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

In addition to drafting & reviewing several critical product launches by the company, my team has been heavily involved in setting up several key distribution engagements that are critical to the group’s sales achievements.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

As the local business landscape rapidly evolves, so do the demands of corporate legal teams, and with increasing intensity. The key skills need for a successful team in these changing times are adaptability as the business environment changes rapidly especially in the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world we live in today; it is therefore important for the corporate legal team to adapt to situations and challenges quickly to support the business in achieving its goals.

Second, the team must be technologically proficient, it is highly important as it can greatly help in-house teams to be efficient, effective, and find new ways of working to provide timely support to businesses in a world where speed and innovation are top priorities for business partners. For example, data analytics skills will help teams analyse large amounts of data to gain actionable insights and make informed decisions.

Finally, in-house legal teams must strengthen their risk management skills to be able to identify, assess and manage critical risks facing their organisation, and provide actionable advice to key stakeholders.

The most critical underlying factor in all of this, however, is engagement with the business, and to be successful, the team must not see itself as a silo with a purely advisory and legal service role. They must see themselves as an engaged business partner right from the outset of the journey to help navigate the decisions and the legal complexities that come with it.

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in Malaysia over the next five-ten years?

In the next five to ten years, the role of the general counsel will increase in importance especially in the area of risk management, as companies continue to face various legal and reputational risks. The legal counsel of tomorrow should focus on developing risk management acumen to hone skills in identifying potential risks, developing mitigation strategies and playing a role as a trusted solution advisor and influencer to boards of directors and senior management. His or her role will demand that contributions go beyond the legal field and be adaptable to think outside the box and not approach problems in a linear fashion. There is also a growing expectation that in-house counsel not only advise but also innovate to develop new methods that create value for the company.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

In-house counsel should operate as a business partner and learn the operational nuances, goals & challenges of the business partner, He/she should participate in business meetings, brainstorming sessions and provide immediate insight and advice, if necessary, even in broad terms until there is clarity of direction and details. In-house lawyers should be responsive and ready to accept requests from business partners to provide useful advice, this will foster open, transparent, honest and trustworthy relationships. There is every opportunity to develop ideas and share them with the business, for generating ideas is not solely the role of the business, the in-house lawyer should equally see themselves as a key stakeholder in the business outcome.