经过近两个月的评选，2023 ALB China十五佳公司法务团队榜单呈现在您面前。同往年相似，上榜的团队来自互联网、物流、制造业、食品、金融、能源、新能源等多元领域，分布在全国多个城市甚至境外部分地区，在各不相同的规则和话语体系中，描摹着法务团队进阶的多重路径。
转眼间，2023年即将收尾。回首这一年，公司法务团队承载着更多期盼与压力，面对着动荡不安的国内外局势和复杂多变的商业环境，全方位支持、甚至推动着公司不断前进。ALB再次聚焦这些不可或缺的团队，依据法务工作的复杂程度、创新思维和卓越表现等标准，评选出中国各行各业顶尖的法务团队。部分上榜团队向ALB分享了这一年法务工作的点点滴滴。
精心耕耘
2023年，各行业、各板块的运行状况和发展走势不尽相同，各类公司需要面对的法律问题也千差万别，所有上榜法务团队依据各自行业和公司所处的环境，精心维护和强化着法务工作体系，纷纷收获了格外充实的一年。
南方电网国际有限公司总法律顾问吴晓辉介绍道，依凭着公司近一两年大力推进境外新项目的开发，公司法务团队参与多个重大项目，取得了颇具亮点的业绩。
“2021-2023年，公司法务团队深度全程参与中标智利高压直流输电绿地投资项目及换流站EPC总承包工程项目、签约收购秘鲁最大配电公司控股权项目，在法律尽职调查、交易结构设计、财务模型与估值、并购保证保险、风险识别评估与管控、联合体协议、股东协议、EPC总承包合同及股权收购协议谈判等方面发挥了不可替代的作用。”
今年南方电网国际有限公司还签约了两个境外大项目，“我们法务团队的同事都前往项目东道国、一线深入参与，在法律尽调、项目关键协议谈判和监管审批工作方面均投入了大量的时间和精力，决不仅仅是停留在坐在国内办公室、指挥外部律师事务所开展工作。”吴晓辉说。
这一年中，顺丰集团则将法律事务部门升级为“法律事务中心”，并进行了大刀阔斧的改革。据集团法律合规总负责人邹晨昊介绍，团队整体专业域大幅提升，分工更富有层次、更程序化、精细化，在原先的合同、诉讼、知识产权等基本专业域的基础上，建设了法务BP、公司交易与治理、合规治理、合同管理、诉讼管理等多个专业团队，业务涵盖顺丰集团国内与海外，专业覆盖合同、诉讼、投融资、数据、出口管制与制裁、反垄断、公司治理、知产、劳动用工、法律科技产品等诸多模块。
“另外，法律事务中心过去一年处理或主导了很多具有开创性的工作，包括全面修订合同管理、诉讼管理、合规管理、供应商管理等制度，构建和完善风险分级和决策流程，确保集团整体风险可视、充分评估和有效管控。中心全程支持集团各项重大事件，不仅包括重大投融资项目，也包括大量并发类型化需求的高效高质量解决。中心还利用法律科技力量，搭建和优化法律管理系统，为业务和法务团队减负、提效、增收作出突出贡献。在这些工作中，多个专业团队高效协同，形成稳定SOP，共同支撑集团战略目标和管理层决策的有效、有序落实。” 邹晨昊表示。
蒙牛集团法律事务部下设的合规管理部也榜上有名，该部门扎实地进行合规管理体系的搭建及落地运行工作。该团队与ALB分享，过去一年里，蒙牛集团合规管理体系通过了国内外权威认证机构（CQC&SGS）合规管理体系双标认证（ISO37301、GB/T35770），“这是对蒙牛集团合规管理体系运行有效性及合规管理工作的国内国际的重要认可，也是一个值得载入蒙牛发展史册的里程碑事件。”
“这极大提升了蒙牛在乳品行业的美誉度，赢得市场口碑，提振了资本市场投资信心，有效助力蒙牛提升品牌国际影响力，为全球乳业良好治理积极贡献蒙牛力量、中国力量。” 蒙牛集团法律事务部合规管理部称。
持续提升
在取得成绩的同时，所有受访团队都表示，在当前大环境下，法务团队亟需持续提升专业能力，增强风险抵抗能力。
南方电网国际有限公司的吴晓辉总结出三重挑战：“一是法律法规更迭频繁，特别是许多国家/区域对外商投资监管趋严，陆续出台投资准入、反垄断及反补贴相关法律，法务团队的工作覆盖面更广了。”
“二是商业模式的快速变化，随着经济社会环境变化，企业为了适应市场、提高竞争力，不断尝试创新，包括AI、新能源、ESG等新的社会关注热点出现，意味着法务团队必须不断学习和吸收新的商业知识。”
“三是风险防控的难度增加，国内外形势、社会的不确定性意味着企业对风险更加敏感，特别是对我们央企而言，所有项目风险点都需要有相应的应对措施，风险管理的方向已由重点领域风险管理走向全面风险管理，对法务团队的风险防控能力也提出了更高的要求。”
面对更高的要求，吴晓辉认为公司法务团队的角色不应停留在具有过硬专业素质的“智囊团”，更要成为协调内外部关系的桥梁。
“公司法务团队，常常给人印象是安排外部律师干活，只用转发、转述他们的工作成果，这种理解是有误的。法务团队对项目需要更加熟悉、更有全局的掌控力，还要做好和外部律师、公司内部业务团队及公司管理层甚至集团的沟通协调汇报工作，需要将外部律师的工作成果按内部要求转换、提炼。如果仅仅做个二传手，是无法平衡各方、顺利推进工作的。”吴晓辉说。
