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

My current company is a Singapore-based one with French capital ownership, Apple Tree Group (ATG: the holding company). ATG has concentrated on business in ten countries in Southeast Asia. We have 15 subsidiaries established in Vietnam operating majorly in Import, Distribution,Retail and Tourism & Hospitality industry. My Legal Team’s tasks cover all the legal affairs of those subsidiaries in Vietnam.

Last year, we successfully established a foreign owned company to run a Project for the use of Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) for the first time in Vietnam. Through RVMs, people can return empty beverage containers, such as bottles and cans, for recycling. Our newly established company is the first company and the only member of the Vietnam Packaging Recycling Association (PRO Vietnam) to focus on solutions for the difficult problem of the informal collection sector being unable to fully meet the demand and collect PET bottles (statistics show that only three out of seven discarded PET bottles are collected). Our Project aims to significantly reduce this gap without competing with the informal collection industry, contributing to job creation and promoting economic growth through encouraging recycling. The core value of our Project is to create a recycling machine that is considered revolutionary in Singapore and to expand it into Vietnam, to combat plastic pollution and CO2 emissions. We have aimed to install those RVMs in schools, universities, supermarkets and public places across Vietnam. Legal is very proud to have supported and accompanied this project from its inception to its current operation.

Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

To me as an in-house lawyer, it is very important to remain aware that collaboration with the business partner in an amicable manner will bring many benefits to the company. For me, there are two factors that would foster this collaboration. Firstly, understanding each other’s company core values. Embracing and respecting each party’s company values is fundamental for a harmonious partnership. Acknowledging and understanding the distinct values of both your team and who you’re engaging with creates mutual respect. This approach creates a collaborative culture where effective communication and shared tools become the bridges between different value systems. Working together for mutual success is the second factor should be considered. Collaboration can be challenging, but it’s also rewarding. It’s also important to acknowledge that sometimes the work is hard and it’s difficult to get things done. Support your business partner, encourage them, celebrate them when they achieve significant milestones. Be willing to be frank when things don’t work out the way you hoped. You’ll work harder for each other, and you’ll be far more likely to push the business forward.

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

In the world of legal team management, it’s important to ensure that the legal professionals working for you are doing their best at all times. So, leading from the front can also foster well-motivated lawyers, legal assistants, and any other legal professionals. Firstly, I tend to commit to a collective mission. Let your team members know ahead of time, so they can come up with their own ideas. Empower them to bring their own personal goals into their contributions to the team mission. The second thing should be to let them take ownership of their assigned work. As a key part of legal leadership, create an environment where your team members can confidently show their best. It is also good to help them take the lead on projects, but it is important to hold people accountable for their actions so that they can learn where they went wrong and be empowered to be successful.