Lazada Legal Counsel Singapore

The platform`s legal team moved quickly to adjust assistance and incentive programs for merchants affected by the economic turbulence, while improving onboarding processes for new platform sellers and speeding up complaint resolution. But even a disruptor can be disrupted, and the coronavirus pandemic has put Chun`s legal team to the test. GC explores how in-house counsel respond to developments in the world of technology, both internally and in their interactions with external suppliers. Google`s General Counsel, Ted Lazarus, and Vodafone Global Enterprise General Counsel, Kerry Phillip, give their views with feedback from the Professional Services Network, World Services Group. The Singapore-based lawyer, who joined Lazada in 2014, is responsible for legal and compliance matters in the countries where the company operates. CC: Yes, the role changed for me when RedMart was acquired. I`m still the general counsel, but I can refocus my energy on growth and market formation instead of fundraising. We are also working with Lazada and Alibaba on some strategic initiatives in the region. You should check out the loyalty program we launched in partnership with Netflix and Uber called www.liveup.sg.

It was great to work with other tech lawyers in Singapore on these deals. GC: Aside from leading the legal side of Lazada`s acquisition, are there any successes at RedMart that you`re particularly proud of? CC: In addition to the legal department, I am also the Data Protection and Government Commissioner. One area in which we have been able to help shape the direction of our company is data protection. The confidence to convince customers to buy groceries online in Asia is difficult. In addition, the industry as a whole is not as mature as in the United States. We desperately needed to get creative and, in collaboration with Singapore`s Data Protection Commission, we even produced a TV episode with RedMart`s best practices for managing sensitive customer information with local stakeholders to educate the wider population! All this has led RedMart to be presented as a safe and exemplary e-commerce company, which we continue to maintain and develop. CC: I led the M&A process and due diligence on behalf of RedMart. It was quite overwhelming in the sense that Lazada offered four different law firms, a huge legal budget and a lot of pressure.

On our side, I was the only in-house lawyer with an extremely limited legal budget. However, all the sales teams really stepped up to help us get through this, and Ben Witherall and Mae Chong from Jones Day did a great job representing us. It was a really intense period and we worked non-stop. It wasn`t pretty, but we got the agreement on the line. Now, RedMart and its 1,200+ employees continue to grow with full funding. Christopher Chan, general counsel for tech prodigy RedMart, talks about leaving the comfort of Washington DC to join a startup in Singapore — building its legal department and leading the acquisition by Alibaba-owned e-commerce giant Lazada. In a region that is still implementing tax reforms in the wake of the global financial crisis, GC is speaking with leading legal advisors across Asia to better understand the regulatory challenges. GC magazine, in collaboration with Hogan Lovells Lee & Lee, hosted the second annual ASEAN Horizon Summit in Singapore on April 20, 2017. The summit, which brought together leading legal advisors, business leaders and legal figures, examined the challenges and opportunities for companies operating in Southeast Asia. GC: Are there any factors that made the deal with Lazada particularly complex? GC: Going from a law firm in Washington DC to a startup in Singapore is quite a change, how did you find that? This digital agility allows Lazada to effectively serve the region and is what motivates Chun after more than eight years in the company. “That`s why I`m still here and that`s why I`m really looking forward to seeing Lazada`s future.” GC: After joining RedMart, the company was acquired by Lazada.

What was your role in this process? GC: Did the acquisition by Lazada have an impact on your role at RedMart? CC: With Amazon`s expected entry into the Singapore market this year, new challenges are on the horizon. That said, it is an event that we welcome and my team is busy preparing for our next phase. The region`s e-commerce market could grow by more than $280 billion between 2025 and 2030 if women are better supported to enter the workforce, a joint research firm of Lazada and the International Finance Corporation, a branch of the World Bank, found last year. The e-commerce platform is committed to empowering women in its ecosystem by making inclusive hiring decisions and supporting corporate employees to couriers. The future of Southeast Asia is digital, diverse and still waiting to be written, according to Gladys Chun, general counsel at Lazada, Alibaba`s flagship e-commerce platform for the region. Amazon will be an impressive player in the global market among a number of strong local competitors. This competition encourages us to continuously improve our offer and to remain on our guard. Overall, online grocery remains a very small piece of the customer pie, but there`s plenty of room for growth. It was there when Lazada grew from a start-up to a multinational e-commerce platform. With a background in corporate and commercial law, but two feet firmly rooted in the e-commerce and technology industries, Chun is an outsider herself. As the expectant mother of a child, Lazada`s lead lawyer is leading the charges. “We had to navigate the ever-changing regulations related to the pandemic situation to ensure that operations could continue while taking into account the impact of COVID,” Chun explained.

“We`ve seen more women take on leadership roles over the past decade and become role models for younger generations to break the glass ceiling,” Chun said. “As the leader of a new generation of lawyers at one of the region`s leading e-commerce platforms, I am at the forefront of navigating the increasingly complex new laws that govern the tech space,” she said. “In Southeast Asia, many of us grew up in a culture where women were stereotyped as the primary caregivers at home. However, as technology advances, this mindset changes,” she said. CC: Joining RedMart as the first lawyer definitely changed my attitude. Rather, it was about really learning about the industry, looking for business solutions, looking for growth opportunities, and knowing that not everything will have a clear answer. However, when you weigh that risk against the backdrop of absolute boundaries that you can`t cross, you learn to really prove yourself both as a lawyer and as a business partner. Digitalization and building greater visibility for women in the workplace are among them, according to Chun, who has observed the impact of both firsthand. CC: There are certainly several factors that have contributed to the complexity: Christopher Chan: It`s great to shake up your life from time to time to get new perspectives and experiences. There`s nothing like leaving behind a comfortable, well-paying job in the U.S. to go somewhere you`re not sure the company will exist in three months – it takes you beyond the limits of personal risk tolerance and out of your comfort zone! However, it`s an exhilarating experience, and I can honestly say I love what I do.

“In my role, opportunities to help shape the development of e-commerce laws and regulations in Southeast Asia and make a difference are a legacy for my future generations,” Chun told Alizila. GC: How has working for a startup influenced the way you work? The way you interact with your colleagues can also be very different. Since they come from a large law firm, older people are usually much older and much more experienced. I joined an organization where many employees recently graduated and have never worked with a lawyer before. You also suddenly become that “older” person, which changes the way you act, behave, and counsel.