IHC Magazine Archives - In-House Community

IHC eMagazine February 2026: Celebrating Legal Excellence Across Asia and the Middle East

February 4, 2026

Read below or click here to download. What’s inside this issue? This edition of the In-House Community Magazine highlights leadership, excellence and innovation among in-house legal teams and external counsel across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. It features the 2025 Counsel of the Year Awards, Top-Tier In-House Counsel List, and Commended External Counsel recognitions. You’ll also find timely insights on China’s cybersecurity rules and Vietnam’s new AI Law, along with analysis on how legal teams are embracing AI. The issue includes an anniversary feature with SAT & CO and coverage of our Ho Chi Minh City Congress, plus the latest moves, deals and developments from the regional legal community. At the centre of this issue is our coverage of the In-House Community Counsel of the Year Awards 2025, celebrating outstanding in-house legal teams that have evolved into true strategic partners to their businesses. Across sectors including banking, technology, energy, FMCG, aviation, life sciences and the public sector, these teams demonstrate how modern legal functions are driving efficiency, managing risk, embedding technology and delivering measurable commercial impact. We are also proud to present the Top-Tier In-House Counsel List 2025, recognising individual in-house leaders who exemplify influence, innovation and leadership within their organisations. Now in its second year, this list reflects the growing seniority and strategic importance of in-house counsel across the region. Alongside this, we recognise excellence in private practice through our Commended External Counsel of the Year 2025 list. Selected based on testimonials, peer recommendations and votes from in-house counsel, this list celebrates external lawyers who consistently deliver outstanding advice, commercial insight and trusted partnership to in-house teams. Beyond...

IHC Magazine Latest Issue: Dec 2025 with Key Insights, Regional Data Protection Updates & the Trends Shaping 2026

December 9, 2025

As global markets become more complex and regulatory expectations continue to rise, the role of in-house counsel has never been more important. The IHC Magazine latest issue brings together practical guidance, regional analysis and thought leadership to help legal teams navigate this fast-changing environment with clarity and confidence.This edition offers a comprehensive look at data protection developments across Asia and the Middle East, highlights from our flagship Hong Kong and Dubai In-House Community Congresses, and exclusive interviews with leaders who are shaping the legal landscape in 2025 and beyond. Data Protection Takes Centre Stage Across APAC Data protection is one of the defining responsibilities of modern in-house counsel, and this issue reflects that reality. Several in-depth features break down how to manage risk, meet new obligations and build stronger internal governance. Malaysia’s New Mandatory Breach Notification Rules Malaysia’s updated Personal Data Protection framework introduces mandatory personal data breach reporting. Our contributors explain: When a personal data breach triggers a legal obligation to notify regulators. What “significant harm” means in practice for organisations and individuals. The 72-hour and 7-day notification timelines that now apply. How to design an internal breach protocol that works in real time. These changes mark a major shift for organisations operating in or serving the Malaysian market, and the article offers both legal context and practical steps for in-house teams. Vietnam’s New LPDP Framework Vietnam’s new LPDP regime upgrades and consolidates the country’s privacy rules. The feature outlines: New requirements for DPIAs and offshore transfer impact assessments. Expected qualifications for data protection officers. Cross-border data transfer obligations. Key similarities and differences compared with GDPR. For organisations...

IHC Magazine: July 2024 issue with focus on AML, Corruption and Sanctions

July 31, 2024

We are excited to announce the release of the latest issue of In-House Community Magazine! This edition is packed with insightful content that addresses the evolving landscape for in-house legal departments, from AI in legal practice to building future-ready teams.

Teeing Up Success: Tianfu Liu on Strategic Leadership at Cabot

June 27, 2024

IHC talks to Tianfu Liu, Vice President and Chief Counsel, Asia Pacific for Cabot Corporation, about his journey from private practice to glssobal legal strategist Could you share a little about your journey in your career so far and how you ended up in your current role? We’re especially curious about your additional role in business development! I studied law at CUPL in Beijing, McGill in Montreal and Penn in Philly. Prior to Cabot, I was a private practitioner between 2003 and 2010, first and briefly with MoFo in its then newly established Shanghai office and later with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. At Freshfields, my practice covered cross border mergers and acquisitions, securities and FDI, with a focus on advising multinational investors in the financial services and real estate sectors on their establishment or expansion in China. In 2010, I joined Cabot as its China GC. My role was subsequently expanded in 2015 to cover Asia Pacific, and in 2019 to provide legal oversight to Cabot’s global Reinforcement Materials Segment, its largest business division operating in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands and the U.S. Since the beginning of 2022, I took on the role of Vice President, Strategic Business Development, AP Region in addition to my legal responsibilities for the AP region. In my newest capacity, I execute the company’s strategic projects in the AP region and manage their full lifecycle from market research, prospects identification, target screening and initial engagement, to modelling and valuation, due diligence, signing and closing, and eventually integration. Could you provide our readers with an...

A Seat at the Table – Why in-House Counsel is Crucial for ESG success

June 27, 2024

Pedro Massena with Rahul Prakash Twenty years ago, if a CEO was asked to merge sustainability with their corporate strategy they would have assumed someone was trying to sabotage the business. Changing the focus away from profits was unthinkable. But in-house legal teams have proven critical for finding ways to make sure sustainability doesn’t need to bite into the bottom line. In the bustling and diverse Asia-Pacific region, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles have rapidly reshaped how businesses operate. From the vibrant markets of Southeast Asia to the technological powerhouses of Japan, China and South Korea, companies are slowly learning how to navigate a complex yet rewarding path toward a more profitable – and sustainable – growth. This journey is not just about compliance; it’s about innovation, resilience and longterm prosperity. The Asia-Pacific is a dynamic mosaic of cultures and economies, where each company shares the same value of contributing in their own way to a larger, cohesive picture of sustainable development. Here, ESG isn’t just an acronym – it’s written into the business culture. Governments and businesses alike are crafting robust frameworks to combat climate change, enhance transparency into their supply chains and promote social equity. Take Singapore’s Green Plan 2030, for instance. It’s a bold roadmap aiming for carbon neutrality and sustainable living. Or consider China’s ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, which is already driving a massive shift towards renewable energy and eco-friendly practices. The stakes are high, given that the planet’s ecosystem may just be at risk. But the rewards of ESG are even higher. Investors are increasingly drawn to companies with...

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