(Senior) Corporate Counsel - Disputes focus

Shangri-La Group

Headquartered in Hong Kong, we have over 100 hotels and resorts under four brands nested in key cities and beautiful beachfront locations globally.  We are expanding rapidly with a strong development pipeline throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

Regarded as one of the world’s finest hotel ownership and management companies, Shangri-La is dedicated to delight guests around the world with legendary service, finely tuned from over 45 years of hospitality from the heart. We have an affinity with Asian travelers and we offer them a gateway to the rest of the world, positioning us a leading brand in luxury hospitality.

Shangri-La Group is seeking an experienced in-house lawyer to join its Group Legal team in Hong Kong. This is a broad, high-exposure corporate and commercial legal role supporting the group across corporate initiatives, disputes management and general commercial contracts. Disputes management is expected to form a significant part of this role, accounting for approximately 30% of the successful candidate’s time. The successful candidate will work closely with the General Counsel and other key internal stakeholders across the Group, and will regularly liaise with external counsel, regulators and other advisers.

As our (Senior) Corporate Counsel, we will rely on you to:  

Disputes Management & Administration

• Manage oversight and reporting of Group’s portfolio of disputes and claims (e.g. guest claims, contractual disputes, employment-related disputes and other operational disputes, regulatory investigations) arising across HQ, regional and hotel operations


• Act as HQ's primary point of contact for management of ongoing disputes and litigation and investigation matters, which may include the instruction, coordination and management of external counsel across relevant jurisdictions


• Oversee the administration of the Group’s dispute case load, including maintaining an up-to-date disputes/litigation register, and tracking key deadlines, budgets and case status


• Prepare periodic reports and updates on disputes and litigation matters for senior management and, where relevant, the Board or Board Committees


• Support the assessment of legal risk and exposure in ongoing and potential disputes, including advising on settlement strategy, and liaising with insurers on related claims where applicable

General Legal Support

• Draft, review, negotiate and advise on a wide variety of general commercial contracts, including NDAs, consultancy agreements, branding and marketing agreements, service agreements, and IT and technology agreements, to support the Group’s operations and business requirements


• Manage and advise on insurance-related matters across the Group, including policy review, claims management, coverage issues, and liaison with brokers and insurers


• Support and participate in the Group’s crisis management and incident response, including addressing operational, regulatory, reputational and business continuity matters arising from crisis situations and incidents


• Manage and advise on data protection, privacy and related matters, including the development and implementation of privacy policies and procedures, compliance requirements, and the management of data incidents


• Support the legal and operational needs of the Group’s Hong Kong hotel operations, as required


• Advise on and support HQ HR policies, procedures and employment-related matters, including the review and implementation of relevant HR initiatives and practices


• Support and advise the Group on ESG-related regulatory and governance matters, including the annual Sustainability Report, legal and regulatory horizon scanning, and the development and implementation of relevant policies


• Undertake any other responsibilities, tasks or projects as may be assigned by the General Counsel from time to time.

We are looking for someone who has: 

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in reputable law firms or legal department of listed companies in Hong Kong.  Appointment as Corporate Counsel or Senior Corporate Counsel will be commensurate with the candidate’s relevant professional experience


• Degree holder and Hong Kong qualified solicitor with solid knowledge and experience in Hong Kong laws


• Prior experience managing or handling disputes, claims or litigation (including instructing and working with external counsel) is required


• Prior experience in hospitality, real estate or MNC environment is an advantage, though not essential


• Good analytical skills and commercial sense, with strong experience in handling legal matters and capable of working independently with limited supervision


• Confident communicator and excellent stakeholder management skills, comfortable with liaising with senior management, external counsel and regulators


• Fluency in both English and Chinese and can review and/or prepare documents in either language, given the Group's business footprint


• Responsible, efficient, self-motivated, independent, meticulous and organized


• Immediate availability is an advantage