Core Business Services – Legal – General Counsel (Greater China) recruitment
Background
The Office of the General Counsel (GCO) is dedicated to proactive support, alignment with the Ernst and Young network's needs, taking responsibility for success and world-class execution. The General Counsel is instrumental in delivering on these commitments through their hands-on, technical legal work, involvement with internal clients and management and leadership qualities. This role is exercised in a manner that exemplifies the Ernst and Young values at all times.
This position reports to the Asia-Pacific General Counsel and the Greater China Quality Risk Management Leader, and manages a team of approximately 8-10 lawyers plus support staff in Mainland China and Hong Kong with responsibility for Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The Greater China management is situated in Mainland China and the Asia-Pacific General Counsel is located in Hong Kong.
The Ernst Young Global GCO is part of the Quality Risk Management (QRM) function and reports through to the Global Managing Partner, QRM.
Responsibilities
- The strategic planning and development of the GCO function in Greater China and contribution to and support of an integrated GCO function within Asia-Pacific (Area) and at the Global level, and driving towards its commitments of proactive support, alignment, responsibility for success and execution.
- Alignment of the initiatives, objectives and deliverables of the Greater China GCO with the Ernst Young strategy and vision of being the fastest growing, most integrated professional services organization in Asia-Pacific attracting the best people and best clients.
- Management of the legal staff of the Greater China GCO, both in the areas of their technical alignment to the specific practice or business areas, and also for personal development and career progression of such staff.
- Continuous involvement with and support of internal clients of a wide range of seniority, on a hands-on, real-time basis. Primary responsibility for providing technical legal services in all practice areas within Ernst Young, Greater China.
Legal Best Practices
- Business involvement and visibility: Participation in meetings, conference calls and/or briefings as required.
- Management of outside counsel: Visibility and reporting of GCO spend. Advance approval of instructions and invoices.
- Personal development: Personal development plan to be completed with management and training courses.
- Legal policies and checklists, do's and don'ts, FAQs, templates and guidance notes.
- Online information and tools for internal clients.
- Providing legal advice, support and training to internal clients on key legal and regulatory issues.
- Legal research resources: Identifying and maintaining up-to-date books, subscriptions and/or online databases.
- GCO network: Teamwork and cross-support between Ernst Young lawyers within the Area and globally. Regular contribution to legal team and conference calls.
- Reporting: Contribution to and preparation of key reports of areas of GCO activity and strategy.
Skills
Requirements
- Qualified to practice law in Hong Kong
- At least 12 years of post-qualification legal experience in Hong Kong and Mainland China with an international law firm or multi-national corporation
- Excellent command of written and spoken English and Chinese, proficiency in Putonghua is required
- IT proficiency: Word, Excel and Powerpoint familiarity
- The following personal qualities are key to success within the Ernst Young GCO:
· Delivery and output - an ability to be highly responsive, reactive and comprehending of a wide variety and volume of business and legal challenges. An effective problem solver with capacity to manage high workload volumes efficiently. Solutions oriented with a focus on execution of projects and tasks. A strong sense of personal responsibility and ownership for the success of a given task.
· Managing - the interpersonal intelligence, maturity and authority to guide and influence individuals at all levels (i.e. peers, juniors, seniors, clients, external counsel and clients). Exceptional organisational skills and a continuously proactive work ethic, a high degree of personal, professional and cultural empathy and emotional intelligence.
· Positive attitude - high levels of personal energy and an appetite for work and success; tangible self-motivation and initiative.
· Responsibility for success - exercising leadership and ownership. Responsibility for supporting service lines in achieving business growth and protection. Risk management tailored to empower the business to be successful in the market. Understanding the business imperatives and taking responsibility for their success.
· Execution - robust commitments, timelines, follow through and follow up. Project management discipline.
· Learning - a capacity to continuously identify areas for personal development together with a genuine ability to absorb guidance and feedback, resulting in tangible improvements.