About

Ernst & Young’s Greater China general counsel’s office (GCO) is led from Hong Kong by Brian Pong, Asia Pacific area counsel and general counsel for Greater China. He heads the expert legal team which is spread across Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Dedicated to servicing the legal needs of 467 EY partners and 16,735 staff in 19 offices, the team is composed of 17 legal counsel and separated into three practice groups, namely, contracts, transactions, and litigation. ‘We regularly advise on issues spanning from contract review, acquisitions, corporate or engagement structures, employment matters, data privacy, disputes, and regulatory investigations’, says Pong. Whilst the contracts practice group is commended for regularly leading initiatives such as developing new or refining existing engagement consultation protocols, the transactions practice group has been highlighted for its involvement in developing growth drivers such as EY’s managed services offerings and building alliances. ‘We regularly close acquisitions in growth areas to bolster client service capabilities and to meet market demand. Over the past year we closed two major acquisitions and three material team lifts to strengthen EY’s growth areas such as digital, cyber, IT advisory, and strategy consulting’, says Pong. Regarding the litigation practice group, Pong says ‘we are occupied with guiding the business through several cross-border regulatory inquiries, as well as advising on new industry specific guidance and its implications’. Another area EY’s Greater China legal team plays an important role in is ensuring growth initiatives are implemented in a responsible and sustainable manner, in response to evolving regulatory environments and social and market trends. The team does this by offering steadfast training to internal clients throughout the year on topics including contracting guidance, workplace behaviour guidelines and a data incident response policy. With EY expanding from traditional assurance services and evolving into the consulting sector, the team assists in responding in a number of ways: by embedding legal advice at the onset of new business processes, driving a focus on relevant regulatory developments affecting new spaces; advising on the procurement and handling of new technology all whilst acting as gate keepers to ensure sustainable growth. Pong sums up the impact of the team’s achievements and what lies ahead for the talented group: ‘The Greater China business is incorporating GCO’s advice more pro-actively across more service lines than ever before. Given this increasing level of involvement, over the last year Greater China GCO’s headcount has also increased. In response to EY’s focus to drive our digital brand in the market, we have brought on new legal talent including M&A and e-commerce expertise. Greater China GCO is expected to continue to play an integral role in driving EY’s growth initiatives in the region’.