​PODCAST DISCUSSION.  A month and a half into 2025 and with the Lunar New Year behind us as well, it is customarily a time for many in places like Hong Kong to wait until they receive their customary Chinese New Year bonuses before tendering their resignation letters to seek better pay, seniority, prestige, greater responsibility or simply put just more satisfaction with other employers – and the legal and compliance space is no different. 

It is in that spirit today’s episode commences with a Spotlight segment where Kirsty and Raoul share their thoughts on hiring trends in the legal and compliance space in Hong Kong and to some degree, Singapore and the APAC region more generally post-Chinese New Year. They share with Regulatory Ramblings host Ajay Shamdasani the areas in which the financial sector is hiring – with insurance and crypto-compliance being key drivers for of employment. 

Kirsty and Raoul also share their thoughts on the degree to which firms are hiring legal and compliance staff at more senior levels versus more middle to junior ranks. Indications are that some banking and financial institutions and multinational corporations more broadly are moving more towards retainment mode. That is evidenced by the hiring freezes at some banks in the region. 

The conversation concludes with what it takes to be a good compliance officer – beyond just knowing the rules, regulations and general knowledge of the sector one seeks employment in. As our guests make clear that while a legal or accounting degree and/or experience will always put one in good stead, in-house/general counsel and compliance officers need soft skills, too. 

Following that, our discussion with Brian Yeung of Interactive Brokers delves into why he pursued a law degree. He also describes how he saw himself making a difference by becoming a compliance officer which, he recalls, occurred against the backdrop of the 2001 Enron scandal leading to the collapse of venerable accounting giant Arthur Anderson, the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) in the US – which forever put a global spotlight on the importance of good corporate governance and the compliance profession writ large. 

It is a profession that Brian took well to; one he still finds years later to be incredibly stimulating and rewarding. As he avers “There is no typical day for me.” 

While sharing what his biggest challenges are, Brian stresses the importance of work life balance and considers himself profoundly blessed to usually be able to leave at a reasonable hour each day to spend time with his family after a long day at the office. He contrasts that with the life he might have had as a solicitor in private practice where the perpetual dread to rack up enough bllliable hours annually would likely have impacted his family life, notwithstanding the potentially higher rewards and prestige. 

While acknowledging that the compliance has long been associated with the legal and accounting professions, he does not believe one necessarily needs to complete a degree in either of those subjects to have a successful compliance career, what that although a law degree can be useful, an investigative mind is also a valuable asset to those considering entering the field.