Overview
Corporate Counsel (APAC) Jobs in Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR at Taylor Root
Title: Corporate Counsel (APAC)
Company: Taylor Root
Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
Job Title: Corporate Counsel – APAC
Location: Hong Kong
Department: Legal / APAC Legal Team
About the Opportunity
We are a global Multinational Corporation (MNC) with a significant and growing footprint across the Asia-Pacific region. We are looking for an experienced General Corporate Commercial Counsel to join our APAC Legal team, based in Hong Kong. This individual serves as a key strategic legal partner to the business leadership across multiple APAC markets. The ideal candidate is a commercially astute lawyer with strong MNC in-house experience who can deliver practical, solutions-oriented advice in a fast-paced, multi-jurisdictional environment.
Role Summary
You will act as legal advisor for a broad range of corporate and commercial matters across APAC, with a particular focus on Hong Kong and APAC operations, while supporting other key markets in the region. You will handle complex cross-border transactions, commercial contracting, corporate governance, and day-to-day business advisory, working closely with regional and global stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide proactive, business-oriented legal advice to senior management and functional teams on corporate, commercial, and regulatory issues across APAC.
- Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on a wide spectrum of commercial agreements, including sales and distribution contracts, procurement and supply agreements, licensing and technology contracts, joint ventures, strategic alliances, NDAs, and MSAs.
- Support corporate transactions such as M&A, due diligence, entity structuring, integrations, and post-deal matters.
- Advise on Hong Kong and APAC corporate governance, company secretarial requirements, compliance, and general business operations.
- Identify, manage, and mitigate legal risks by developing templates, playbooks, policies, and best practices tailored to the region.
- Collaborate with global legal teams to ensure consistent implementation of group standards while addressing local requirements.
- Manage and instruct external counsel across APAC jurisdictions efficiently and cost-effectively.
- Deliver training and guidance to business teams on key areas including contracting best practices, anti-bribery, data protection, trade compliance, and sanctions.
- Monitor regulatory and legislative developments in Hong Kong and key APAC markets, providing timely impact analysis and recommendations.
- Support dispute resolution and contract lifecycle management.
Requirements
- Qualified lawyer with at least 8-10 years PQE (post-qualification experience).
- Admission in Hong Kong or a leading common law jurisdiction (e.g., England & Wales, Australia, Singapore) with eligibility to practice in Hong Kong is preferred.
- Substantial in-house experience within a multinational corporation (MNC) is essential. Prior experience in a top-tier international law firm’s corporate/commercial practice is highly advantageous.
- Broad and deep expertise in cross-border corporate and commercial law, with proven experience supporting operations in Hong Kong and other APAC markets.
- Strong understanding of Hong Kong regulatory and company law frameworks, coupled with practical exposure to other APAC jurisdictions (Singapore, China, India, Japan, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc.).
- Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills with the ability to provide clear, pragmatic advice to non-legal stakeholders.
- Commercial mindset, sound business judgment, and a collaborative approach in a matrix, multi-cultural organization.
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and operate effectively across time zones.
- Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in Mandarin or Cantonese is a strong advantage.
