Navigating the Complexities of Corporate Law: An Interview with Daniel Choo
In the bustling corridors of Bruker, a leading scientific instruments company, Daniel Choo stands as a beacon of legal expertise, strategic foresight, and unwavering commitment. As Co-President of the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA) and General Counsel and Privacy Responsible for the Asia Pacific region, Daniel expertly orchestrates the blegal team across nine countries, including China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Daniel's journey is distinguished by an impressive array of qualifications, including a law degree from the University of Leeds and active certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), such as CIPP/A, CIPM, and CIPP/E. His recent completion of the SAL-INSEAD Legal Leadership Programme further underscores his dedication to honing his leadership skills. Yet, it is his daily responsibilities that truly highlight the complexity and dynamism of his role. Daniel provides strategic counsel to senior leadership on risk management, compliance, and regulatory challenges, ensuring every decision aligns with overarching business goals.
Managing legal affairs across nine countries means that no two days are ever the same for Daniel. His role encompasses strategic advisory, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement, each demanding a unique set of skills and a discerning eye for urgency and importance. "To stay effective, I start my day by prioritising work and focusing on the most pressing legal and business matters…" he explains. This approach ensures critical issues are addressed promptly, allowing him to provide strategic counsel to senior leadership on risk management, compliance, and regulatory challenges.
"To stay effective, I start my day by prioritising work and focusing on the most pressing legal and business matters…"
Daniel's ability to navigate these complexities is further demonstrated in his collaboration with cross-functional teams, including commercial, HR, compliance, and internal departments. He emphasises the importance of working closely with external counsel, government regulators, and industry associations to align strategies with business objectives. "The role of in-house counsel is evolving from being risk-averse to becoming strategic partners.” Given the increasing regulatory complexity in cross-border compliance, Daniel anticipates that General Counsels will need to adopt a more strategic approach when interacting with the business.
"The role of in-house counsel is evolving from being risk-averse to becoming strategic partners.”
Innovation and technology are at the core of how Daniel manages legal operations at Bruker, ensuring his team is well-supported and empowered. His team is encouraged to experiment with tools like Microsoft Copilot and Chatbot to streamline processes and enhance efficiency. Looking to the future, Daniel recognises the transformative potential of AI and other technologies in legal research, contract drafting, and compliance monitoring.
Despite his plethora of responsibilities, Daniel is mindful of balancing his professional and personal life. He views work-life balance as work-life integration, striving to stay engaged in both areas without feeling overwhelmed. "Balance is not only about giving 50-50 or 100% in an area. Rather, it is making conscious choices that allow me to be present in both my professional and personal commitments", Daniel shares. He actively prioritises high impact tasks and maintains flexibility amidst the challenges of managing global time zones.
"Balance is not only about giving 50-50 or 100% in an area. Rather, it is making conscious choices that allow me to be present in both my professional and personal commitments"
A key factor in helping him maintain balance is Daniel's leadership philosophy. He believes in empowering and trusting his team, giving them the autonomy to take ownership of their work while ensuring they have the necessary support and resources. "When people feel trusted, they take the initiative to perform their best", he asserts. This approach fosters psychological safety, creating an environment where team members feel secure to work and thrive.
"When people feel trusted, they take the initiative to perform their best"
For aspiring legal leaders, Daniel underscores the importance of the role of lawyers in businesses and the responsibilities they bear. The best lawyers navigate risks proactively and evaluate situations holistically. “In-house counsel don’t just give legal advice; they need to drive business decisions”. Furthermore, an important aspect of strategic thinking also includes being the ethical compass of the company.
“In-house counsel don’t just give legal advice; they need to drive business decisions”
Through his story, Daniel exemplifies the demands of the modern-day in-house counsel in balancing risk, strategic business growth, and ethics. His insights on how he approaches these responsibilities while achieving work-life integration serve to inspire others to pursue a rewarding and impactful career on the path of a general counsel.
Transcript
Career Journey:
Describe a typical day in your position as a GC.
Managing a legal function across nine countries means that no two days are ever the same. My tasks usually revolve around strategic advisory crisis management and stakeholder engagement. Thus, to stay effective, I start my day by prioritising work and directing my focus to the most pressing legal and business matter first.
One such areas I focus on is strategic advisory, whereby I share key insights on business strategies across the globe to ensure that others are up to date on the urgent matters of the day. I also provide strategic counsel to our senior leadership on the risk management compliance and regulatory challenges, in order to assist them in making informed decisions.
Another area is stakeholder engagement, whereby I work closely with cross functional teams such as the commercial team, HR, compliance, internal audit. Occasionally I also need to collaborate with the external counsel and Government regulators Industry Association.
