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

Our legal and compliance department has responsibility for both legal and compliance matters of CBRE Vietnam. We have advised the company on numerous legal issues of various business lines relating to business operations, licensing, intellectual property, marketing, employment – property management, consulting, valuation, office and industrial advisory & transaction, retail services, investment properties, and residential project brokerage to name just some of the areas we routinely oversee. We have reviewed a huge volume of contracts and agreements with clients, such as property management services agreement, letters of engagement for consulting and valuation services, real estate brokerage services agreements, and others. The team has also assisted the business in negotiating with clients for adding the company’s standard terms and conditions and protective clauses.

We have advised the management in dispute resolution and litigation, in particular for debt collection, dealing with client claims, and supported in identifying, managing and mitigating legal risks for the company. We have updated the management on new or amended laws on anti-money laundering, data privacy and other concerns to ensure that our business teams are aware of and comply with the regulatory requirements.

In relation to compliance, we have been involved in the preparation, review and launch of various Compliance policies for CBRE Vietnam, including anti-corruption, anti-money laundering anddata privacy, which are in line with CBRE Global’s policy and local laws. We have an ethics helpline for receiving reports on misconduct, and conducted investigations of violations of the company’s policies. We delivered compliance training to staff, sent periodic compliance communications, and contributed our part in upholding the “RISE” values of CBRE (Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence).

Can you sum up the team culture or ethos?

Our team culture is one of an eagerness to learn and share knowledge and experience, so that we can provide the best services to the company, assist in mitigating risks, and support in upholding CBRE’s RISE Values (Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence). Related to this, we are proud that CBRE has been named the “World’s Most Ethical Company” by Ethisphere for the tenth consecutive year.

How does the in-house legal team contribute to the overall dispute resolution strategy of the organisation?

We have advised the management on the pros and cons of starting legal proceedings against a client (for debt collection, for instance), for them to make informed decision. We suggested suitable external legal counsels, and worked closely with and supervised the works of external counsel, to ensure that we receive the best advices and services while still managing the legal expenses reasonably.