Job Description:
Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel – Malaysia & Singapore
Department: Legal
Reporting To: General Counsel, APAC (Singapore)
Contract Type: 12-Months Contract
Job Summary
This is a single contributor role responsible for managing end-to-end legal matters across Malaysia and Singapore. The role acts as a strategic legal partner to commercial, operations, and regional business teams, ensuring compliance while enabling business growth.
The incumbent will support:
- Malaysia & Singapore commercial teams
- Plant / operations team in Malaysia
- APAC Global Business Services team
Candidates with combined law firm and in-house MNC experience are preferred; however, strong law firm–only profiles will also be considered.
Key Responsibilities
1. Legal Strategy & Business Partnering
- Provide legal leadership, risk assessment, and strategic guidance
- Act as a trusted advisor to commercial and operations teams
- Identify legal risks and drive implementation of mitigation strategies
2. Contracts & Commercial Matters
- Draft, review, and negotiate material contracts
- Develop and standardize contract templates and processes
3. Marketing & Digital Commerce
- Advise on product development and marketing claims
- Support digital and social commerce initiatives
4. Employment Law
- Provide legal advice on employment matters
- Partner with HR on policies, compliance, and union relations
- Handle employment disputes
5. Disputes & Litigation
- Manage disputes, regulatory investigations, and litigation matters
- Coordinate with external counsel
6. Regulatory Compliance
- Advise plant/operations on regulatory interactions (e.g., inspections, investigations)
- Handle environmental, safety, and compliance-related risks
7. Data Privacy & Competition Law
- Review data usage initiatives and ensure compliance
- Advise on competition/antitrust matters and pricing issues
8. Intellectual Property
- Handle IP matters including infringement and counterfeiting disputes
9. Corporate & Strategic Transactions
- Support M&A, restructures, disposals, and strategic alliances
- Participate in negotiations and documentation
10. Governance & Compliance
- Drive compliance initiatives and training programs
- Partner with Compliance & Ethics teams
11. External Counsel Management
- Manage external law firms and legal spend
12. Stakeholder Management
- Escalate key legal risks to senior leadership
- Contribute to knowledge sharing across APAC
Requirements
- Law degree with qualification to practice in Malaysia, Singapore, or a Commonwealth jurisdiction (e.g., UK)
- Minimum 7+ years of experience
- Experience in top/mid-tier law firm and/or in-house MNC environment
- Strong expertise across:
- Contracts
- Employment law
- Competition law
- Data privacy
- Litigation
- Marketing & advertising laws
- Fluent in English and Bahasa Melayu (spoken and written)
- Willingness to travel within Malaysia, Singapore, and regionally
Core Competencies
- High ethical standards and integrity
- Strong commercial acumen and problem-solving ability
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities independently
- Strategic thinking with sound judgment
- Resilience in fast-paced environments
- Collaborative and team-oriented mindset
Technical Competencies
- Expertise in contract drafting and negotiation
- Strong knowledge of legal and compliance frameworks
- Experience in building legal processes and compliance programs
- Ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice
