Team size: Seven

Key team members: Audrey Shum, Pearl Lam, Michelle Yu, Vivian Chow, Benson Or, Theresa Ip and Shannon Ting

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

In relation to Christie’s relocation and expansion project in Hong Kong, our team led the negotiation of the lease for Christie’s upcoming headquarters within the new icon of Hong Kong. Additionally, we managed all agreements with vendors and construction partners for the outfitting of the new headquarters, encompassing our auction, exhibition, and office areas.

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?

We provide training to business teams, instructing them on managing changes to certain commercial terms often arising during business negotiations. This empowers them to autonomously implement such amendments. As a result, we have improved efficiency so the legal team can focus on more complex tasks.

Can you sum up the team culture in one sentence?

Acting as a business partner to provide prompt, effective and compliant solutions.

Apart from legal matters, has the team worked on other company initiatives?

The legal team’s personnel play an active role in Christie’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) initiatives as well as Sustainability, along with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) endeavours.

What steps do you take to ensure effective communication and collaboration with external counsel and other stakeholders during the dispute resolution process?

We aim to be clear with the external counsel about the business’s objectives and constraints, and we select the counsel that can accommodate these needs. We aim to build long-term relationships with our counsel as this will deepen their understanding of the business, which in turn will help save time and cost. We ensure to discuss and agree on litigation strategies and objectives with business teams, while also keeping them informed of key developments. It is important to revise and update the litigation strategies as necessary. In addition to collaboration, supporting, and overseeing the litigation process, we consistently assess whether the predefined litigation strategies and objectives are being adhered to and if they remain pertinent to the company’s interests.

How does the in-house legal team contribute to the overall dispute resolution strategy of the organisation?

The in-house legal team understands the business considerations, the legal analysis, and the intricacies of legal proceedings. Its responsibility is to assist the business in recognising how litigation impacts the company from legal, commercial, and reputational standpoints, and to formulate a strategy that protects the company’s interests while considering both its short and long-term goals.