Could you share with us the story of your path to becoming an in-house counsel? What motivated you to choose this career path? 

My journey to becoming in-house counsel was a combination of my desire to work closely with a company and my fascination with the intersection of law and business. It is clear that legal departments play an undeniable role in corporate decision-making. 

During my undergraduate studies, I had a keen interest in law and its impact on society. I was fascinated by the complexity of legal issues and how they intersect with various aspects of life, especially business. I am generally a person who likes to strategise and find solutions to the challenges I face in my daily life. Drowning in piles of files is not my thing. Instead, I was much more interested in understanding the internal dynamics of the company and taking preventive actions against potential problems. First of all, I started reading psychological and personal development books on personality analysis and corporate life. Understanding the potential people I might encounter in corporate life was an integral part of the work I was going to do. 

The role I took in the first corporate company I worked for allowed me to be involved in the operations of the company from scratch. I quickly realised the value of being an integral part of the team rather than an outside consultant brought in for specific problems. I was fascinated by being involved in the decision-making process. 

Over the years, I continued to grow in my role as in-house counsel, moving to larger companies with more complex legal challenges. At every step, I was motivated by the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the businesses I worked for, whether it was by drafting an important contract, overcoming a legal hurdle, or helping make an important business decision. 

Overall, my path to becoming in-house counsel was driven by my passion for the law, my fascination with business, and my desire to make a difference in the companies I serve. It is a challenging and rewarding career path that I am grateful to have embarked on. 

In your role as in-house counsel, what are the main responsibilities and tasks you undertake on a daily basis? 

As an in-house lawyer, my main responsibilities and duties are generally as follows; 

Reporting directly to the board of directors, I work to integrate board responsibilities, shareholder relations and corporate governance best practices into the company I work for. 

I provide legal guidance and advice to management and various departments on a wide range of legal matters, including contracts, intellectual property, labor law, regulatory compliance and corporate governance. I review, draft and negotiate contracts with customers, suppliers, partners and other third parties to ensure that the company’s interests are protected and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. I actively work to identify potential legal risks that may arise given the nature of the Company’s business and develop strategies to mitigate risks, such as implementing policies and procedures to ensure the Company’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations. I organise various training programs to educate Company employees on legal issues relevant to their roles, such as anti- corruption laws, data privacy regulations and intellectual property protection.