We are honoured and delighted to welcome Datuk Nantha Balan, retired Judge of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia, who joins ASL as a Consultant.
Datuk Nantha brings over 25 years of extensive litigation practice at both trial and appellate levels, and more than a decade in the Malaysian Judiciary. He retired from the Judiciary in October 2025. At the Bar, his practice spanned commercial and banking litigation, industrial relations, insurance and professional negligence, probate disputes and judicial review.
As a Judge, Datuk Nantha was widely respected for his clarity of reasoning, principled decision-making and unwavering commitment to the Rule of Law. His judicial contributions include landmark decisions on separate legal personality in employment disputes, and evidence-based standards for damages in medical negligence. Further, in a constitutional matter concerning citizenship rights for children born abroad to Malaysian mothers married to foreign nationals, Datuk Nantha dissented and articulated a strong equality-based interpretation of the Malaysian Constitution. This area of law has since evolved through legislative amendment to grant equal citizenship rights to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers.
Datuk Nantha is also a strong advocate of mediation and has been actively involved in court-led mediation, including in high-profile, high value and complex disputes, reflecting his belief in effective, principled dispute resolution beyond adversarial litigation.
He speaks regularly at legal seminars and is a trainer in the Malaysian Bar’s Advocacy Training Course. He is also the co-editor of the Malaysian Civil Procedure (2024).
Datuk Nantha’s breadth of perspective as a litigator, Judge, and mediator and his knowledge and guidance will further enhance the firm’s capabilities across the full spectrum of Dispute Resolution, as we continue to serve our clients with the highest standards of advocacy and professionalism.
