Speaker's profile

Donovan Cheah

Co-Founding Partner

Donovan & Ho

Donovan is the co-founding partner of Donovan & Ho, where he heads the firm’s employment and disputes practice. His work has been consistently recognised by publications such as Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, asialaw and Benchmark Litigation, where he has been described as “knowing labour and employment law like the back of his hand, and second to none.” He regularly advises employers on employment contracts, handbooks and workplace policies, as well as complex issues such as workforce restructuring, termination of employment and regulatory compliance. Donovan also represents corporate clients in employment disputes, including unfair dismissal claims, civil litigation involving employees, judicial review proceedings and appellate matters.

Donovan previously served as regional counsel for one of the world’s largest paints and coatings manufacturers, where he managed the company’s in-house legal function across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Beyond practice, Donovan is the Co-Deputy Chair of the Malaysian Bar’s Industrial and Employment Law Committee. He is a contributing editor to the Annotated Statutes of Malaysia for the Employment Act 1955, the Industrial Relations Act 1967, and the Employees Provident Fund Act 1991. He is also the author of Navigating Employment Disputes in Malaysia, the second edition of which was published in 2024.