而据邹晨昊介绍，顺丰集团一直秉持成为一家真正全球运营的物流公司的愿景，致力于拓展在亚洲和全球的影响力。“顺丰集团对法律事务中心的期待和定位是支持生产经营的专业单元，而非成本部门。在顺丰集团宽广和复杂的业务场景下，法律事务中心致力于提升顺丰集团合规经营竞争力与整体抗风险能力。”邹晨昊说，法律合规团队将继续秉承初心，强化专业能力，拓展风险识别、评估和判断能力，提升批量化合同、纠纷和案件处理、海外业务、海外合规等解决复杂场景问题的能力，不断增强法律合规团队与业务团队的互信以及法律合规团队的影响力。
惠州亿纬锂能股份有限公司副总裁陈卓瑛则表示，随着亿纬锂能和其他新能源公司走向海外、实施本土化生产，法律相关风险也随之而来，主要有合规风险、知识产权风险、售后纠纷风险、投资风险。“法务团队要适应企业国际化的战略，必须大力加强涉外法务能力建设。”
“在企业出海的过程中，法务团队应当是一个积极作为的角色，而不是跟随在后面、被动支持。由于国际化的风险对于中国本土企业来说是巨大而且不可知的，专业而具有国际化视野的法务团队，能够加强战略管理层‘走出去’的信心和决心。例如亿纬锂能法务中心在美国的合作项目中，既充分借用成熟的国际惯例，又创造性地提出风控方案，这样法务就起到了很好的推动作用。”陈卓瑛说。
蒙牛的合规管理部也介绍道，随着蒙牛国际化战略的进一步深入，全面风险管控尤为重要，未来会进一步强化境外经营合规管理：
“首先，我们将加强境外公司合规组织优化，进一步明晰管理职责，就重大合规风险管理加强沟通与汇报；其次，建立违规举报管理，畅通全球合规举报渠道，构筑全球一体化的风险管理防火墙，防范境外重大合规风险；最后，推动蒙牛‘正直立本，诚信立事’核心价值观和合规文化，护航蒙牛全球范围合规经营。”
团队管理
法务若要发挥更大作用，离不开更精细的团队管理建设，以获得更强自驱力。
邹晨昊说，顺丰集团法律事务中心秉承专业驱动、专业自信的建设宗旨，投入大量资源招徕人才，围绕“专业”建设多样化、立体化、迈向国际、面向未来的法律合规团队。“中心现有团队中，除了来自国内外一流大学法学院或头部企业的法律专业人才外，还同时拥有产品经理、产品运营、供应商管理、数据分析、项目管理等诸多不同专业背景的人才。”
“在未来，法律事务中心将继续倡导务实进取、积极创新、开放协同的工作文化，吸引、鼓励、培养更多专业精深、具备复杂问题解决能力的专家人才，携手共创风险管理事业。” 邹晨昊表示。
而据吴晓辉介绍，南方电网国际有限公司风险控制部是一支专业视野宽阔的涉外法律团队，现有15人，均为海内外知名高校硕士毕业。部门由两个组构成，一个组负责企业内部职能管理，一个组负责公司境外项目开发和存量资产管理。
“近期，我们正探索在部门内部组建多个小组，不再按职能管理和项目开发划分小组，而是每个小组成员都要兼顾职能和项目开发工作，小组成员紧密协助、互相支撑。一方面是为了加强部门法律人员的交流协作，增强团队凝聚力；另一方面，法律人员同时兼顾职能管理和项目开发，需要多维度思考和处理问题，有利于法律人员的全面成长。”吴晓辉说。
亿纬锂能的陈卓瑛则表示，随着公司更深程度的全球化，法务团队要在坚持全球集中垂直管理的同时，逐步建立和加强区域法务力量，来应对复杂多变的域外法律环境。“其中，最重要的是区域法务团队的本土化水平要高，必须要招揽有经验的所在国法律人才加入。”陈卓瑛认为，对全球跨文化法务团队的集中管理，加强总部法务中心的中后台支持能力，是未来具备一定挑战性、要切实做好的工作。
2023 ALB China Top 15 In House Teams
After nearly two months of evaluation, ALB is delighted to unveil its 2023 ALB China Top 15 In-house Teams ranking. As in previous years, the victorious teams represent a variety of industries, such as the Internet, logistics, manufacturing, food, finance, energy, and new energy. Hailing from various cities across the country and even overseas, these teams are forging unique paths for advancement, each navigating distinct playbooks and contexts.
