Team size: 20+

What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

As the lead legal advisor in charge of managing all legal aspects of the project, I got the chance to play a significant part in a national bank’s restructuring. Together with overseeing and reorganisation of the bank’s legal department, I also made sure that all activities and transactions complied with regulatory requirements and were strategically aligned with the bank’s objectives. The bank has made significant progress, stabilised its operations, and fortified its foundation while also setting itself up for future expansion and breakthroughs in its overall business.

What innovations have you made to the way your legal team works in the past year?

The key innovations I have introduced to my legal team this year include restructuring the team, assigning legal personnel into specialised groups such as counselling for credit transactions, non-credit transactions, capital transactions, dispute resolution, and compliance control; streamlining and standardising legal processes when working with business partners and customers; reforming the team’s approach to produce better legal support with the goal of achieving business objectives while also upholding regulatory compliance; promoting better collaboration within the team through regular knowledge-sharing sessions, as well as organising informal gatherings to strengthen relationships and enhance teamwork among my subordinates.

Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

In my view, the key to successful collaboration with business partners is through empathy and understanding. It is important to put ourselves in the clients’ shoes like we are the ones who encounter those legal problems. By doing so, we could gain a more practical and direct perspective, which helps us to provide more effective legal solutions that meet their needs and expectations.

Additionally, the focus should always be on solving the problem, not just pointing them out. I always aim for and fully encourage open, constructive discussions to find solutions that best harmonise business interests and regulatory compliance.

How do you keep the legal team motivated?

To keep my legal team motivated and well-managed, I would recommend the followings: (i) focus on getting the tasks done rather than minutely tracking work hours; (ii) hand out tasks with clear instructions, deadlines, and expected results, while keeping an eye on how things are going; (iii) always encourage open, two-way discussions, so the team can work together to solve any legal issues that come up; (iv) accept full accountability for their outcomes, and also step up when problems arise or when team members face any difficulty; (v) do not miss a chance to get the team together, especially for birthdays, common events, or weekend hangouts, to build stronger bonds and better understanding between everyone.