Expanding global reach: interview with ICBC's legal counsel

What is the general structure of your bank's legal department?

The ICBC legal affairs department consists of seven business teams responsible for various functions such as legal consultancy and review, litigation management, contract management, authorisation management, and trademark registration and protection. Currently, all domestic first-level branches of ICBC have established independent legal affairs departments, while the affiliated organisations and overseas branches of ICBC have either established independent legal affairs departments or assigned full-time or part-time legal staff to manage their respective legal affairs. The legal affairs department of the head office strengthens the management of the subsidiaries' legal affairs through business authorisation, professional counselling, risk monitoring and centralised coordination. At the same time, it continuously optimises the development of consolidated risk management across the group, enhancing the integrated management for legal risks that ICBC faces.