Team size: 17 lawyers, 1 trainee and 3 assistants

In an increasingly complex global environment, how are you helping your organisation navigate risk while still supporting growth?

Our organisation recognises the importance of fostering a robust risk culture. In today’s complex global environment, our legal team plays an important role in the risk management process to shield the organisation from costly compliance failures and litigation risks whilst supporting our organisation’s commercial growth. For example, our legal team would conduct rigorous legal and regulatory assessments on new products and technology to safely unlock new revenue growth. Additionally, our legal team manages local regulatory requirements across more than 30 jurisdictions, enabling our global marketing initiatives to expand seamlessly.

To anticipate shifting global trends, our team would keep abreast of rapid legal and regulatory changes and maintain strong connections with peers for valuable market insights and best practices. Our legal team also develops strategic partnerships and collaborates deeply with internal business partners to align our legal strategy with corporate goals.

By integrating a strong risk culture into our organisation’s core operations, our legal team ensures legal and regulatory risks are addressed and mitigated whilst driving sustainable business expansion.

How has the role of General Counsel evolved in recent years, and where do you see GCs creating the most value today?

The role of the general counsel has fundamentally shifted from a traditional legal gatekeeper to a strategic business partner.

As the Head of Legal at HKEX, I operate at the intersection of regulation, markets and strategy, where every decision carries implications not just for our organisation, but also for Hong Kong’s position as a global financial centre. Over the years, I have developed deep technical and institutional knowledge; yet, I recognise that effective leadership nowadays requires more than subject matter expertise. It demands the ability to think beyond functional boundaries and to anticipate challenges and changes.

The greatest value GCs deliver now lies in their ability to articulate complex risks in a clear and concise manner. By stripping away dense legal jargon, they translate potential liabilities into actionable business context, enabling executive leadership to execute well-informed, strategic choices.

How do you build and maintain a strong legal team?

I build a strong legal team by leading and enabling without micro-managing, granting lawyers the autonomy needed to thrive. I encourage accountability, ensuring every team member owns their project outcomes. To maintain engagement, I promote senior visibility, giving junior lawyers direct exposure to executive leadership.

Mobility and active business partnership are also strongly encouraged. Our lawyers are given the opportunity to work at business desks, which is a practice highly embraced by them. This proximity deepens their commercial insight, eliminates silos, and accelerates decision-making, fostering seamless collaboration and transforming our team into a proactive growth driver.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the main opportunity or challenge for in-house legal teams?