Asia Pacific Legal Congress 2025 strengthens regional in-house counsel collaboration
The Asia Pacific (APAC) Legal Congress 2025 convened over 2,000 legal professionals from across the region on 3 and 4 April at One Farrer Hotel in Singapore. The two-day event, hosted by the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association (SCCA), brought together a distinguished line-up of speakers to address the complex and evolving challenges faced by the legal community in the region.
The congress featured an opening address by the guest of honour, Indranee Rajah, minister at the Singapore Prime Minister’s Office and second minister for finance and national development. Speaking at the event, Rajah highlighted the significant forces shaping the business and legal landscapes, identifying geopolitical tensions, economic headwinds, and technological disruption as key factors affecting organisations. She further discussed Singapore’s strategic position and technological advancements, emphasising the critical and evolving role of in-house counsel in guiding companies through these dynamic changes.
Justice Chua Lee Ming, a high court judge at the Supreme Court of Singapore, also addressed the congress, alongside notable figures such as Deborah Im, chief legal officer at Coda; Gregory Tan, joint head of legal and regulatory at Temasek; Mayen Ekong, general counsel at Gurin Energy; and Faz Hussen, head of legal, compliance and government relations at McDonald’s Singapore.
Stanley Park, SCCA board director and co-chairman of the APAC Legal Congress, delivered welcoming remarks, joined by Yi Wong, general counsel at Lum Chang, and SCCA co-presidents Renita Sophia Crasta and Daniel Choo, who also provided opening messages. The attendees engaged in a series of keynote presentations, expert panels, and sessions that focussed on adapting to shifting regulatory frameworks and embedding innovation through legal design principles.
A significant milestone of this year’s congress was the signing of collaborative memoranda of understanding (MoUs) by the SCCA and its regional counterparts: the Indonesian Corporate Counsel Association (ICCA), Japan In-House Lawyers Association (JILA), and Thai Corporate Counsel Association (THAI-CCA). These agreements aim to formalise partnerships intended to enhance the collective capacity of the regional legal ecosystem, deepen professional networks, and open new pathways for career and capability development among members.
Bryan Yeo, executive director of the SCCA, stated, "These agreements are more than symbolic. They reflect our shared commitment to strengthening the in-house counsel profession across the Asia-Pacific. We believe that cross-border collaboration and capacity building are essential to the future of legal practice in our region."
The congress was also attended by representatives from the Malaysian Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), the Legal Management Council of the Philippines (LMCP), the In-House Counsel Forum (IHCF), and Stephen Rotstein, president of In-House Counsel Worldwide (ICW).
The event received support from a range of sponsors across various levels, including platinum sponsor EY Forensic & Integrity Services; gold sponsors Axiom, ContractPodAi, Diligent, Kim & Chang, Lawyers on Demand, Thomson Reuters, and WongPartnership; silver sponsors LexisNexis and Rajah & Tann Asia; and bronze sponsors Allen & Gledhill, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson, and Icertis. These partnerships contributed to the congress’s capacity to provide a comprehensive forum for networking, knowledge sharing, and professional growth within the Asia-Pacific legal community.