Associate General Counsel

aia; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,500,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

aia in Hong Kong is seeking an Associate General Counsel to act as a senior legal leader and trusted advisor across various market functions.

This role involves leading legal strategy, managing risks, and shaping outcomes in a complex environment. The ideal candidate should have extensive legal experience, strong business acumen, and excellent leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 9 years of legal experience, preferably in-house.
• Experience across multiple practice areas such as corporate, commercial, M&A, and litigation.
• Proficient in drafting and reviewing contracts and legal matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice across various business areas.
• Manage legal and regulatory risks for business initiatives.
• Lead and mentor junior legal team members.

Skills

Legal drafting

Stakeholder management

Project management

Business acumen

Leadership

Education

Minimum 9 years’ post‑qualification experience (PQE)

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking an Associate General Counsel to act as a senior legal leader and trusted advisor and business partner across various market functions, and to support the General Counsel in overseeing the legal function.

This role goes beyond the provision of legal advice. It involves leading legal strategy, driving business initiatives, managing legal and regulatory risks, and shaping outcomes in a complex, regulated environment. The successful candidate will partner closely with senior stakeholders, contribute to strategic decision-making, and play a key role in advancing the legal function’s effectiveness and impact.

The ideal candidate will bring deep and broad legal experience, strong commercial acumen, and proven ability to lead teams, manage stakeholders, and deliver practical, solution‑oriented advice across a wide range of legal and regulatory matters.

This role contributes to the delivery of customer outcomes that are reliable, thoughtful, and create meaningful impact for customers and society. The role holder is expected to embed a customer first mindset in all decisions and actions by developing a clear understanding of customer needs, taking end‑to‑end ownership to resolve issues, and working collaboratively across teams to continuously enhance the customer journey—both directly and indirectly.

Roles and Responsibilities

Legal Advisory & Strategic Support

• Provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice across a wide range of business areas and operations.
• Partner closely with senior business stakeholders to understand strategic objectives and provide forward‑looking legal guidance to enable decision‑making.
• Support and, where appropriate, lead key business initiatives and projects by balancing legal and regulatory risks with commercial objectives, and developing effective, workable solutions.
• Oversee the delivery of high‑quality legal support on day‑to‑day business operations, including complex or high‑impact matters.
• Conduct and supervise legal analysis on issues arising from business activities and provide clear, practical guidance.
• Represent the legal function in internal committees, governance forums, and strategic working groups.

Legal Function Leadership & Management

• Support the General Counsel in leading and managing the legal function to deliver high‑quality, efficient, and cost‑effective legal services.
• Drive alignment with internal policies, standards, and strategic initiatives, ensuring consistent and effective implementation.
• Oversee the instruction and management of external counsel, ensuring quality, efficiency, and cost control.
• Lead the development and optimisation of legal processes, frameworks, and ways of working to enhance service delivery.

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop junior members of the legal team, fostering a high‑performing and collaborative team environment.
• Build team capability and succession by coaching and developing talent.
• Allocate and delegate work effectively to optimise team performance and development.
• Promote strong engagement with business stakeholders and a culture of professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Minimum Job Requirements

• Minimum 9 years’ post‑qualification experience (PQE); in‑house and/or offshore experience is preferred but not essential.
• Legal experience spanning multiple practice areas, such as corporate, commercial, M&A, litigation, or regulatory advisory (insurance experience is a plus but not necessary).
• Competent in legal drafting and review of legal matters in one or more of the following areas: product brochures/marketing, commercial contracts; distribution contracts including agency; regulatory issues including licensing; IT matters, complaints, claims and customer litigation; commercial litigation; HR legal matters; corporate matters including incorporation and company secretarial work.
• Excellent communication and project management skills.
• Possess business acumen, be innovative but detail‑oriented and self‑driven.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and decision‑making skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a teammate for the assigned job responsibilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and perform effectively in a fast‑paced environment.
• The incumbent is required to obtain relevant licence if the job involves regulated activities.