Delivering Excellence with Rory Lang: How Asia Pacific Legal Navigates Complex Legal Mandates Across Developed and Emerging Markets

In this feature, Rory Lang, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Legal (APL), discusses the firm’s approach to delivering exceptional legal services while managing complex mandates in both developed and emerging markets. APL’s strategy hinges on leveraging extensive experience, skilled local counsel, and tailored communication to meet clients’ needs. Rory highlights a specific case where APL successfully navigated regulatory challenges for a client entering an Asian market, demonstrating their commitment to client satisfaction and ethical practices. He emphasizes the importance of open communication, expectation management, and client engagement as core principles guiding APL’s operations, ensuring they maintain high-quality service even in challenging environments.

Strategic Expertise

We started the interview by asking, “How does APL ensure the delivery of exceptional advice and service while managing complex mandates across both developed and emerging markets?”

Rory Lang replied, “This is relatively simple, we understand how to do complex legal mandates and get the “deal done” in both emerging and developed markets such as Asia, Africa and Australia (as non-exhaustive examples).

This also comes with significant experience working in developed and emerging markets on complicated matters with skilled Local Counsel.

Often a simple mandate (like company incorporation) in emerging markets in Asia and Africa are highly complicated when this mandate is very straight forward in Australia (and only takes a few hours with the right advisor and supporting documents).

When working with Clients in different emerging markets such as in Asia and Africa etc., we will use past experience, employ targeted bespoke transactional research, utlise our industry knowledge of those markets, and tap into our global network by engaging skilled Local Counsel in the relevant jurisdiction where the mandate is. Good Local Counsel is very important in our role as international counsel when advising on cross border matters. Fortunately, we have a network of skilled and reputable Local Counsel at our fingertips to assist our Clients.

Put simply, we always ensure we understand what the Client wants, we have done our homework, engaged skilled Local Counsel who know the market and can assist us on the mandate as international counsel, manage Client’s expectations, and we deliver on what the Client wants to a top- tier standard.”

Going Above and Beyond

The Worlds Times: Can you share an example of how APL has gone the extra mile to resolve a Client’s problem in a challenging environment?

Rory Lang replied, “Yes, there have been several examples where Asia Pacific Legal (APL or Firm) (or our legal team as lawyers during the course of their careers) have gone the extra mile to resolve a Client’s problem in a challenging environment.

One matter that springs to mind in relation to acting for a large Client was where they were having issues entering a certain country in Asia.

In this matter, we screened their business activities with the relevant regulator through skilled licensed “local counsel” (Local Counsel) operating in that jurisdiction. The problem for the Client was they had done this task themselves with the Regulator first and were told “no”, so they couldn’t conduct their business as planned. You can imagine the Client’s frustration.

The work around was there were a series of meetings with the Regulator with advisors vetting proposed variations to the Client’s business activities until there was a mutually acceptable landing.

In some jurisdictions in Asia and Africa, corporate regulators screen business activities for new companies very closely, and ask robust questions in relation to why business activities should be permitted for a Client in certain sectors. This often results in a series of meetings with the relevant company regulator to reach comfort, or in some instances to go back to the drawing board with the Client. Depending on how complicated a client’s project is, this can sometimes go on for weeks (or in very rare cases months).

In this matter, we said to the Regulator via Local Counsel if our Client were to engage in those business activities in a different manner then would the Regulator permit that, and if so could the Regulator make amendments to the business activities which it would be comfortable with (after further consideration).

In short, the Regulator thought about it and then came back – saying yes those business activities were acceptable subject to minor amendments- which were acceptable to our Client.

Subsequently, this allowed the Client to effectively engage in its chosen business activities in the country, which was the whole purpose of their market entry to that part of the world. That was very important because, if this solution hadn’t been reached, then the Client couldn’t engage in their business in that country.”

Fostering Trust

The Worlds Times: What strategies does APL employ to maintain open, honest, and ethical communication with Clients during high-stakes transactions or investigations?

Rory Lang replied, “This is relatively straightforward, we have a policy with our Clients where if there’s any issues in relation to the file, costs, lawyers performance or feedback, then obviously that discussion is done on a non-chargeable basis with the Client, and they can have that conversation with me as the Managing Director of APL in relation to any of our lawyers / staff working on the matter.

So, the first is having an “open-door policy” with the Client so they can effectively discuss their concerns with us.

