Team size: 35

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

We have created six internal policies to standardise the following legal processes: Client contract drafting, review and approval; vendor contract drafting, review and approval; ground lease drafting, review and approval; special contract drafting, review and approval (covers all contracts not falling under 1, 2 and 3 and all M&A transaction documents); power of attorney issuance and approval; and accessing and archiving of legal documents.

Some of the processes have been automated using current IT processes (without cost to the company).

We have institutionalised an internal legal monthly meeting (‘brown bag session’) where we invite internal and external experts to discuss specific topics with the legal team. We have invited speakers for data privacy, alternative dispute resolution, and intellectual property from the government and private sector. We have also engaged internal business experts to discuss the company business (i.e., fibre optic, towers and connectivity) so the legal team will have the business insights in drafting the contracts and issuing legal opinions. The team members are also encouraged to do a presentation of new laws or pending legislation that may impact company business. Aside from the learning, this session is a team socialisation and bonding venue.

Furthermore, we have established a contract approval documentation process to increase risk awareness and strengthen the accountability of the responsible officers.

What steps do you take to ensure effective communication and collaboration with external counsel and other stakeholders during the dispute resolution process?

We ensure that external counsel know accurate and correct facts surrounding the dispute, which our internal stakeholders have thoroughly vetted. We also regularly apprise the concerned leadership (i.e., responsible BOD members) about the status of the cases. We do not rely on external counsel to determine the most efficient way to resolve a dispute or attain our objectives; we collaborate with them to study the options and, if necessary, bring the decision to the leadership team.

Please note that the legal team does not handle land disputes (concerning lease agreements and which dispute arose after the ground lease contract has been executed) or community cases; the company’s property team handles all.

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

The legal team will always negotiate in good faith with our counterparties to prevent future disputes. We also suggest fair terms as much as possible since we always intend to have long-term relationships with our business partners. Our company deals with a limited clientele and core vendors, so we deal with their legal teams regularly; we have built a reputation of integrity and fairness in our dealings with them.