The view from the inside
內行之见
August 06, 2018 | BY
Susan MokJames Lau Oon Beng, Senior Vice-President of Legal, Chief Legal Officer and CompanySecretary at NatSteel Holdings, discusses his career path and shares his thoughts on howin-house counsel can establish themselves as successful business advisers 大众钢铁高级法务副总裁、首席法务官和公司秘书刘恩明与我们分享他的职业生涯，以及他对公司法务如何成为成功的商业顾问的想法
When and why did you decide to go in-house?
|After my admission as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore in March 1992, my practice was mainly in complex commercial litigation in banking (covering things like electronic funds transfer, letters of credit, letters of hypothecation, mortgages and real property) carriage of goods by sea, and insurance (general, motor and marine).
I wanted to be involved in helping to structure better deals upfront – given the benefit of what I had learned vicariously from my dispute resolution experience – as well as for regional exposure. So, after eight years in private practice, I decided to go in-house and joined Cisco Systems (USA) Pte. Ltd. in February 2000 as one of their Global Business Managers, undertaking contract negotiations with customers located in Singapore, South Korea and India.
|How did you start your career at NatSteel Holdings Pte. Ltd. (大众钢铁控股私人有限公司) (NatSteel), a TATA Enterprise (塔塔企业)? What is your role in the company?
|Around August 16, 2004 or thereabouts, TATA Steel Limited (印度上市塔塔钢铁有限公司) (then known as The TATA Iron and Steel Company Limited), a public listed company in India and presently the tenth-largest steel producer in the world, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the construction steel-related business of NSL Limited (then known as NatSteel Limited) at a subsequently adjusted enterprise value of S$462 million. The deal was substantially completed on February 16, 2005 and fully completed on May 4, 2005.
I joined NatSteel as Vice-President of Legal and Company Secretary on September 8, 2008, taking over from Ms. Phyllis Ang, Senior Vice-President of Legal and Company Secretary, who was leaving to join another company. In July 2011, I was appointed as Chief Legal Officer, and on January 1, 2013, I was appointed to my current role of Senior Vice-President of Legal, Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary.
|When and for what legal matters do you use external legal advisors? Which law firms does NatSteel engage as its external legal advisors in China?
|We try and handle most of our legal matters in-house and only engage external counsel as and when we need advice on a specific point of law, or for those matters which cannot be handled entirely in-house. We'll go to outside counsel in relation to dispute-resolution matters such as arbitration, mediation and litigation, for example.
For legal matters in China, NatSteel has engaged (Shanghai) Fangda Partners (上海方达律师事务所) and (Fujian) Tenet & Partners (福建天衡联合律师事务所).
|What advice would you give to new in-house counsel?
|I am not in a position to give advice, but I would offer the following suggestions on what new in-house should do.
First, it is important to acquire an in-depth understanding of the company's business. This should include understanding the competitive advantage(s) of your company compared to other suppliers, grasping key factors impacting your company's profitability, and being up-to-date on the industry-wide trends some of which could be disruptive to your company's business model and/or competitive advantage.
Second, you must build your credibility and rapport with the other functions in your company. Learn to influence when you do not have authority.
Third is the idea of being a business partner. In-house counsel need to propose legal solutions to business issues and not merely give legal advice.
Last but not least, it is important that you communicate effectively across the various organizational levels of your company.
您在什么时间、出于什么原因决定成为公司法务？
|我在1992 年3 月取得新加坡高等法院的辩护律师和事务律师资格，之后主要从事复杂的银行业商事诉讼（包括电子汇款、信用证、质押证书、按揭和不动产）、海上货物运输以及保险（一般保险、汽车保险和海事保险）。
由于在从事争议解决的过程中间接学到了很多，并有了丰富的地区从业经验，我希望能在前期参与构建更好的交易架构。因此在律所工作八年后，我决定成为公司法务，并在2000年2 月加入Cisco Systems (USA) Pte. Ltd.，担任全球商业经理一职，负责与新加坡、韩国和印度客户的合同谈判。
您是怎么加入大众钢铁控股私人有限公司（一家塔塔企业）的呢？您在公司担任什么职务？
|2004 年8 月16 日前后，印度上市塔塔钢铁有限公司（当时名为The TATA Iron and Steel Company Limited，现为全球第十大钢铁制造商）签订最终协议，收购NSL Limited（当时名为NatSteel Limited）的建设钢铁相关业务（之后经调整的企业价值为4.62 亿新币）。该交易在2005 年2 月16 日基本完成，并在2005 年5 月4 日全部完成。
我在2008 年9 月8 日加入塔塔钢铁担任法务副总裁和公司秘书，接替前任高级法务副总裁和公司秘书Phyllis Ang 女士（她当时离职加入另一家公司）。2011 年7 月，我被任命为首席法务官。2013 年1 月，我被任命为我目前担任的高级法务副总裁、首席法务官和公司秘书一职。
您在什么时候、为哪些法律问题使用外部法律顾问？塔塔钢铁聘用了哪些律所，作为公司在中国的外部法律顾问？
|我们会处理公司内部的大多数法律事务，仅在需要有关某个特定问题的法律意见，或遇到不能完全由公司法务处理的问题时，我们才会聘用外部顾问。此外，我们也就争议解决事项（如仲裁、调解和诉讼）聘用外部律师。
对于中国法律事项，塔塔钢铁聘用了上海方达律师事务所和福建天衡联合律师事务所。
您会给公司法务新人提出什么建议？
|提建议说不上，但我愿意与法务新人分享以下心得：
首先，深入理解公司业务非常重要。这包括理解公司相比其他供应商的竞争优势，掌握影响公司利润的关键因素，以及了解最新的行业趋势，其中一些趋势可能对公司的业务模式和 / 或竞争优势有很大的影响。
第二，必须与公司的其他职能部门建立信任并获得支持。要学会在没有职权的情况下拥有影响力。
第三，要有作为商业合作伙伴的思维方式。公司法务要针对商业问题提出法律方面的解决方案，而不仅仅是提供法律意见。
最后但同样重要的一点是，要与公司内部各组织层面的同事有效沟通。
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