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

StarHub is amid a transformation, with continuous evolution, refinement of operating models and an expansion of our regional presence.

The expertise and support of the legal team is especially crucial in navigating the complex legal landscape associated with this transformation. We are excited about the new horizons that StarHub is steering to, and have worked closely with various departments, providing timely advice and solutions to legal challenges. This thereby enables the business to drive innovation and achieve the organisation’s transformation goals.

Counsels provide legal support to all areas of the business, such as the consumer and enterprise business groups, networks, information technology, M&A and corporate functions, including regional subsidiaries. The team also takes care of corporate secretarial matters and privacy/data protection compliance.

We have leveraged technology and data organisation techniques to improve the efficiency of legal operations while simultaneously improving cross-team collaboration and are actively looking to increase our digitalisation and AI footprint.

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

To start with, communication is key. By maintaining transparent communication channels, the legal team can understand the business’s objectives, challenges, and evolving needs. This helps to ensure that legal advice and decisions are aligned with the strategic goals of the business. We run regular training programmes for our business teams to familiarise them with processes and templates – this not only improves collaboration with the business, but also demystifies the legal aspects of what they work on.

Fostering a culture of mutual respect is also crucial for a productive partnership. The legal team appreciates the business partners’ insights into market trends and operational realities, while the business partners acknowledge the legal team’s role in mitigating risks and ensuring compliance. By working together with a shared vision and understanding, the in-house legal team and business partners can achieve our common goals more effectively.

Ultimately, we are more than just lawyers – we aim to be trusted advisors to the business, with an in-depth knowledge of the business and industry that helps us to think beyond purely legal matters and to advise the enterprise, considering the long-term impact on business strategy and shareholder value.

How do you motivate and manage the other members of your legal team well?

It is crucial to establish a collaborative and supportive work environment. I prioritise open communication, ensuring that team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. I also provide regular feedback and recognition to acknowledge their hard work and achievements. By setting clear expectations and goals, I help the team stay focused and aligned with the company’s objectives.

Additionally, I encourage continuous learning and professional development, offering opportunities for training and growth. At StarHub, we practice regular portfolio rotation, so counsels will get the opportunity to provide legal support to, and learn from, all areas of the enterprise and the industry. Counsels are also strongly encouraged to regularly attend training, seminars and courses to help them keep up with legal developments, enhance their skills and stay updated on industry trends.

We also make sure that we spend time together as a team outside of work. The team gets together socially often. And at least twice a year, the whole team comes together for activities such as team-building and corporate social responsibility initiatives. We also make time to recognise and celebrate each other’s achievements and success – marking every win or milestone, big or small. Through these efforts, I aim to create an engaged, motivated and cohesive legal team that feels valued and recognised, and consistently delivers high-quality results for our organisation.