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

Over the past year, our legal team in Vietnam has been deeply engaged in several high-impact projects that reflect both the complexity and strategic importance of our role. A major frontier our legal team is embracing is the transformation brought by artificial intelligence. By harnessing AI-powered solutions, such as integrated chatbots for instant legal queries, automated template generation, and a curated legal document library for recurring tasks, we have significantly accelerated our internal legal service delivery. These tools not only streamline routine processes and boost efficiency but also help address resource constraints by allowing legal professionals to focus on complex, high-value matters.

To make legal advice more accessible, we have implemented clear self-service guidance, empowering business units to obtain reliable input through digital platforms while reducing dependency on individual team members. This initiative alleviates the impact of headcount shortages and ensures consistency in daily operations.

We are deeply committed to advising the business on risks associated with AI adoption—whether using proprietary tools or onboarding vendors leveraging AI. Our protocols include robust risk assessments, contractual safeguards, and tailored onboarding checklists, ensuring compliance with local regulations and minimising exposure. By maintaining up-to-date frameworks for risk mitigation and collaborating closely with procurement and technology team, we can onboard AI vendors swiftly and securely, enabling innovation without compromising t he company’s integrity or data protection standards.

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

In times of instability, whether due to geopolitical shifts, regulatory changes, or internal disruptions, our approach centers on proactive risk assessment and scenario planning. We prioritise early identification of legal vulnerabilities and work closely with cross-functional teams to develop mitigation strategies.

We also maintain a dynamic legal playbook that allows us to respond swiftly to emerging threats, such as changes in data protection laws or supply chain disruptions. By embedding legal counsel into crisis response teams and leveraging digital tools for contract tracking and compliance monitoring, we ensure that legal considerations are integrated into every decision-making layer. This approach not only protects the organisation but also reinforces trust with stakeholders.

What does being strategic mean to you?

Being strategic as a general counsel means aligning legal priorities with the broader business vision. It’s about anticipating legal challenges before they arise and positioning the legal function as a value driver rather than a cost center. For me, this involves understanding the commercial landscape, identifying regulatory trends, and advising leadership on legal implications of strategic choices—whether it’s market entry, product launches, or partnerships. Strategic thinking also means knowing when to push back and when to enable, always with the long-term health of the organisation in mind.

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

Modern in-house counsel must be agile, commercially aware, and digitally fluent. Legal expertise is a given, but what sets today’s counsel apart is the ability to communicate complex legal concepts in business terms, foster cross-functional collaboration, and adapt to rapid change. Integrity, empathy, and resilience are equally vital—especially when navigating ethical dilemmas or supporting teams through uncertainty. In my experience, the most effective counsel are those who combine legal rigor with strategic foresight and human-centered leadership.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

One trend I’m closely watching is the increasing convergence of legal and digital transformation. As companies digitise operations, legal departments must evolve to manage new risks, particularly data privacy, cybersecurity, and AI governance. In Vietnam, regulatory frameworks are rapidly adapting to these changes, and staying ahead requires continuous learning and proactive engagement with policymakers. Another trend is the growing emphasis on ESG compliance, which is reshaping how contracts are structured and how companies report on sustainability metrics.