Group Legal Counsel (BAU Focused)

If you are the type of person who enjoys reviewing, drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, partnering closely with business stakeholders, and providing practical legal solutions to support business growth, we would love to hear from you.

Acclime, a premier corporate and professional services firm with a strong presence across Asia Pacific, is seeking a Legal Counsel to join its growing legal team based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The role offers broad exposure to day-to-day commercial contracting, client engagements, regulatory and compliance issues, corporate advisory work, and general legal support across multiple jurisdictions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Draft, review, negotiate and advise on wide range of commercial contracts (e.g. service agreement, NDA, intra-group agreements, strategic business agreements) ensuring alignment with legal, regulatory, and commercial objectives.
• Lead the standardisation and harmonisation of contractual terms and conditions across the Group's service lines, working closely with business stakeholders, country leadership teams, and service line owners to develop consistent and commercially appropriate contracting frameworks.
• Drive cross-functional discussions with stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions to identify contractual variations, align market practices, and implement standardised legal documentation and contracting approaches throughout the Group.
• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to management and business teams by providing timely, practical, and commercially focused advice on contractual, regulatory, governance, employment, compliance, data privacy, intellectual property, and operational matters.
• Develop, maintain, and periodically update contract playbooks, negotiation guidance notes, fallback positions, clause libraries, and standard templates to improve contracting efficiency, consistency, and risk management across the organization.
• Design, implement, and manage a Group-wide contract lifecycle management (CLM) and contract management framework, including contract intake, approval workflows, execution processes, repository management, reporting, and contract governance standards
• Lead initiatives to improve contracting processes, legal operations, document automation, and knowledge management systems, leveraging technology and best practices to enhance efficiency and scalability
• Provide timely, practical, and commercially focused legal advice to management and business teams on legal, regulatory, governance, employment, compliance, data privacy, intellectual property, corporate, and operational matters.
• Manage and coordinate material disputes, litigation, regulatory investigations, and contentious matters affecting the Group, including assessing legal exposure, liaising with external counsel, overseeing case progression, and advising management on risk, costs, and settlement options.

Key Requirements:

• Candidate must possess LLB degree and admission to practice in a common law jurisdiction is preferred.
• Minimum 6 years PQE in law firm or in-house in corporate fraternity, with substantial experience in commercial contracting, legal advisory, contract negotiation, and day-to-day business support.
• Experience developing and implementing contract templates, contract playbooks, contracting policies, approval frameworks, or legal process improvements would be highly advantageous.
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems, legal technology solutions, document automation tools, or contract management platforms is preferred. Experience implementing or managing a CLM solution would be a strong advantage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, proficiency in Mandarin is an added advantage.
• Highly organised, meticulous, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Team player with immaculate communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with senior management and board members.
• Resourceful, commercially minded, and able to work independently with minimal supervision while exercising sound professional judgment.
• Strong research and analytical skills.