law. “Study smart and study by way of understanding rather than memorising. That’s very important, so it stays with you throughout life.”
JJ is the first person to admit he looks forward to challenges and even seeks them out. It’s one of the reasons he didn’t return to London after his pupillage in Malaysia.
“I actually wanted to go back to London,” he says. “I loved London so much.”
At that time, JJ had just joined one of the largest litigation law firms in Malaysia but was considering a career hiatus when he was tasked with a complex construction litigation case.
“It involved a major publicly listed corporation, and the client was actually my boss’ nephew,” he says. “It was very challenging. I’m quite sure it’s the same in London; if you are 23 and you are a first-year junior associate in a big law firm, you’re not usually Lead Counsel in a massive multi $1,000,000 construction trial involving a major publicly listed corporation. But anyway, I did it. And I’m happy to report I won that case.”
The success put JJ on a trajectory of more wins and reported cases, and he was eventually made one of the youngest partners in the firm.
“I think it gave me a lot of confidence, and it changed everything.”
When he joined his father’s law firm as Managing Partner in 2014, JJ knew he wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before.
“As the years went by, I came to realise that clients would generally engage a KL law firm if a matter is complex, and if the matter is more complicated or niche, they would engage an international law firm, which is probably from the UK or the US with a regional base in Singapore,” JJ explains. “I felt that I could make a difference and offer such legal services from my hometown, Penang, instead.”
At first, JJ experienced pushback from institutions and potential clients who were used to using large international firms. They told him not to bother.
“But I found a way. I worked hard,” JJ says.
In the past ten years, the law firm, which is internationally known as CBE, has grown from 3 lawyers and 1 senior clerk to 12 lawyers and 13 support staff servicing both local and international clients, including Lloyd’s of London.
“We are the first and only law firm in Penang, or the Northern Region for that matter, with the relevant legal expertise to offer legal services and advice on complex and niche areas of law, particularly in the areas of medical negligence, insurance/reinsurance, corporate and directors & officers liability,” JJ says.
In an attempt to expand the country’s knowledge on one of these niche areas, JJ, in collaboration with D&O expert Kevin LaCroix, recently wrote the book Directors & Officers Liability Insurance: Selected Articles, Cases and Materials.
“It will hopefully be a starting point for some of those interested in this area of law, whether it’s insurance corporations or practitioners, and hopefully encourage a better understanding.”
JJ’s work as a lawyer, author, and educator is being increasingly recognised by the industry, and this spring, he came in the Top 3 for ‘Managing Partner of the Year’ at the prestigious ALB Malaysia Law Awards 2025, the first Penang lawyer to do so. In addition, CBE came in the Top 5 for ‘Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year’.
Recently, JJ was also named Finalist for ‘Managing Partner of the Year’ at the Regional ALB South East Asia Law Awards 2025, again a first for Penang.
Although awards have never been a priority for JJ, he is pleased to be representing his home state and his country.
“It’s an honour.”
JJ’s own motto is to never give up. With over twenty years in the legal profession, what is his advice to those who are studying law or looking to advance their legal career?
“I think it’s very important to find the right law firm, the right mentor, the right master. Who is in it with you?
“You have to work really hard. Keep your head down. Never give up. Make it part of life.
“I think teamwork is absolutely crucial because no man is an island. No woman is an island. I have a great team. I’m blessed. But even if we don’t have a good team, I think we have to play with the hand we are dealt. That’s what I believe in, you know, nothing’s perfect. But if we can work with our colleagues, it really helps a lot.
“And it’s a long process. You have to wait it out. You have to do your time and not expect something to happen in one or two years, right?
“Set the goal and do whatever it takes. No excuses. And when I say no excuses, I don’t mean breaching ethics. I don’t mean stealing. But work hard and do whatever it is you can do.
“And one thing I want to share with the readers: don’t do it entirely for yourself. I think what really motivates us is if we tell ourselves that there are people who actually rely on us and we have a sense of duty to our partners, or to our country or state, or our clients. Knowing that people rely on us, we will find ourselves in a position where we strive to work harder.”
On that note, JJ recently met with the Director General of the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and shared his research and publications. They discussed future collaborations with the aim to further enhance the quality of higher education in Malaysia, particularly in the legal sector and cultivate the future generation of leaders.
With a young family, JJ knows how challenging it can be to fit everything in and find balance, and he’s made changes over the years. Around the same time his son was born, he stopped drinking alcohol, which meant it was harder for him to network and entertain. Instead, he was able to be more present for his child, and he found other ways to make his mark, including writing articles and books, involving himself in landmark decisions and charitable work, and empowering those around him. For JJ, it’s not work, but a way of life.
“We have only one lifetime, hence I would want to contribute as much as I can and be the best that I can be.”
A big congratulations to JJ Chan on his new D&O book and recognition in the ALB Malaysia Law Awards 2025 and the Regional ALB South East Asia Law Awards 2025.