Lawyer Monthly - November 2021 Edition

38 WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | NOV 2021 DELIVERING COUNSEL IN A MULTI-JURISDICTION GROUP Any large company today that is engaged in international business operates in an environment with ever-increasing complexity. Fromthe challengesposedby the intricacy and volume of regulatory changes and their global, multijurisdictional impact to the incredibly rapid pace of technological change and its many effects on businesses, in-house legal teams have never faced greater challenges. To mitigate the volume of new legal risks that businesses face, such as rapidly evolving privacy or anti money laundering regulations in various regions, it is vital that legal counsel is delivered in a way that is unified and consistent. As a General Counsel (GC) in an international, independent commodities trading company focused on oil and gas, with a presence in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, I have found it both fascinating and thrilling to observe how my role has developed since I joined the Group nine years ago. My GC position encompasses various roles. I act as an advisor on commercial transactions and compliance, an advocate in HR matters, a mentor, and more generally as a confidant and sounding board across the group. The lessons I learn on a daily basis are ones that anyone working as part of a similar in-house, international legal team will recognise and can also benefit from. The pandemic provided a range of new challenges for all in-house legal teams, but negotiating and coordinating different moving restrictions across multiple jurisdictions also provided a fresh perspective on the challenges we face day to day. Building trusting personal relationships in a digital world These past two years have been ones in which we have all learned a huge amount. In many ways, the way we do business has been reshaped by the pandemic. Its legacy in terms of how we approach business in the future is likely to be long-lasting. For in-house legal teams, used to developing good working relationships with external legal advisors through in-person interaction, there has been a major readjustment. Web-based video calls have become the norm for business communication across the board, but for legal teams, where building Delivering Counsel in a Multi- Jurisdiction Group Tracy Wong General Counsel Mercantile & Maritime 1 Franklin’s Row, London, SW3 4SW Tel: +44 (0)20 3862 0820 www.mercantilemaritime.com As might be expected, the challenges facing legal counsel are multiplied when they are called to apply their expertise across international boundaries. Tracy Wong, General Counsel at Mercantile & Maritime, shares her perspective on these challenges and how the COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the duties of in-house counsel. Tracy Wong leads the Mercantile & Maritime Group’s Legal Department and is a key member of the projects and energy team. She advises upon a wide range of commercial, corporate finance, M&A, energy, and oil & gas matters. She is also experienced in alternative dispute resolution, including the mediations and non-judicial conflict resolution. Mercantile & Maritime is an independent commodities trading company headquartered in Singapore. Its in-house team advises clients on matters across the oil and gas sector, supporting international businesses from its branches across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.