As cyber threats grow and data rules tighten, ALB recognizes Asia’s leading cybersecurity and data law firms in its inaugural ranking. Practitioners from ranked firms say early legal advice can help businesses manage complex data risks and regulatory obligations.
Early Engagement
Gilbert Leong and Foo Maw Jiun, senior partners at Dentons Rodyk & Davidson, assert that counsel offers its biggest benefit well ahead of a product’s market launch. They aim to add worth for clients at the very beginning of the decision-making cycle, prior to any product development.
They meet with clients while a product remains in the concept phase, collaborating with various operational parties to chart data pathways, jurisdictional points, and compliance duties. This initial involvement goes beyond merely satisfying regulations; it embeds legal anticipation into the design of the offering.
Dr. In their view, data has shifted from a side issue to the fundamental component that permeates almost all business activities.
Complex Chains
Leong and Foo break down the allocation of responsibility in complex data ecosystems into a few core questions: what data is being collected, why is it being collected, and what commercial purpose does each party serve in relation to the data?
Dr. They describe the hurdle as one of coordination, the rigor needed to synchronize many moving elements toward a unified result.
Gilbert Leong and Foo Maw Jiun observe that proclamations on privacy and security hold significance only when a firm’s contracts and technical infrastructure substantiate them. They warn that a silent buildup of disparity between promised and deliverable capabilities can grow unnoticed until the divide becomes impossible to dismiss, and they see their function as helping clients align public assertions with actual contractual and technical commitments.
They explain that this concern reflects a real pattern among clients in fast-moving, competitive markets, where the temptation to project more capability than exists can be difficult to resist, potentially creating both legal exposures and reputational risks.
Leong and Foo emphasize understanding each client’s technical capabilities and operations to identify and address instances where messaging outpaces reality, aiming to prevent severe legal or reputational liabilities and ensure clients build trust without unlawful or unethical conduct.
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As they put it, this allows clients to maximize their business opportunities, and according to Leong and Foo, the firm’s impact is most immediate when they are brought in early, at a stage where there is maximum flexibility to effect change and shape the final outcome, and that is where they are working now, with Dentons Rodyk & Davidson currently advising clients on a range of matters, including data protection and cybersecurity compliance.
Expanding Scope and Operational Coordination
Leong and Foo note, “the range of matters we handle reflects the ever-expanding scope of this practice area, which in turn requires lawyers who are adaptable and genuinely curious about evolving technology as well as the development of different areas of business.” This adaptability, they add, depends on a deep, sustained engagement with each client’s world.
Operational Fluency
In practice, this means working closely with a client’s product, engineering, and security teams to translate complex legal requirements into actionable steps that integrate seamlessly into their existing workflows and processes. By doing so, lawyers can help clients ensure that their public statements are genuinely matched by contractual commitments and technical reality.
