What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

My legal team has been at the forefront of our acquisition of legal rights to represent numerous new international brands in Malaysia and beyond with a business plan to expand aggressively across the regions. We are challenging renowned organisations to change their set legal templates in order to fairly allocate risks between the parties and have been successful in the risk management and mitigation for the group as a whole.

What are some of your main tips for dealing with a crisis?

When dealing with a crisis, it is important to remain calm. Panicking clouds one’s judgement leading to more mistakes. Assess the situation carefully including the damage and potential damage in order to make an informed decision. Depending on the situation, sometimes it is necessary to immediately take swift proactive actions to prevent further loss before actually rectifying the problem. However, never compromise on the accuracy and quality of your actions in return for speed. Understand where the problem stems from and endeavour to solve the issue at hand in a logical manner. Clear communication and having a few options at hand to resolve a crisis is essential. Sometimes, you may need to pivot from original plan in order to successfully mitigate the effects of a crisis. Finally, be well prepared to face similar crisis in future.

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in Malaysia over the next five-to-ten years?

The role of the general counsel has been ever evolving and I am proud to be part of an organisation that recognises this and is at the forefront of this evolution. I am the general counsel of Valiram Group while also holding the title of senior vice president of strategy and development since the general counsel role is no longer confined to the legal space but is very much an integral part of an organisation contributing positively to its overall strategy and development to achieve targeted business growth and success. This would encompass working with C-suite counterparts not only in providing legally sound and commercially savvy solutions to complex legal issues steering the business in the right direction but also deftly resolving organisational issues involving its workforce, finance, IT, environmental, social and governance aspects.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

Clear, frequent communication with the respective business partners is the key so that there are no surprises in terms of expectations with regards to timelines or the end result. Constantly meeting or even exceeding the expectations of your internal business partners would build great trust and confidence that forms the foundation of a strong relationship. We need to strike the right balance between protecting the legal interests of the company while safeguarding and optimising financial rewards. Showing that we can work together by providing viable alternatives instead of being a so called “roadblock” would avoid animosity and foster a successful professional relationship. It is important to let your internal business partner know that they are an important member of the team valued for their industry insight so that a united front can be projected during contract negotiations and mutual strategies can be executed to achieve the optimum result.