As we approach the end of 2023, a retrospective view reveals that in-house teams have borne increasing expectations and shouldered heightened pressure. Amidst shifting domestic and international dynamics, as well as the intricate and evolving business landscape, these teams have played a pivotal role in not only supporting but also propelling the continual advancement of their organizations across various facets. ALB once again turns its attention to these indispensable teams, recognizing and honoring the best in various industries in China based on the intricacies of in-house work, innovative thinking, and exceptional performance. Some of this year's winners graciously share insights into their work in 2023 with ALB.
METICULOUS WORK
In 2023, diverse industries and sectors experience varying operating conditions and growth momentum, leading to distinct legal challenges for companies. All winning teams this year have diligently maintained and fortified their in-house legal frameworks, tailored to their industry and organizational environment, resulting in exceptionally fulfilling years.
Frank Wu, General Counsel of China Southern Power Grid International, highlights the team's pivotal role in numerous major projects amid the company's robust push for overseas development. Wu states, "Between 2021 and 2023, the in-house team played a vital role in securing the bid for the Chilean high-voltage DC transmission greenfield investment project, the converter station EPC project, and the acquisition of the controlling stake in Peru's largest power distribution company. Our team actively engaged in due diligence, transaction structuring, financial modeling, valuation, M&A guarantee insurance, risk identification, assessment, management and control, as well as negotiations involving consortium agreements, shareholder agreements, EPC contracts, and equity acquisition agreements."
China Southern Power Grid International also inked two significant overseas projects this year. Wu emphasizes the team's hands-on approach, stating, "Our team members visited the host countries, investing significant time and effort in on-the-ground due diligence, key project agreement negotiations, and regulatory approval work. We didn't merely direct external law firms from our desks."
In 2023, SF Group elevated its in-house department to the Legal Affairs Centre, implementing substantial reforms. Hawk Chow, the group’s chief legal and compliance officer, notes that the overall professional coverage and level of the team have significantly improved. The Legal Affairs Centre introduced specialized teams such as legal BP, corporate transaction and governance, compliance governance, contract management, litigation management, covering a wide range of areas in the group's domestic and overseas operations.
Chow explains, "In the past year, the Legal Affairs Centre led pioneering work, revising systems such as contract management, litigation management, and compliance management, and establishing risk classification and decision-making processes. The team provided crucial support for significant investment and financing projects. Leveraging legaltech, the center optimized legal management systems, streamlining processes for increased efficiency and revenue. Different specialized teams collaborated effectively to establish stable SOPs, supporting the orderly implementation of the group's strategic goals and management decisions."
The Compliance Management Department under the Legal Department of Mengniu Group is another standout. The team steadily advanced the establishment and implementation of a compliance management system, achieving certifications (ISO37301, GB/T35770) from authoritative bodies CQC&SGS in the past year. This represents significant recognition of Mengniu's operational effectiveness in compliance management, marking a milestone in the company's history.
The compliance management team emphasizes the certifications' positive impact on Mengniu, stating, "This has greatly enhanced Mengniu's reputation in the dairy industry, garnered market goodwill, bolstered investor confidence in the capital market, and contributed actively to Mengniu's international brand influence, aligning with China's efforts towards robust governance in the global dairy industry."
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Despite their achievements, all interviewed winning teams acknowledge the urgent need for in-house teams to continuously enhance their professional capabilities and bolster their resistance to risks in the current environment.
Wu succinctly outlines three challenges facing in-house teams: "Firstly, laws and regulations undergo frequent changes, especially with many countries or regions tightening foreign investment reviews and introducing laws related to investment access, antitrust, and countervailing practices, expanding the coverage of in-house work."
"Secondly, business models are evolving rapidly in response to changing economic and social environments. Companies strive for innovation to adapt to the market and remain competitive. The emergence of new hot topics such as AI, new energy, and ESG requires in-house teams to continually learn and assimilate new business knowledge."
"Thirdly, risk prevention and control have become more challenging. Dynamic domestic and international developments and social uncertainties make enterprises more sensitive to risks. Particularly for central enterprises like us, comprehensive countermeasures are required for all project risk points. The focus of risk management has shifted from managing key risks to comprehensive risk management, raising the bar for the risk prevention and control capabilities of in-house teams."
