Team size: 25

Key team members: Brijesh Balakrishnan, Rita Kriz, Lilian Chen and Yoshimi Tomizawa

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

McKinsey’s Asia legal team operates as a cohesive unit, devoted to serving the entire APAC region. Our primary focus lies in advising on legal, contractual, professional and reputational risks stemming from client work and other activities, acting as both enabler and risk mitigator. As McKinsey works on highly confidential projects, we cannot share specific details which remain confidential, but our team actively enables McKinsey to deliver cutting-edge solutions for its clients which are more often than not complex and bespoke, exemplifying our expertise and reputation to maximise impact.

One of our core responsibilities is aiding our regional offices in managing their commercial and contractual arrangements with clients and third parties, providing invaluable counsel to client service and support teams. We excel at advising and negotiating complex digital, advanced analytics, and emerging technology engagements, as well as alternate commercial and fee structures which involve sophisticated instruments tailored for each deal. Additionally, we handle matters concerning public and social sector contracts, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, and M&A, including private equity work. Throughout these endeavours, we liaise and collaborate with various internal functions, ensuring seamless syndication and adherence to firm policies. In a nutshell, our team operates similarly to a large international law firm, with diversity of matters and a problem-solving mindset.

As an exceptional testament to our dedication to client service, we boldly introduced a partner satisfaction survey, garnering an overwhelmingly positive response of 86% from leadership regarding their collaboration with APAC legal colleagues. This survey underscores our commitment to prompt, efficient and effective service, building strong relationships that foster success.

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?

Amidst an overwhelming 30% increase in team workload over the past year, coupled with rising complexities and strategic business impact-related matters, McKinsey’s Asia legal team has embarked on a remarkable journey of strategic realignment. By embracing a revolutionary approach to business and legal workflows and leveraging new automation and self-service tools, the team has managed to achieve substantial improvements in efficiency without incurring exorbitant expenses.

The strategic revamping of internal workflows and the introduction of innovative self-service tools played a pivotal role in optimising resource allocation. Among the achievements were significant automation of standard contracts, a unified intake protocol that redirected business stakeholders away from direct interactions with individual lawyers, and a focus on upskilling all team members.