Next, crisis management involves addressing and handling unexpected legal issues such as employment disputes, investigations, regulatory changes, and any crisis that requires quick decision-making. I also ensure that safeguards are in place for ongoing projects to mitigate risk.
Another key responsibility is overseeing high-stakes contract negotiations, ensuring that both commercially viable avenues are explored while maintaining corporate governance and compliance. I need to ensure that all decisions are aligned with our group's objectives.
In terms of leadership, I support the team and ensure alignment with our strategy. This involves conducting legal training for internal stakeholders and keeping them informed on emerging risk requirements.
Lastly, I need to be in tune with the technology that we have adopted, for example, Microsoft Copilot.
What is a fun fact about you (e.g. you can do pull ups while reciting SCCA’s code of ethics without breaking a sweat)?
Growing up in a multi-cultural environment has been invaluable in my career. Navigating legal work across multiple countries and cultures has strengthened my ability to seamlessly "code-switch" between different legal frameworks, business landscapes, and cultural expectations. This adaptability allows me to tailor my approach to each jurisdiction, ensuring legal strategies are not just compliant but also culturally and commercially aligned.
How do you balance work and life?
In regards to work, I’d say that it is important to prioritise tasks that require my focus the most, such as high impact and higher agency work. I need to focus on long term strategic goals. That is of course difficult at times, as many of my stakeholders work in different time zones across the globe.
As for work-life balance, I actually regard it as work-life integration. I think that it is important to engage in both areas without feeling overwhelmed. To me, balance is not only giving my 50-50 or 100% in an area. Rather, it is making conscious choices that allow me to be present in both my professional and personal commitments.
Leadership and Strategy:
What is your philosophy on leadership? How do you approach leadership with your legal team, and what strategies have you implemented to drive success?
I believe that leadership is not just about managing people; it is about empowering and guiding them to thrive in their career within their environment. I adhere to several leadership principles, one of which is empowerment and trust – providing the team with the autonomy to take ownership of their work while ensuring they have the right support and resources.
Mutual trust is essential. When people feel trusted to perform a task, they will take initiative and perform their best. I also believe in the philosophy of a psychological safety net, whereby people will thrive in a work environment that they feel safe in.
Trends and Innovation in Legal Department:
Can you discuss any innovative practices or technologies you have adopted to enhance legal operations and delivery of advice in partnering with the business (e.g. use of Generative AI tools, deployment of matter management or contract lifecycle management tools)?
One innovative practice that we have adopted to enhance business operation, including legal operations is partnering with the business through tools like Microsoft Copilot, chatbot, agent. While we are still in the experimenting phase with chatbots and agents, we have integrated Co-Pilot into some of our work ecosystem.
Future of Legal Services:
What trends do you foresee shaping the legal industry of the future? And how are you preparing your team to adapt to these changes?
A trend that I foresee shaping the legal industry of the future is the evolution of legal teams into more business-enabling partners. In-house counsel, particularly in APAC countries, are shifting from a predominantly risk adverse role to a more strategic business partner. A key example of this transformation would be the rise of AI technologies such as generative AI & legal automation, which are already revolutionizing tasks like legal research, contract drafting compliance monitoring. These AI tools are streamlining processes, but they also introduce greater complexity, particularly with regard to cross-border compliance and regulatory issues. This trend is likely to continue developing, further shaping the role of in-house counsel.
Secondly regulatory complexity and cross border compliance will continue to increase, especially in areas such as data privacy laws, trade compliance, ESG compliance, AI governance, among others.
Advice for Aspiring Legal Leaders:
What skills and qualities do you believe are essential for a successful in-house counsel?
A skill or quality that I believe is essential for a successful in-house counsel is business acumen and strategic thinking. An in-house counsel does not just give legal advice, they must also drive the business decision. To develop this, we need to engage with the business team , shifting from merely identifying risks to offering proactive solutions.
The second skill is risk management and problem solving. The best lawyers don’t just spot risks, they navigate them proactively.
The third quality is agility and adaptability. The legal landscape is always evolving, and I believe that adaptability is key.
The fourth skill is stakeholder relations and stakeholder management. As an in-house counsel, it is crucial to be able to collaborate effectively across multiple departments and with external regulators. Being approachable, understand business priorities and, to a certain extent, building relationships and alliances are all vital.
Lastly, active judgment and integrity. As an in-house counsel, we serve as the ethical compass of the company. However, we sometimes have to make difficult decisions, and the right decision may not be the most popular one. Hence, we must foster a culture of speaking up while striking a balance between promoting company’s interests and upholding our ethical standards.
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