How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Yunfeng Financial Group Limited is a pioneer in cross-border financial technology. The legal team at Yunfeng collaborates closely with business units to provide services in brokerage, asset management, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and fintech. They also offer guidance on strategic investments and post-investment matters. Given the challenging business conditions, Yunfeng has adopted a strategy focused on reinforcing its core business while divesting non-core assets. The legal team plays a critical role in the execution of the business strategy, navigating the business teams through legal and operational risks, connecting various functional groups based in separate geographical locations using different working languages, and negotiating with counterparties to achieve our business objectives.

What emerging technologies do you see as having the most significant impact on the legal profession in the near future, and how do you stay updated on these developments?

The major demographic trend in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and much of East Asia, including Singapore, are massive spillover effects on investment, consumption and retirement planning. Mainland China has recently announced reforms to gradually raise its statutory retirement age, as a response to its rapidly aging population.

Longevity medicine and biotechnology are emerging technologies poised to significantly impact the legal profession. While experience remains the most valuable asset for commercial lawyers – reflected in higher billable rates and salaries – the development of artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to primarily handle basic legal and regulatory compliance tasks. Consequently, AI may replace paralegals and less experienced lawyers who manage repetitive tasks with standardised templates.

Aging is a common factor in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Rather than focusing on ‘sick-care,’ which focuses on treating the symptoms of these age-related diseases when they arise, the emphasis should shift to ‘healthcare’. This approach treats aging as a disease, aiming to maintain youthful mental and physical health for a longer ‘health span.’

Drawing an analogy to Dungeons & Dragons, longevity medicine and longevity biotechnology can transform experienced lawyers into dragons – mythical creatures who continue to grow wiser, richer, and more capable with time, without diminishing abilities due to age. Longevity medicine and biotechnology could have a significant impact on the legal profession and politics by enabling experienced professionals to maintain their mental acuity and physical health, thereby allowing them to contribute their valuable experience to their organisations for extended periods.

I stay updated on the latest developments in longevity medicine and longevity biotechnology by attending conferences and engaging professionals in this rapidly developing field, including the scientists from Quantum Life Limited. This AI-driven longevity technology company is a spin-off from The University of Hong Kong’s research laboratory and is supported by the Hong Kong Government’s InnoHK programme.