Facing these heightened requirements, Wu emphasizes that the role of an in-house team extends beyond being a "think tank" with excellent professional competency; it should also function as a bridge to coordinate internal and external relations. "The in-house team needs to be intimately familiar with a project, exercise overall control, and effectively communicate and coordinate with external lawyers, internal business units, company management, and even group management. It must translate and distill the work results of external lawyers according to internal requirements when reporting work. Merely acting as a messenger will not enable the in-house team to balance all stakeholders and progress work smoothly."
Chow from SF Group highlights the company's commitment to becoming a truly global logistics company, positioning the in-house legal center as a professional unit supporting production and operation rather than a cost department. Chow underscores the center's focus on enhancing the competitiveness of compliant operations and overall risk resistance in the complex business scenarios of SF Group. The legal compliance team at SF Group will continue to reinforce professional capabilities, expand risk identification, assessment, and judgment capabilities, and enhance its ability to solve problems in complex scenarios, thereby strengthening mutual trust with business units.
Aaron Chen, Vice President of Eve Energy Co., Ltd., emphasizes the importance of cross-border capabilities for in-house teams, particularly for new energy companies venturing overseas. As these companies face compliance risks, IP risks, risks of after-sales disputes, and investment risks, Chen believes that a professional in-house team with a global vision plays a crucial role in boosting confidence and firming the determination of the management to 'go global'. The in-house team at Eve Energy’s Legal Center actively contributes to partnership projects, relying on mature international practices and proposing creative risk control plans.
Mengniu's compliance management team underscores the significance of comprehensive risk management and control as Mengniu deepens its internationalization strategy. The team plans to optimize the compliance organization of overseas companies, clarify management responsibilities, strengthen communication and reporting on major compliance risk management, establish violation reporting management, smooth global compliance reporting channels, and promote Mengniu's core values and compliance culture globally to support compliance in its global operations.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
To maximize their impact, in-house teams must implement sophisticated team management strategies to cultivate a stronger self-driving force.
Chow reveals that SF Group's in-house legal center, guided by a growth philosophy emphasizing professionalism and confidence, has invested significantly in recruiting talent to form a diverse, interdisciplinary, international, and forward-looking legal compliance team centered on "specialization." In addition to legal professionals from top domestic and foreign law schools or leading companies, the current team includes individuals with backgrounds in product management, product operations, supplier management, data analysis, project management, and more.
"As we look ahead, the in-house legal center will persist in promoting a work culture of pragmatism, proactive innovation, openness, and collaboration. This approach aims to attract, motivate, and nurture experts with deep expertise capable of solving complex problems, fostering collaboration with business units in effective risk management."
Wu discusses the Legal, Compliance & Risk Management Department at China Southern Power Grid International, emphasizing its cross-border legal team with a broad professional vision. All 15 members currently hold master's degrees from reputable universities at home and abroad. The department comprises two teams, with one managing internal functions and the other overseeing overseas project development and existing asset management.
"Recently, we've explored the formation of multiple teams within the department. Rather than dividing teams based on functional management and project development, we may task each team member with responsibilities in both areas. This approach enhances communication and collaboration among legal professionals, strengthening team cohesion. Additionally, by combining functional management and project development, legal professionals must consider and address problems from multiple perspectives, fostering their all-round growth."
Chen highlights the need for Eve Energy's in-house team to establish and reinforce regional capabilities as the company globalizes while adhering to global centralized vertical management. This strategy is crucial for navigating complex and ever-changing foreign legal environments. Chen emphasizes the importance of high localization levels for regional in-house teams, advocating the recruitment of experienced legal talents from host countries.
"As Eve Energy expands globally, the central management of a cross-cultural in-house team and the enhancement of middle- and back-office support capabilities at the headquarters are challenging tasks for the future that must be executed effectively."
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TOP 15 IN-HOUSE TEAMS |
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Winners are listed by their company names in alphabetical order. |
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Legal Department, Beijing Kingsoft Cloud Network Technology Co., Ltd. Legal Department, Blue Moon (China) Co., Ltd. Legal, Compliance & Risk Management Department, China Southern Power Grid International Co., Ltd. CHT·Shengqu Games IP Management Team Legal Center, EVE Energy Co., Ltd. AIDC-Legal & Compliance Department, Hangzhou Alibaba International Digital Commerce Co., LTD Link Asset Management Limited Mainland China Legal Team Compliance Management Department of Legal Department, Mengniu Group |
Owens Corning AP Legal Team SATP Holding Inc. Legal Department SF Group Legal Affairs Centre State Grid Yingda International Holdings co., LTD Legal Compliance Team SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd. Compliance & Legal Department Legal Department of TCL Technology Group Corporation Legal and Compliance Team of Zhejiang Orient Financial Holdings Group CHT·SHENGQU GAMES IP MANAGEMENT TEAM |
