Career biography

Jennifer Poh is a dual-qualified attorney in New York and California, with a global legal career spanning top-tier international law firms in New York, San Francisco, London and Hong Kong. Trained in capital markets and corporate law, she has evolved her practice to focus on sustainability and impact finance, bringing extensive experience from both private practice and in-house roles.

Currently serving as Associate General Counsel for Sustainability at SHEIN, Jennifer supports the company’s global sustainability strategy by overseeing sustainability reporting and disclosures, policy development and governance frameworks. Prior to joining SHEIN, she was Counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, where she helped to grow the firm’s ESG and Impact Finance practice. Her experience also includes serving as in-house counsel at a Nasdaq-listed solar energy company and undertaking advisory roles for family offices engaged in impact investing. Jennifer began her legal career in US capital markets and corporate law at Davis Polk & Wardwell and Latham & Watkins.

She holds a joint LLB–JD degree with First Class Honours and Best Overall Degree Distinction from Columbia Law School and the London School of Economics, along with an MBA focused on social impact entrepreneurship.

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

Our ESG legal team plays a significant role in driving the sustainability transformation of SHEIN at a critical stage of the company’s development. Having guided a wide range of multinational companies through public company reporting and corporate governance readiness for IPOs on leading global exchanges, I firmly believe that robust governance structures are essential to driving genuine sustainability and transformative business outcomes.

Over the past year, I guided the team in achieving significant advancements in the company’s sustainability-related governance and reporting. These efforts not only helped to mitigate legal, reputational and other risks for the company, but also contributed to identifying new business opportunities and advancing the company’s broader sustainability goals.

Among our key recent achievements are the preparation of the company’s first Sustainability and Social Impact Report, which references the European Sustainability Reporting Standards and incorporates the company’s inaugural double materiality assessment. We also published the company’s first multi-jurisdictional omnibus Modern Slavery Statement. Additionally, I led the team in drafting the company’s first Green Claims Statement and Policy, as part of a broader initiative to build rigorous internal controls for sustainability disclosures.

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

Through my experience in both in-house and private practice roles, I have supported companies in navigating sustainability-related crises. These situations often carry complex implications and far-reaching consequences that extend beyond legal risks and regulatory sanctions. However, when approached strategically, times of crisis can present powerful opportunities for transformation, and lawyers can play a pivotal role not only in mitigating immediate risk but also in shaping meaningful, lasting organisational change. My approach is one that is grounded in collaboration, strategic analysis, and long-term thinking.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability, I believe it is essential to approach crisis management by adopting a holistic, cross-functional perspective. I prioritise internal stakeholder engagement and work closely with teams across operations, finance, marketing, communications, and government relations. This collaborative approach ensures that legal strategy is not developed in isolation, and buy-in across functions enables a response that goes beyond short-term reactive measures.

In large global organisations, such collaboration involves the additional nuance of understanding cross-cultural sensitivities and tailoring communication across regional teams in a way that builds trust. I have found that the most effective in-house lawyers are not only legal advisers but also facilitators who can bridge disciplines, unify diverse perspectives, and help drive cohesive, strategic action.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

One of the most distinctive and rewarding experiences in my legal career was working alongside a globally recognised sustainability expert to build out the ESG practice of a major international law firm. This opportunity came at a formative time in the development of global sustainability regulations, allowing me to engage in highly novel and precedent-setting legal work.

I had the opportunity to draft, negotiate and conduct due diligence on sustainability-related clauses in commercial contracts, M&A agreements and financing documents – many of which had no legal precedent. We often had to draw from existing areas of law and develop creative legal frameworks and tools to help clients meet their sustainability goals. One example was the implementation of cross-functional ESG steering committees at the management level, which served as a governance tool to embed sustainability into corporate strategy.

I also deeply enjoyed the intellectual challenge of shaping an emerging area of law. I had the privilege of contributing to thought leadership initiatives in collaboration with academic institutions such as Stanford University. We developed a sustainability maturity model that outlines governance best practices for companies across the corporate lifecycle, from early-stage start-ups to mature public entities. I also worked closely with consulting and software engineering teams to design an automated programme that enables start-ups to address sustainability requirements in a cost- and time-effective manner.

This experience not only deepened my expertise in sustainability but also reinforced my passion for working at the intersection of innovation, impact and legal strategy.

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

During my sabbatical, I travelled extensively in pursuit of yoga and social impact work. My travels took me to places such as Nicaragua, Mysore (India) and South Africa. These experiences inspired me to have a deep commitment to using my skills to make meaningful changes.

As a lawyer, I believe in the immense power of legislation to drive positive transformation. I am particularly energised by the evolution of sustainability-related jurisprudence and its potential to reshape corporate behaviour and global systems. I regularly speak on topics at the intersection of law, climate, human rights and corporate responsibility, and enjoy mentoring lawyers who wish to build careers in this space. I served as the global leader of a women’s affinity group during my time in private practice, where I led mentoring initiatives to empower female lawyers. My experience co-founding a sustainable fashion company during my MBA has also made me particularly passionate about supporting women-led, purpose-driven ventures.

Outside of work, I dedicate time to teaching yoga. In 2020, I organised a donations-based yoga fundraiser for a charity in India that provides underserved youth with access to quality learning opportunities. I hold myself to a simple but profound principle: to live and lead in a way that contributes to making the world a better place.