32 Asian Legal Business | September 2024 units) and external ( external counsel, regulators) stakeholders. “A fundamental difference between a successful in-house legal function and external legal advisers is that, in addition to a strong technical ability, the former has to come up with advice and solutions that are practical and useful to the business and be seen as a good business partner to the stakeholders with whom we work,” he explains. Sit names three important performance indicators she uses to evaluate her team’s performance at CITIC CLSA. “First, given that we are an investment bank dealing with a wide range of deals across various jurisdictions, problem-solving skills which require “outside the box” thinking is essential to overcome challenges and successfully execute deals.” Second, she assesses how ‘partnerable’ each team member is. “Effective communication and information sharing are vital to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. It is important that each team member actively engages with others, avoiding working in isolation and remaining aware of the progress and activities of the entire team,” Sit says. Third, she values legal team members who take initiative and continuously look to upskill themselves. “By actively seeking opportunities to learn and grow, lawyers in my team will be able to position themselves to take on more responsibilities over time. This proactive approach to self-improvement allows me to delegate tasks with confidence and build a stronger and more capable team,” she adds. Ahead of the curve While performance indicators are crucial, the real challenge lies in implementing changes to address identified issues and shaping the legal team into well-engineered units essential to the organisation’s business verticals. Sit emphasises that understanding the business’s strategic goals is key to this process. “By understanding these goals, we can tailor our advice to deliver valueSUBMISSION BREAKDOWN Jurisdiction Submissions Winners Hong Kong 6 4 India 4 2 Indonesia 2 1 Japan 3 1 Malaysia 2 1 Multiple 1 0 Philippines 1 1 Saudi Arabia 1 1 Singapore 3 2 Thailand 1 1 Vietnam 1 1 Total 25 15 Asia Top 15 GCs 2024
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