About

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Iain Seow leads the Shangri-La Group’s Legal Department which oversees the Group’s legal and regulatory affairs in over 24 countries. Shangri-La Group is primarily listed in Hong Kong and secondary listed in Singapore, with subsidiary listings in Malaysia and Thailand. With lawyers with core expertise in areas such as hotel management and operations, commercial and retail leasing, real estate, construction and development, mergers and acquisition, intellectual property, e-commerce and technology, corporate finance, banking and finance, disputes, and personal data protection, the Legal Department fields an array of diversely talented lawyers who are ever ready to identify, prepare for, and meet challenges of the rapidly changing business, regulatory, and geopolitical environments in the places where the Group operates. Being at the centre of the Group’s corporate governance and compliance functions, the Legal Department plays an integral role in shaping the Group’s values and culture and is a key partner in aligning the Group’s business priorities and operations with its risks and opportunities.

The achievements of the Legal Department were demonstrated across various dimensions in the past year. Pioneering innovation in financing, the Legal Department orchestrated several historic milestones, including a bespoke sustainability-linked loan facility that was the first of its kind for the hospitality industry in Hong Kong, a sustainability-linked loan that represented the single largest sustainability-linked loan denominated in RMB for the Group thus far, the successful update of a US$4 billion EMTN programme, and the landmark launch of the first-ever panda bond issued by a HK-listed hospitality group. In close collaboration with stakeholders, the Legal Department was also instrumental in executing key ESG initiatives such as the global design and implementation of policies and training in line with the Group’s commitments to anti-bribery and corruption, diversity and inclusion, and human rights. The Legal Department continually delivers innovative legal solutions in support of the Group’s business and strategic initiatives, such as the launch of various proprietary technology and e-commerce platforms and other mega-projects such as the launch of the largest integrated development in Fuzhou and the Group’s first dual-brand joint venture hotel development in China.