The Company
Our client is a US professional services firm which has been based in Asia for more than 15 years. The organization operates across major global hubs, with a well-established presence in Asia-Pacific. They pride themselves on a collaborative culture, long-term client partnerships, and a commitment to delivering insight-driven solutions that help businesses thrive.
Responsibilities
As Asia-Pacific Legal Counsel, you will be an independent legal advisor for the region, supporting nine offices across Greater China, Japan, India, Australia, and Singapore. Reporting to the Global General Counsel in the US, you will join a highly experienced legal team of approximately 15 professionals worldwide, known for its stability and collaborative approach.
Key responsibilities include:
- Commercial & Contractual Support: Draft, review, and negotiate client agreements, MSAs, and other commercial contracts with quick turnaround times.
- Corporate Governance: Maintain regional entities in good standing and ensure compliance with local regulations.
- Employment Law & Advisory: Advise on employment matters, including partner exit packages and discrimination law issues.
- Data Privacy & Compliance: Support data protection requirements and related regulatory obligations.
- Business Partnering: Act as a trusted advisor to front-office consultants, providing pragmatic legal solutions that enable deal flow and business growth.
- Risk Management: Balance commercial objectives with legal risk, applying sound judgment and advocating for the business where appropriate.
- Strategic Contribution: Go beyond technical legal workengage with leadership, share insights, and proactively identify opportunities to add value to the region.
- Collaboration: Work closely with global legal colleagues and supplement external consultants where needed.
This role is not limited to red-lining contracts; it demands strong relationship-building, influencing skills, and the ability to partner with business leaders to drive outcomes.
Requirements
- Law degree and admission to practice in at least one jurisdiction.
- Around 10 PQE, ideally combining top-tier law firm experience with in-house exposure in a professional services or people-focused business.
- Strong grounding in commercial and corporate law; familiarity with employment and data privacy matters is advantageous.
- International mindset with experience working across APAC; Mandarin proficiency is helpful but not essential.
- High EQ, excellent communication skills, and the ability to explain legal reasoning in business terms.
- Proactive, results-oriented, and comfortable taking calculated commercial risks.
- Ability to build trust and influence stakeholders at all levels.
