About

‘When you move in-house, you are able to get a hands-on and practical understanding of legal issues, something that is rarely experienced in private practice. While previously the profession in Southeast Asia was considered a sales preventative function, now it is very much part of the business’, says Claire Chan, senior legal counsel responsible for Asia Pacific at British American Tobacco. Chan began her in-house career as legal manager at British American Tobacco in Malaysia, where she provided legal oversight in the fields of marketing, supply chain, regulatory and anti-illicit trade. Following two quick promotions within the function, Chan became corporate secretary and head of legal and security. In addition to successfully overseeing all legal and secretarial matters including but not limited to areas such a corporate commercial and corporate governance, competition law and marketing, Chan transformed the division from a very small unit to a highly effective department, where ‘everything works as clockwork’ and with ‘procedures put in place and no disruptions to processes’. In 2015, Chan moved to Singapore and was given a more challenging and regional portfolio to further stretch her capabilities and skills.