BOUTIQUE law firm Chan Ban Eng & Co, better known as CBE, has been named Top Tier Finalist for ‘Dispute Resolution Boutique Law Firm of the Year’ at the Thomson Reuters ALB South East Asia Law Awards 2026.
Spearheaded by distinguished litigator and pre-eminent counsel JJ Chan, CBE is the first and only Penang law firm to be recognised for this prestigious regional award and the only Malaysian firm to achieve Top Tier Finalist status.
The recognition comes just weeks after CBE was named the Winner of the same category at the ALB Malaysia Law Awards 2026 — the first Penang law firm to win that national title — held at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur.
JJ Chan, who read law at the Inns of Court School of Law, London, and was called to the English Bar at Gray’s Inn, London, in 2001, has become the first Malaysian lawyer to receive six major professional accolades, including honours by Thomson Reuters Asian Legal Business as one of Asia’s Top 30 Litigators and Super 50 Disputes Lawyers, recognition at the Malaysia and South-East Asia Law Awards 2025, inclusion in Asia Business Law Journal’s A-List: Malaysia’s Top Lawyers 2025, and named No. 1 Professional Negligence Lawyer in Malaysia by the Lexology Index Client Choice Awards 2026 in London.
Earlier this year, he was also named Finalist for ‘Managing Partner of the Year’ (for consecutive years) and ‘Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year’ at the ALB Malaysia Law Awards 2026. He was recently named one of Asia’s Top Litigators by Thomson Reuters ALB 2026.
Proud of this historic regional recognition, JJ Chan has always sought to inspire people, especially the younger generation, to work hard, aim high, and reach greater heights.
“I hope that our story might serve as a small illustration that if you aim big and put in the work, anything is achievable — even for a boutique firm from Penang competing at the national and now regional level.
“My hope is that it might encourage others in Penang to keep striving, to believe that everything is possible, and in some small way to help reverse the brain drain by showing that one can build something of regional standing without having to leave one’s country,” JJ Chan, a managing partner of CBE, said after the awards’ ceremony held at Shangri-La Singapore yesterday.
JJ Chan also acknowledged that the honour belongs not only to himself but also to consultant Datuk Chan Ban Eng, and partners Fazleeza Azli, Jael Ho, and Phoebe Ng, as well as everyone at CBE, whose dedication and hard work made the achievement possible.
“We extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to our friends, supporters, and the Penang community for their trust, confidence and continued support,” he said.
Over the past 25 years, JJ Chan has built a reputation for handling niche litigation, with a focus on financial lines, medical negligence, insurance/reinsurance, corporate, and directors’ & officers’ liability, acting for institutional clients across Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
A significant part of his work involves the healthcare sector, with CBE advising more than 100 hospitals on medico-legal issues, governance frameworks, and regulatory compliance. He also serves as legal adviser to, and sits on the board of, several charitable and not-for-profit hospitals, reflecting a commitment to improving healthcare outcomes beyond commercial engagement.
One of his notable achievements includes co-authoring the book Directors & Officers Liability Insurance: Selected Articles, Cases and Materials with D&O expert Kevin LaCroix, the first publication of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, with a foreword by Tan Sri Zainun Ali, Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya and former Federal Court Judge.
The publication has been presented to key stakeholders, including His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Chief Justice Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Cabinet ministers, regulators and leading universities, as part of efforts to strengthen governance, accountability and risk management.
A defining hallmark of Chan and CBE is their commitment to pro bono education and the sharing of legal knowledge. They have conducted more than 200 pro bono briefings and training sessions across Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom, and Chan has authored over 50 articles spanning financial lines, medical negligence, corporate law, directors’ and officers’ liability, insurance and reinsurance, constitutional law, and broader governance and regulatory practice.
Beyond legal practice, JJ Chan contributes to various non-governmental organisations, leading universities, healthcare institutions and charitable organisations, supporting cultural, charitable and welfare programmes that benefit the underprivileged. He is also the legal counsel of the Penang Chinese Clan Council and a long-time supporter of the annual Penang Miaohui festival.
Chan said the firm views every recognition as a renewed responsibility.
“Awards are encouraging, but they are not the goal. The goal is to use whatever standing we earn to strengthen institutions, raise standards, and give back to Penang and to the nation. That is the work that matters.”
Under JJ Chan’s leadership, CBE’s recognition as a Top Tier Finalist at the ALB South East Asia Law Awards 2026 proves that Penang talent can achieve world-class success without leaving home.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix courtesy of Chan Ban Eng & Co