How do you motivate and manage the other members of your legal team well?

This question has particular resonance given the condition of the company in the summer and fall of 2023. The company was in such a distressed financial situation that it could not afford to pay full salaries for some months. There were other months when the company could not afford to pay salaries at all. As general counsel, the issue I faced was keeping the legal team together and motivating them to put in the long hours needed to close the transactions necessary to save the company even though they were not receiving a regular salary.

Under the circumstances, my first priority was keeping the team together. I knew that the departure of one member of the team could have a cascading effect that would likely lead the entire team to leave. I decided that I needed to be transparent about the problems the company was facing. I made a point of discussing the situation with them frequently. I let the team know what I knew and what developments meant to them about the future of the company. I also worked to create and maintain and create a feeling and culture of camaraderie and determination. I wanted everyone to understand that we were all in this together, everyone was important to the team, and everyone had something important to contribute to ensure the company survived.

Now that things have settled down and the company has stabilised, I have brought these lessons into my day-to-day management of the legal department. That period made the legal department at AG&P a more effective team that provides more value to the company.

The lessons I have implemented from this period: (a) an effective legal department must work as a team; (b) everyone in the legal department should feel that they are important to the team and have a stake in the success of the department and the company; and (d) every lawyer on the team has skills, knowledge and abilities that are important to the survival, growth and success of the company if given the opportunity to utilise them. One of the most important roles of the general counsel is to provide their team with the opportunity and support to thrive as lawyers both in good times and particularly in difficult times.

What is a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about, and why?

I am personally passionate about helping and mentoring children with learning disabilities and other neurological differences. I grew up with dyslexia, dysgraphia and other learning differences. As a child I struggled in school and often had trouble passing classes. At university I received support and mentorship that allowed me to excel in academics for the first time. Based on my academic success at university I was able to go to law school and become a qualified lawyer. I have always been passionate about providing mentorship and support to other young people struggling with learning differences and neurodiversity.

Coincidentally, my wife is now the head of a school in Singapore that specialises in teaching and supporting learning disabled and neurodiverse children.

Together we spend our free time working with school children who have neurological and learning differences. I volunteer at the school my wife runs and spend time with its students. We also work to draw attention to the needs of neurodiverse children. This includes participating in charity events, fun runs, walks and other activities that raise awareness of the challenges faced by neurodiverse children and their families as well as raising money for local organisations and charities that support them.