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

Recent noteworthy transactions included the acquisition and development of Jalan Anal Bukit mixed development site in a Singapore Government Land Sale, purchase of Golden Mile Complex in Singapore in a private treaty collective sale, acquisition of hotels in Japan, acquisition of majority stake in Commonwealth Concepts with 20 distinct F&B brands in 12 major cities, as well as opportunistic acquisitions of stakes in startups and VC funds by the family office.

Did the pandemic lead to a lasting increase in the interaction your legal team has with the company’s strategic plans?

The covid-19 lockdown led to greater interaction with the company’s stakeholders to devise rental relief, offer other assistance to our tenants and home buyers, and seek opportunistic acquisitions.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

I have always considered my external lawyers’ partners in transactions instead of service providers. I choose commercially minded lawyers and clued into the industry instead of pen pushers. They must understand their clients’ risk tolerance and move transactions forward to achieve a sustainable outcome.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most? Which have you found most helpful in your legal team?

As business picks up after the lockdown, there will be a scramble for in-house and externally lawyers. To optimise the legal team in-house, routine transactions would be outsourced, and templates would be devised and managed with technology to free the in-house team from substantial matters.

In general, what would you like to see change about the external law firms you use?

With increasing family offices and regional HQs moving to Singapore, external law firms in Singapore have to up their game to provide specialised advice on par with the best international law firms. External law firms would also need to build up and retain their teams to provide stable and long-term support to their clients.