Team size: Seven

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

My organisation’s most significant achievement would be our ability to keep a very lean litigation portfolio. We have been able to maintain this, while also working diligently with our external counsel to close existing litigation cases. This has helped save legal costs, enhance process efficiency, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

The legal team is aware of its responsibility to mitigate and prevent litigation risk, and this has played a significant role in limiting the number of litigations. Our partnership with reliable law firms has also been pivotal to the successes recorded in the management of our litigation portfolio.

As a general counsel, how do you anticipate and prepare for potential legal and regulatory challenges that may arise, particularly in light of emerging technologies and evolving business landscapes?

To prepare for potential legal and regulatory challenges, it is important to keep informed to proactively develop strategies or build frameworks. This entails involving the board, management, and all relevant stakeholders; the general counsel is responsible for providing helpful, actionable advice in this context.

We are in the era of emerging technologies, which has and will continue to impact the regulatory environment because of their associated risks. Emerging technologies also mean evolving regulations, and as a business, it is imperative to be aware and prepared for the challenges that come with innovation.

The insurance industry is known for constant guideline and regulatory changes that impact business practices. We monitor these developments, assess their impact, and make internal control changes.

Various transactions and business engagements have potential legal challenges, and water-tight contractual documentation ensure that the business is adequately protected. To achieve this, you must be properly informed and aware of the technicalities that such contracts involve. As a lawyer, it is imperative to stay abreast of all salient issues in the regulatory and legal environment.

How have you attempted to bring the legal department closer to your business colleagues? 

My organisation is invested in collaboration – a core business value. The legal unit is central within the organisation as it gives relevant legal and corporate governance advice to the business units, management, and board.

We engage with the business teams in a constant feedback loop. Business teams are empowered to address recurring contractual requests to improve response speed. With a series of engagements and clear access to the legal teams, they can meet the legal requirements of their deliverables quickly, accurately, and efficiently. I champion the use of two-way communication channels to measure the effectiveness of legal services and understand the unique challenges faced by each business team.

The in-house legal team has also automated some existing processes so that the commercial or business teams can independently access information regarding their request.

In essence, our approach to bridging the gap between the legal department and our business colleagues is deeply rooted in proactivity, constant engagement, empowerment, and technological innovation.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

It is important to ensure the organisation works with the right lawyers, as this can significantly impact the company’s status. External counsel are expected to provide support by protecting the company’s legal interest, guiding compliance with laws and regulations as well as managing potential legal risks. Hence, my organisation has stringent requirements for engaging any third party to act as its vendor; external counsel engaged to represent the organisation must understand and align with the company’s values.

Only external counsel that pass all the relevant checks are allowed to act on behalf of the organisation. This confirms their alignment with the fundamental values that constitute the bedrock of our corporate entity.

From the commencement of the engagement, clear expectations are set and any firm that does not meet expectations may not be considered for potential instructions. Our commitment to excellence does not waver after the firm has commenced work. We engage in continual assessments to measure performance and adherence to company policies.