Team size: Seven

Career Biography

I am a legal professional with broad experience in business and legal affairs across diverse industries. Currently based in Singapore, I lead the APAC legal team at Publicis Groupe in Singapore, overseeing all legal matters for all agencies in the region (excluding India and China). I previously managed APAC legal operations at Jellysmack, and I set up and led for eight years the global legal and business affairs team for the global brand partnership division of Universal Music Group in London.

Earlier roles include legal counsel positions at Van Straten Solicitors, Arts Alliance Media, and Herbert Smith LLP. I serve on the Board of SA The Collective, a Singapore music collective, advise tech startups and independent film productions. I graduated with an LLB from Durham University and completed the LPC at College of Law, London. I am fluent in English, French, and Italian.

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

Focusing on optimising the way we collaborate within the team and with all other parts of the business, the Publicis Groupe APAC Legal team has played an important role in securing new, major regional clients, supporting our agencies from the pitch stage to contract signature. This team’s hard work contributed to Publicis Groupe’s impressive 5.7% organic growth in APAC in Q2 2025.

Our team successfully integrated four newly acquired agencies, ensuring seamless transition and alignment with our legal and operational standards. This was essential in maintaining high service quality and operational efficiency.

To enhance our internal processes, we developed and implemented an internal legal request system. This new system has streamlined the process from request submission to work delivery, resulting in a more efficient and effective legal service for our internal stakeholders.

These accomplishments underscore our commitment to excellence and our strategic role in supporting Publicis Groupe’s growth and operational efficiency.

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

Our strategy begins with maintaining a robust and adaptable legal framework by ensuring communication channels are always open. This approach allows for continuous support and the free exchange of ideas among team members. We ensure that each team member works cross-jurisdictionally and is exposed to a variety of work, enabling us to handle matters regardless of jurisdiction, area of law, or agency.

When facing a crisis, our team adopts a flexible yet organised approach to manage legal matters. We conduct thorough risk assessments to identify potential legal vulnerabilities and develop contingency plans to address them. These assessments are dynamic and regularly updated to reflect the changing environment.

When needed, we also leverage our network of external legal advisors and experts. Their insights provide us with a broader perspective, allowing us to make well-informed decisions that protect the organisation’s interests. This collaborative approach ensures we are prepared to tackle complex legal challenges, even in the most difficult times.

A crucial aspect of our strategy is our strong emphasis on compliance and ethical standards. We ensure our legal practices meet the highest ethical and regulatory requirements, building trust and confidence among our stakeholders. This commitment to integrity is essential for maintaining the organisation’s resilience and reputation, especially during uncertain periods.

We also ensure team members are updated with the knowledge and skills needed to manage complex legal issues effectively. By staying informed about the latest legal developments and best practices, we can provide timely and accurate legal guidance to the organisation. Particularly, we focus on the exponential increase in AI use across various work areas, ensuring we are prepared not only to address the potential challenges it presents but also to leverage it in our own legal context to enhance the quality and efficiency of our work.

Finally, and most importantly, we recognise the importance of a positive and supportive team culture. During challenging times, being able to count on a collaborative and resilient team environment is critical. We promote open communication, mutual support, and a solutions-oriented mindset, helping us overcome obstacles and achieve our goals.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

The modern in-house counsel needs to acknowledge and understand the increasingly significant impact of technology, AI in particular, on the role, and the implications for the future of this role. I believe the most important attributes to possess are a deep understanding of the commercial aspects of the business they work in, its needs and objectives, the ability to quickly establish strong and mutually beneficial relationships with key internal stakeholders and the skill to go beyond providing basic legal advice by combining legal knowledge and mindset with a creative, solution oriented approach to the day to day in-house legal work.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about? Why is this?

I am very passionate about mentoring and helping law graduates, newly qualified and junior lawyers. In an increasingly competitive professional landscape, particularly within the legal profession as we see an exponential increase in the number of law graduates without a similar increase in the number of legal job opportunities, I believe it is important to share our experience and learnings with the new generations of lawyers, help them to learn and develop in the best possible way and enabling them to secure roles and succeed in whichever area of law they wish to build their careers in.