Team Size: 8

What are the most significant cases, projects and/or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?

One of the most significant matters our legal team handled in the past year was the high-stakes, region-critical renewal of a multi-year contract for a global technology company, led out of APAC. The contract value exceeds US $250 million, underscoring its strategic importance both regionally and globally.

This renewal was not merely a roll-forward — it involved a comprehensive renegotiation of commercial and legal terms following multiple policy changes by the client, including the rollout of a new global procurement template and expanded service scope across multiple jurisdictions.

Our team worked closely with cross-functional stakeholders, including finance and operations, to ensure that the contract structure aligned with both client expectations and CBRE’s risk appetite.

The negotiation process required balancing global consistency with regional nuance, and our ability to lead from APAC while coordinating with global counterparts demonstrated the strength and agility of our team. The successful execution of this renewal not only secured a critical revenue stream but also reinforced CBRE’s position as a trusted strategic partner to one of the world’s leading technology companies.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

During periods of instability or crisis, my approach centres on maintaining clear and regular communication — both within the legal team and with key business stakeholders. I make a conscious effort to remain available and approachable, ensuring that colleagues feel supported and confident in seeking legal guidance when needed.

Equally important is ensuring that all members of the legal team are aligned. This allows us to maintain consistency in our advice and messaging, and to respond swiftly and cohesively to emerging issues. By fostering a collaborative and communicative environment, we are able to navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence, helping the organisation remain resilient and responsive.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

While it is often said — and worth repeating — that a modern in-house counsel must be more than a legal adviser, the statement remains true. A successful in-house lawyer must act as a strategic partner and business enabler. Key attributes include:

Commercial acumen: Understanding the business drivers behind legal decisions.

Agility: Adapting quickly as the business evolves and as regulatory or market conditions change.

Communication skills: Translating complex legal concepts into clear, practical advice.

Tech-savviness: Leveraging digital tools to enhance efficiency and insight.

Empathy and leadership: Building trust across teams and mentoring junior lawyers.

These qualities enable in-house counsel to contribute meaningfully to both risk mitigation and value creation.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

One particularly unique and high-pressure experience in a previous role stands out. It involved completing a strategic M&A disposal under an aggressive timeline, driven by the imminent risk of sanctions being imposed on a joint-venture partner in a country that had recently undergone a military coup.

The urgency of the situation meant that the deal was less about perfecting every detail and more about execution and risk mitigation. Remaining in a joint-venture relationship with a sanctioned entity would have exposed the company to significant legal, reputational and operational risks. As such, the priority was to exit swiftly and cleanly — even if that meant accepting certain commercial and legal imperfections in the deal structure, including implementing prior to regulatory approval.

Navigating this disposal required rapid coordination across internal teams, external counsel and regulatory advisers, often under conditions of limited visibility and evolving geopolitical developments. It was a stark reminder that legal strategy must sometimes pivot from precision to pragmatism, particularly when the stakes involve potential sanctions and geopolitical instability.

Being in a joint venture with a sanctioned party can affect banks’ willingness to do business with other entities in the company’s group and can have an outsized impact on operations.

The successful completion of the transaction not only protected the company from serious downstream risks but also demonstrated the legal team’s ability to act decisively under pressure — balancing legal integrity with commercial urgency.