Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

My understanding is that it is critical to gain and build trust that your advice is not only legally sound, but ethical, fair and balanced. Of further importance is how one builds that trust. This cannot be done in a day. One needs to continuously endeavour to treat all work, small or big, and all internal clients of any level with respect and duty of care. One must not forget the original passion to become legal practitioners— appreciating the privilege of being able to help those who seek our help using one’s mind, heart and legal training.

Are the effects of AI on the legal world overplayed, or underplayed?

At this point, I would say neither. AI is here to stay and just like any other industry, AI has naturally impacted the legal industry, and the industry, in return, has embraced AI and other technologies. That said, if the implication of the question is whether AI will ultimately replace lawyers, then in my humble view, the answer would be no. If anything, the role of in-house counsel will likely only increase. AI may be able to adequately supplement, perhaps even overtake, legal expertise and hard skills per se.

However, the critical responsibility of an in-house counsel is not only to provide legal counsel; rather, it is to provide ethical guidance and leadership in the context of both the culture of the company and the matter at hand.

In other words, AI can answer to the question of legality – but can it solve the question of whether a decision is right or wrong (even if legal)?

The totality of natural and professional human experience gained through our human senses is required to answer that question, and my personal view is that it may take significant time, if it is possible at all, for AI to reach that stage. We cannot underestimate the development of AI and AI is here to help us, but my personal belief is that it will be very difficult to completely replace our ultimate ethical judgement.

NOTE: THE ABOVE REPRESENTS THE PERSONAL VIEWS AND OPINIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND DOES NOT REPRESENT THE VIEW OR POSITION OF THE COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION TO WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL BELONGS.