What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have recently been involved in?  

Our utilities and infrastructure law team plays a key role in advising power plant project financing, petrochemical and real estate project financing. During the Covid-19 pandemic and presently, the greenfield power plant projects whether IPP, SPP and VSPP both onshore and offshore are not turndown like other industries. Conversely, they are developing the brownfield and need financing for operation, while the environmental issues and ESG factors must be considered. For other industries, the clients also need green and blue loans as well as the sustainability link loan for enhancing its ESG. Moreover, SCB is the Equator Principles Financial Institutions under Equator Principles. We researched and learnt more about details on ESG loan products, the Equator Principles, criteria of green and blue loans and the measurement of sustainability linked loan, we collected and set standard provisions relating to Equator Principles, green loan, blue loan and sustainability link loan for preparing and supporting the bank to meet the target of sustainable finance in year 2025. 

How do you motivate and manage your legal team well? 

All team members should respect each other; passive-aggressive communication must be avoided. Listening to others different ideas or opinions should be encouraged and cultivated. The team will work well if the members are proactive workers and work closely with the business unit; this mindset helps the team contributes more efficient and with greater productivity. Giving support to each other when needed and selecting the right person for the right task are also key factors to managing the team. To motivate the team, clear communicate about work processes and accountability in their roles is essential. Recognition from supervisors and team members always gives each team member’s work value. Learning soft skills also helps motivate team member; soft skills are now essential to professional development and working with others such as prompting AI, critical thinking, problem solving, coaching skill. These could support a good productivity, negotiation skills, collaboration not only in legal team but also a discussion and communication with business units and clients.  

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

AI technology is absolutely overplayed in business world. But when it comes to the legal world, I would say the effects of Al are not underplayed. Al technology is a new way of legal working; it enhances legal capabilities, improves speed and accuracy, enables lawyers providing more efficienct work. But AI models may be trained with inaccurate database or bias. Lawyers use it carefully and with consideration; it is quite hard to replace lawyers in an area of complicated work requiring expertise, experience, and in-depth knowledge. 

SCB recently launched the digital bank with human touch strategy. Legal teams are implementing a semi-automation process, reducing manual work helping costs and saving time. This is a way of adaptation as AI technology directly affects legal working process. The new challenge for in-house lawyers is to train on AI and provide legal services and advise efficiently to go along with the business strategies that focus on the link between AI technology and sustainability.