For the past three decades, Asia Pacific has been the engine of growth for the global economy. In the wake of the East Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, a gradual opening of economies and markets, most notably from China, has led to a boom – establishing new pillars of global economic strength alongside traditional mature economies in the region.
Lego, world famous makers of toy building bricks, declares that its mission is to ‘inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow’. It had this ethos front of mind when it began unveiling a state-of-the-art design concept for some of its major global offices.
Continue reading “The building blocks of working differently”
It’s a common refrain: law firms are not giving in-house teams what they want, in the way that they want it.
Amid the disruption of alternative providers and increasing automation of services, law firms should be listening closely to their clients. But, according to a recent report published by LexisNexis in collaboration with Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, many are not.
GC: Transitioning from a law firm in Washington DC to a startup in Singapore is quite a change, how did you find it?
Christopher Chan: It’s great to shake up your life every now and then to get new perspectives and experiences. There is nothing like leaving behind a cushy, well-paid job in the United States to go someplace where you’re not sure if the company is going to exist three months from now – it pushes you beyond boundaries of personal risk tolerance and out of your comfort zone! However, it is an exhilarating experience, and I can honestly say I love what I do.
Continue reading “In conversation: Christopher Chan, general counsel, RedMart”
While the concept of social responsibility and ethical behaviour by business has been a component of the corporate playbook in North America and Europe for more than a decade, Asia has somewhat lagged behind in the sustainability stakes. With troubling corruption levels, poor reporting standards and significant environmental risks a prominent feature of many countries in the region, the lofty standards now frequently expected by consumers were historically falling well short of the mark.
Continue reading “A social conscience – sustainability and Asia”
The GC Powerlist is a publication designed to highlight the most influential and innovative general counsel in a given market, involving a three-month process of nominations, background research and interviews. Each individual has made a demonstrable impact to their team, company or industry through innovative approaches to their everyday work.
GC: How did you come to be leading the legal function for Heineken across Asia Pacific?
Geraldine Lim: I joined Heineken in 2012 from Asia Pacific Breweries, after being responsible for handling much of the legal side of the integration of the two businesses. The amount of compliance and regulations that had to be followed as part of the acquisition, including de-listing a company that had been on the stock exchange since the 1930s was a big deal! But I’ve been working in beer for a long time now.
Continue reading “In conversation: Geraldine Lim, regional legal director, Heineken”
Corporations today are facing far greater regulatory scrutiny than ever before. Companies are grappling with stricter enforcement around corruption, cybersecurity, fraud, money laundering and data protection, to name but a few. Those operating in sectors such as banking, financial services, insurance, energy, pharmaceuticals and information technology are finding themselves increasingly under the spotlight, where penalties for non-compliance can be substantial.
GC: Could you tell me about your own background and how you came into the role with LagfargeHolcim?
Patrick McGlinchey: Before the Lafarge and Holcim merger took place, I worked as the regional general counsel for East Asia Pacific for Holcim, based between Sydney and Singapore. Following the merger, I now lead the legal and governance function for LafargeHolcim APAC. I have been in practice for over 20 years in London, Sydney and Singapore and have been a general counsel with a few MNCs, as well being an M&A lawyer by training.
Continue reading “In conversation: Patrick McGlinchey, regional general counsel, LafargeHolcim”
So said Dwight D. Eisenhower. But for global businesses, often headquartered in countries that have long enjoyed the benefits of a robust judiciary, the connection between rule of law and profitability might not always be so obvious.
Continue reading “Respect for the law: the Bingham Centre Business Network”
‘I find it strange that whether or not we use technology is still such a common question asked of general counsel, because I can’t understand how any legal team can work without it,’ remarked Jenni Aldrich, director of legal – APAC, at Google.
GC: Could you start off by telling me about GuocoLand and its business?
Derek Goh: GuocoLand Limited is listed on the Singapore Exchange and is the property arm of the Hong Leong Group of Malaysia. Our principal businesses are property development, property investment, property management and hospitality. Currently, GuocoLand operates in Singapore, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, United Kingdom and Australia.
Continue reading “In conversation: Derek Goh, general counsel, GuocoLand”
When the global financial crisis struck in 2008, the impact reverberated far beyond the traditional financial centres of the west. Initial speculation was that Asia would be relatively well insulated from the crisis due to the growing financial independence of the region. But instead, the effects hit at a speed and depth that surpassed all expectations. Under fire, financial institutions sought to reduce their exposure to the region, resulting in a steep decline in the value of currency and equity markets, at a time when the price and volume of exports was plummeting.
GC: What has been the most significant use of technology that you have adopted in performing your legal function?
Ted Lazarus: Without question, the ability to work collaboratively on documents, presentations and spreadsheets using cloud-based Google applications has transformed the way we do our jobs. Teams of lawyers exchanging ideas in real time, both with each other and with other functions, ensures that all points of view are heard and maximises efficiency.
Continue reading “New tech frontiers and the in-house counsel”
GC: Could you tell me about your role as general counsel of Canon Singapore?
Janette Loh: As the general counsel of Canon Singapore, I have three departments under my care: the legal team, which takes care of day-to-day legal and corporate secretarial matters; the product regulatory team, which focuses on product specific regulatory matters; and the newest addition, the intellectual property team, which was formed with a primary focus on protecting our intellectual property interests in the region.
Continue reading “In conversation: Janette Loh, general counsel, Canon Singapore”
Imagine the worst: within the last 72 hours, your company has been hit by a major crisis. Firstly, and most importantly, there may have been serious damage to the community in which you operate.
GC Magazine: Tell me about Digi Telecommunications and your role with the company?
Ola Hanson: Digi is one of the three big telecom operators in Malaysia, listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. It is part of a global telecommunications provide Telenor Group and is a leader in driving progressive and responsible business practices. I was the General Counsel and Head of Legal & Regulatory for Telenor’s Swedish operations before coming over to Asia to work as the General Counsel for Digi.
Continue reading “In conversation: Ola Hanson, general counsel, Digi Telecommunications”
Innovation has become a much-used (some might say abused) term. It’s certainly a familiar buzzword in the legal world.
Continue reading “Innovation – knowing the right question to ask”
GC magazine editor Alex Speirs moderated the first panel discussion of the day, entitled ‘Recalibrating the global trade compass’.
AIM-listed law firm Gateley is close to finalising a ‘best friends’ referral arrangement with Scottish Independent firm Anderson Strathern, as the merger between HBJ Gateley and Addleshaw Goddard is due to go live this week.
Continue reading “Gateley and Anderson Strathern gear up for ‘best friends’ arrangement”
