Alex Liam is currently the senior legal counsel for the Sustainable Metal Cloud group of companies and manages its legal matters globally. A dual-qualified (Singapore and Australia) lawyer with several years of experience in corporate and commercial law, he has also led legal teams at established conglomerates Banyan Tree and YTL Power, specialising in areas such as sustainability law, finance, M&A and data privacy. He has also received multiple awards for his work over the past decade.

What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

Managed, negotiated and advised on complex deals with the largest cloud and AI providers globally and supply deals with major Original Equipment Manufaturer (OEM). I also managed patent and R&D strategies with co-founders and assisted with matters for joint venture with ST Telemedia Global Data Centres.

We also assisted with secondary aspects of US$400m equity round and US$550m debt financing process, and then developed and implemented policies for regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

Which political, economic, or regulatory changes have impacted your work the most in the past year?

New regulations for artificial intelligence (AI) in general, including the EU AI Act and Singapore’s Model AI Governance Framework, are the most crucial of regulatory changes that I need to give due consideration to. Further, the elevation of responsibility (whether mandatory or voluntary) for companies towards environmental impact and the nascent AI wave are both massive economic trends that have affected my work in more ways than one.

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

I know this is a bit of a cop-out but the effects of AI on the legal world can be said to be both overplayed and underplayed. On the underplayed part, it should be recognised that AI is now automating routine tasks such as contract review and legal research, which is great for efficiency for legal teams. However, from the overplayed perspective, I note that the performance of these tools is not flawless by any means and exaggeration about these tools has bred mistrust among lawyers and laymen alike. Mistrust about other issues like privacy and security also persist for good reason – they have not been sufficiently addressed to date in my opinion.

How is ESG impacting the company’s approach?

At my organisation, our commitment to ESG principles drives our strategic initiatives. We integrate environmental considerations into our operations through our proprietary cooling technology, reducing data centre power consumption by up to 50%. Given the rising power consumption and environmental impact of data centres, the difference we can make is increasingly crucial. Our internal recycling program also ensures recycling of electronic waste and general litter from employees, aligning with circular economy practices. Pursuing certifications for sustainable operations and compiling statistics on our contributions to sustainable data centers demonstrate our dedication to regional ESG directives. Further, our governance policies, like our ESG Framework, reinforce ethical conduct and accountability.