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How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners? This requires: a positive mind-set that in-house lawyers are partners to the business and will support their business initiatives and safeguard the sustainable growth by controlling risks and ensuring compliance; strategic thinking and good judgment to provide proactive, practical and thoughtful support to the business and the organisation, especially when the law remains silent or ambiguous in certain areas; and strong communication skills and the ability to work across functions. Finally, be patient and persistent – it takes time to build mutual trust. What “legal tech” products do you currently utilise, and do you foresee implementing more of these in the near future? We use DocuSign to manage contract signing since many of our contracts need to be signed by signatories overseas. Our head office is also working with Onit for the implementation of an automatic contract review and management system throughout the company. Have any new laws, regulations or judicial decisions greatly impacted your company’s business or your legal practice? We were invited to meetings to discuss the contemplated regulation for the cruise industry in the amended Maritime Law. We also closely monitor the development of data privacy laws and regulations in China and the GDPR as we deal with a large amount of guest data. When selecting a law firm, what criteria do you evaluate the potential firms by? The rankings by The Legal 500, the background and experience of the leading lawyer and his or her team, and in-house counsel referral regarding their ability to provide insightful, practical and efficient advice. What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry? The cruise industry is still new but has been developing quickly in China. The legal framework is developing as well. An in-house lawyer in this industry needs to have the ability to learn quickly as the industry is new and complex and the regulation is still developing so there is a lot to learn; act more quickly as the working environment is highly dynamic which requires a lot to be done with high efficiency; make good judgment calls, and take risks. In what ways do you see the in-house legal
role evolving in your region over the next few years? In-house lawyers will continue to play an important role in shaping the legal framework and game rules for this industry by understanding the global practice, the local regulations and the unique opportunities and challenges of the local market. They will also rely more on legal tech products to improve efficiency as legal teams in the offices set by international cruise lines in China are generally very small. The cruise industry will also welcome more local players as China is building its own cruise ships, which will allow in-house lawyers to have more exposure to every aspect of this complex but exciting industry.   FOCUS ON… I have just entered into my eighth year with Royal Caribbean. I have sometimes asked myself and have been asked by others if it is a good choice to start an in-house career as the sole legal counsel in a new and dynamic industry. When I look back, the top three rules that come to my mind are as below. Rule number one: know yourself and set the right expectation. I worked for a US law firm for six years before I decided to move in-house. I determined back then that I wanted the greatest exposure for my first in-house role. I therefore joined Royal Caribbean and became their first and sole legal counsel in China in expectation for the greatest exposure and room for professional growth within an expanding organisation in a booming industry. I was half right. The cruise industry is complex and interesting and it gives me the opportunity to learn new things quickly and familiarise myself with knowledge of this business and the relevant laws and practices. I also had the opportunity to work directly and closely with all business functions on all projects and matters where legal assistance was required. But I was not fully prepared for the overwhelming workload, the highly dynamic working environment, the diversity of a corporate culture compared to that of a law firm, the lack of an organised system of policies and procedures, and the fact that many business colleagues did not exactly understand what to expect from legal and how to work with legal. A sole in-house counsel role can be quite challenging as you are expected to build up the infrastructure of legal policies and processes, to deal with everything, big or small, to work very independently and efficiently, and to fight when you have to with limited support. It requires a strong heart, the ability to observe, learn and adapt quickly, and the ability to work under pressure and multi-task. Rule number two: think big and act fast. Sole legal counsel are expected to handle everything so it’s important to think big and prioritise. I tried to catch every plate during my first year but my take after that painful process is don’t be super serious with every deadline, prioritise and ensure you take time to work on the things that you consider critical and important though maybe no one is setting a deadline for that. The big things include those such as localising global policies and setting-up local policies, and the standardisation of processes. Also, start to think if you need an additional helping hand. It’s normally a long process to hire a new team member so plan early. Rule number three: be persistent yet flexible. No trust can be built within one day. Set the right and positive attitude, think strategically, and work with quality and efficiency. Yet it still takes time to build mutual trust and strong relationships with business partners. In-house legal is there to support the growth of the business and safeguard the company. Spot the issues but more importantly find solutions. You are the only counsel so people expect you to give practical advice and make decisions. But it’s equally important to know when to reach out for help when necessary – whether by calling your boss or emailing external counsel. When the business grows and when you are able to build a team, you will become much stronger and a great team really makes a big difference. I cannot thank my team enough for all the great support and love they gave me over the past three years.