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

The BOS Legal & Regulatory Compliance Team, trained and qualified in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, New York and Dubai drives the strategic legal direction on a wide-ranging scope of legal, regulatory compliance and data protection issues across multi-jurisdictional client geographies and product suites. We actively participate in various bank wide committees, task forces and working groups throughout BOS, ensuring that legal and data protection risks are taken into consideration early and onboarded throughout the life of any project or initiative.

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

Fundamentally I believe that the role of an in-house counsel is not reactive but a proactive one. In order to ensure the organisation’s resilience needs to be planned ahead of any crisis. While one cannot predict the future, an effective legal and compliance leader needs to understand the business, the geopolitical environment, the regulatory trends on an ongoing basis and organised the legal strategies as well as allocate the correct resources and structure to support the organisation’s sustainable growth. Legal must have a seat at the table and be a proactive partner to find solutions and mitigate risks. One needs to read widely and have regular discussions with fellow senior management to collectively steer the organisation forward. I often tell my mentees that Legal is not just the 2nd line of defence or 1.5 line of defence, we are also the last line of defence.

We are currently living through a time of geopolitical change, and the world order that we have come to take for granted for many years is being rewritten. Does this affect your company’s risk profile and, if so, what are you doing to mitigate this?

Being in the banking industry in a small open economy, the current trade wars have a significant impact on the banking industry in Asia. This is because countries may decide to impose capital controls or restrict cross-border business.

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

An open mind, a sound understanding of the business and wider environment, to be solutions-driven, to build a strong network, and to have a passion for the industry that one is in and one’s craft. Finally, one must also accept that failure does not mean the end but an opportunity to learn.

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

As someone who has benefitted from the mentorship and wisdom from many seniors since I started my career, I believe that seniors can help build a more resilient profession by mentoring others. I learned from the life lessons of many senior lawyers and MDs as I was rising up the ranks and their wisdom have helped me shape my career and personal growth as well as leadership style. Hence, I’ve been active in mentoring.