The next is really managing the Clients’ expectations in relation to the matter and timing. So, if that matter was done say in Australia, then we would set expectations in relation to how that matter should proceed here in this jurisdiction.

But if that matter was to occur in somewhere like, Africa or Asia and we were to engage Local Counsel, then we would rely on Local Counsel’s legal advice in those markets and the expectations that they would set for the matter, associated issues, and timing.

So, we would need to ensure the Client is aware that doing business in emerging markets can be challenging, and they need to alter their expectations (which may be based on their experience transacting business in developed markets).

The reality is that doing business is very different in these markets to what they may be familiar with and effectively they need to be more flexible and adopt a different approach. Now, sometimes that means having difficult and honest conversations with Clients about their matters (on a case-by-case basis).”

Achieving Excellence

The Worlds Times: How does APL balance cost-effectiveness with the need to provide first-class counsel to Clients operating internationally?

Rory Lang replied, “When we issue an estimate to our Clients (providing there’s been no change to the scope of work), we would stick to our estimate and ensure that the work product is of an excellent quality and on par with top tier Australian and international law firms.

We also ensure that on international mandates that Local Counsel is very carefully selected so Clients are getting the best value for money.

We also have an “open-door policy” with our Clients where they may discuss certain concerns on a non- chargeable basis.”

Fostering Impact

The Worlds Times: In what ways does APL demonstrate its commitment to community, charity, and pro-bono support, and how does this align with the firm’s overall mission?

Rory Lang replied, “At APL we call this “Giving Back.”

During their careers our lawyers (including whilst employed at different law firms other than APL) have been involved in various charity, chambers, pro -bono initiatives, law societies, and memberships in Australia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, and elsewhere. These include, but are not limited to: the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), ASEAN Business Alliance, Asian Australian Lawyers Association, AustCham, Australian Pro Bono Centre, the British Chamber of Commerce, PILnet, and the Law Society of Western Australia.

This is an area that we feel is very important to the fabric of our Firm.”

Adapting Strategies

The Worlds Times: How does APL tailor its approach when dealing with Clients in emerging markets compared to those in developed markets?

Rory Lang replied, “This goes to my first answer- we always ensure we understand what the Client wants, we have done our homework, engaged skilled Local Counsel (for international mandates) who know the market and can assist us on the mandate as international counsel, manage Client’s expectations, and we deliver on what the Client wants to a top- tier standard.

When working on matters in developed markets like Australia, the work is often more straightforward, and predictable. This usually provides Clients with more certainty on areas such as timing and legal interpretation (particularly when dealing with Regulators).

When working on a matter involving a Regulator, the issues can be quite different to a straight forward contractual transaction. But the first principle is effectively managing Clients’ expectations and providing them with sound counsel.

The next is when working on matters that have an emerging market element, then guiding the Client by giving them a “safe pair of hands” to walk them through each issue they’re grappling with, and providing compliant and often out of the box solutions. This approach requires a lot more Client support (i.e., more calls and emails with Local Counsel than generally would be the case in developed markets working on a matter), and frankly understanding the market, and your Client’s needs.

In short, a tailored approach is generally required with emerging markets, and more Client care when compared to developed markets, and that’s the approach that we take.”

Showcasing APL’s Value

The Worlds Times: Can you discuss a recent project or transaction where APL’s ability to deliver value was particularly evident?

Rory Lang replied, “Yes. We recently acted in relation to a restructuring of a company in Australia and we were able to provide sound timely advice to the Client who was advising the Board of Directors (Board) and the Creditors in relation to that matter. The timely provision of our advice allowed them to proceed with the next stages of that restructure and enable solutions to be sought for the Creditors and the Board.”

Ensuring Excellence

Lastly we asked, “What measures does APL take to ensure that its advice and services remain of the highest quality, even under tight deadlines or in complex legal landscapes?”

“The short answer to this is effective planning, good resourcing, and communication.

As a general Firm rule, we stick to our deadlines, produce high quality work and respond to our Clients in a timely manner.

The key is also honest communication, and always delivering.

These are the core principles of Client delivery at our Firm. Frankly, it’s not much different, to serving Clients in a nice restaurant with a high-quality hot meal, time and time again. The only difference is the meal is legal advice or services.

Many service providers forget to provide good service to the customer, but we don’t.” Rory Lang concluded

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