How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises to ensure the organisation’s resilience?  

I believe that managing instability or crises begins well before such an event occurs. It starts with our team’s culture and the way we approach our day-to-day work. At Schindler, we have a saying: ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ By establishing the right culture, the team can develop the strategy needed to address any challenge. We foster a positive work environment by supporting our team members, ensuring they have the resources they need to perform at their best, and maintaining an open atmosphere that encourages new ideas. When we take care of our team, they, in turn, prioritise the organisation’s needs, take ownership, and consistently exceed expectations. This creates a stable foundation that enables the team to navigate periods of instability and crisis, both inevitable challenges that we can resiliently recover from.

What are the main projects that you have been involved in recently?  

Our legal team recently successfully defended against an anti-dumping complaint in Argentina that threatened a 36% tariff on all elevator imports from China. Over the course of 18 months, our team worked closely with legal colleagues in South America, Switzerland, and Germany, with the support of external counsel in both China and Argentina. The China team had to coordinate with various departments to gather the necessary information to respond to urgent requests from the Argentine government, including tasks like translation, notarisation, and the legalisation of documents. It was a long and high-pressure process, but ultimately, the anti-dumping complaint was dismissed. This was our team’s first experience defending against an anti-dumping claim, making it both a significant achievement and a great learning experience.

What are some of the main trends impacting the industry sector you work in in China?  

For our industry, the slowdown in the Chinese real estate sector has had the most significant impact. This market downturn has affected sales and increased the challenges of collections, but it has also presented an opportunity for us to become more efficient and selective in the projects we take on. On the legal and compliance side, this slowdown has led to a higher volume of litigation cases and compliance investigations.

Do you use any ‘legal tech’ products, and if so, for which areas of your work do you find them most useful? (For example, billing, contract drafting, electronic discovery, case management, etc.)  

With the aim of increasing efficiency and reduce costs, our team developed a customised case management system in-house using Microsoft SharePoint. This system allows us to track the status of cases, recoveries, and legal fees for over 2,000 ongoing litigation matters. Outside counsel has limited access to the system, enabling them to input updates that can be viewed by the legal team and relevant internal functions. We are incredibly proud of our team for developing this system ourselves, which is a testament to our team’s dedication and can-do attitude!