The 10 Most Influential Leaders to Follow in 2022

jurisdictions in this evolving world. With the rapid
globalization, many businesses not only need to
stay abreast of legal, tax, and accounting changes
but also need to understand the various cultural and
language gaps to thrive in unfamiliar jurisdictions.
As a result, Horizons Corporate Advisory has
positioned itself to not simply practice law. Rather
the team understands real-world challenges, is
committed to conveying legal doctrine with clarity
and accessibility and is sensitive to the language
and culture of the client.
Through this manner, Horizons’ team opens
dialogues, drills down challenging corporate problems
and ultimately safeguards the client for the
present and future.
Making the Industry Balanced and Equal
According to Roberto, diversity and inclusion are
the two hot topics across the industries. While
various studies have shown that diverse teams
outperform in the fourth quartile by 36% in profitability,
the consultancy field, such as legal firms,
often remain behind in cultivating diverse teams
and inclusive workplaces. Specifically, progression
from entry-level roles to seniority in minorities and
females remains relatively low in the legal field,
resulting in a lack of senior management who
understand and address the specific challenges
faced by such professionals. Ultimately, lack of
diversity at the senior level can lead to inadequate
access to mentors and training designated to
minority or female professionals.
Horizons ensure career opportunities and mentorships
are formulated to match and develop each
talent without unconscious bias. In this manner, the
Firm strives to go beyond the surface and integrate
individuals' unique strengths to cultivate a multifaced
and multidimensional team that can serve
clients from all walks of life.
Suggestions for Female Entrepreneurs
and Lawyers
Roberto says, “The legal world has advanced from
the traditional patriarchal industry. Increased
visibility of women in law has spearheaded practises
such as work-life balance and transparency in
gender pay gaps. For young women entering the
legal world today, there are more options to
improve work flexibility.”
He also thinks Covid-19 has accelerated agile
working practices which align with out-of-work
responsibilities including raising families. Aspiring
women lawyers should not be intimidated by the
specific challenges faced by women in a predominantly
male-dominated profession. Rather seek
opportunities and firms that support female leadership
and work-life balance.
Roberto adds, “At Horizons, we encourage our
female professionals to speak at events to increase
the visibility of women in the legal field. In this
manner, we can play an active role in changing the
perception of what lawyers are perceived to be and
aspire more females to progress into senior roles.”
Future Roadmap
With a massive experience of more than 40 years in
advising both inbound and outbound China investment,
the Firm has witnessed the rapid economic
growth and changing legal landscape in China.
Today, under the leadership of Roberto, the Firm is
increasingly assisting consumer goods and
high-tech companies to establish entities in China.
The growth of technology and the middle-class
market around China has generated a huge appetite
for foreign companies to seize opportunities. Whilst
many manufacturing plants in traditional sectors
such as retail are moving operations to South Asian
countries or Eastern Europe. Therefore, the foreign
direct investments ('FDI') in China are swiftly
evolving, and China is no longer the low-cost
labour and manufacturing country. Rather, FDI in
China shall align with national policy, namely the
14th Five-Year Plan (2021- 2025) for National
Economic and Social Development Through 2035
published on March 12, 2021.
As a result, Horizons is assisting clients in implementing
a new playbook that correlates with national
strategy and the domestic market. And excited to
play a substantial role in shaping the corporate
structure for new clients entering the China market.
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