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

Two flagship projects defined our year and materially advanced Yinson Production’s commercial and operational position: the AGOGO FPSO Lease & Operate project and the Abigail Joseph FPSO extension and upgrade. On AGOGO (USD 1.5B+), I led end-to-end negotiations for both the EPCI and the Lease & Operate with Azule Energy, structuring terms that were both lender-ready and execution-realistic. To manage complexity, I introduced a milestone-linked risk matrix aligning payment triggers, LDs and warranty horizons with actual construction progress, reducing delay and indemnity exposure by 40%. We also harmonised the EPCI and Lease & Operate frameworks, embedding disciplined variation-order controls and closing more than 150 critical-path subcontracts. This contractual architecture enabled first oil four months ahead of schedule, avoiding approximately USD 2 million in penalties and generating USD 1 million in savings through 95% in-house legal execution. For Abigail Joseph, I redesigned the contractual spine supporting the vessel’s multi-year extension and upgrade. By consolidating the BBC, O&M and EPC structures into a coherent commercial framework, we secured a seven-year extension (with options), day-rate continuity during modification, a 72-hour acceptance regime, calibrated LDs and liquidity-protective payment mechanics.

What do you see as an opportunity or risk over the next six months?

Three forces will significantly shape contract strategy in the near term. First, ESG disclosure convergence under IFRS S1/S2 is driving the need for consistent, decision-useful sustainability data. Second, tightening cross-border data-transfer regulations require more robust TIAs, DPAs and vendor-chain controls across international operations. Third, policy volatility across the energy transition is increasing the importance of well-structured change-in-law protections and long-horizon performance risk allocation. I’m responding by standardising disclosures, strengthening data-protection playbooks and embedding resilience into long-term agreements to preserve bankability and deliverability.

Can you describe a situation where legal input materially influenced a key business decision?

During early Abigail Joseph deliberations, the business questioned whether the upgrade delivered sufficient value relative to its risks. By redesigning the contractual architecture—tight acceptance criteria, day-rate continuity, balanced LDs and liquidity-protective payment mechanics—the value path became measurable, financeable and executable. This reframed the discussion from ‘Should we do this?’ to ‘How quickly can we unlock this value?’, directly enabling project approval.

General counsel often speak of the need to be strategic. What does being strategic mean to you?

Strategy is the ability to translate engineering and finance truths into contract mechanisms that shape behaviours and outcomes. Acceptance regimes reinforce delivery discipline; LD structures support schedule integrity; availability-based incentives align operational realities with commercial value; and warranty and payment mechanics protect liquidity and lender confidence. Strategy is not just protection — it is sustained momentum.

What leadership qualities do you prioritise when building or developing your legal team?

I prioritise clarity, calm and commercial discipline. Clarity ensures structured issues and pre-wired options; calm keeps negotiations evidence-led; discipline secures bankable outcomes. My goal is a legal function that acts as a force multiplier — aligning engineering, finance and operations around a single fact base to unlock what’s possible.