BROUGHT TO YOU BY
AN INTERVIEW WITH
莱珀妮大中华区法律与合规部
Legal & Compliance team
Greater China, La Prairie
不止于专业，更关乎商业
今年，瑞士高端护肤品牌莱珀妮的大中华区法律与合规部荣登2024 ALB China 十五佳公司法务团队榜单。成立于2021年，年轻的莱珀妮大中华区法律与合规部“身担重任”，支持集团两大品牌、在大中华区多个市场的稳健运营和快速发展。过程中，团队始终以“成长”为座右铭，以“责任感”为态度，以业务发展为导向，探索提供“基于专业、超乎专业、更关乎商业”的法务解决方案。
借此机会，莱珀妮法律合规负责人李慧君向ALB讲述了团队的成长故事、对商业发展的贡献力，以及如何在公司风险控制层面扮演护航者角色。
从无到有，从单打独斗到团队协作
2021年，伴随莱珀妮中国业务的快速发展，本地化法律支持需求激增，经过多轮审慎选择，李慧君成为了莱珀妮大中华区法律与合规部的首位员工。“总部希望本地团队能够延展其法律合规思路，在中国市场快速展开工作。”李慧君说。
彼时，如何将全新的法务职能嵌入本地业务并取得本地商业团队信任，如何提供既符合总部政策、又体现本土特色的支持，是摆在李慧君面前的最大挑战——很快，这一挑战具象为了SDS体系在中国的推广落地。
SDS（选择性分销体系）是莱珀妮基于高端品牌定位，在欧盟法下采纳的业务模式，在全球市场逐步推广过程中曾遇到不少法律和商业层面的挑战，而在中国，莱珀妮需要与100余个商业主体就此展开新磋商。李慧君以扎实的法律技术和敏锐的商业思维化解了挑战，在8个月时间中完成了整个项目在中国的推广。“正是基于此，商业团队认可了我们的贡献力，总部也直观感受到了我们的高效执行力。”李慧君说。
这样的认可和信任也为法律合规部其后的发展奠定了基础，李慧君从“单打独斗”，逐渐搭建培养起职责多元的团队，保障了莱珀妮电商等新业务的发展、拓展了团队在新品牌和新地域下的职责，更涵盖了数据合规等关键新领域。
突破边界，“跨界”商业
作为一支年轻团队，莱珀妮法律合规部在不畏惧挑战之外，也践行着“不为自己设限”的工作心态，李慧君解释道：“我们不把自己局限在法务角色中，而是从公司整体战略发展角度看问题，敢于提出新倡议、承担新责任。”
对此，让团队记忆最深刻的一个例子是公司获批上海市跨国公司地区总部的项目：“三年前，团队敏锐关注到上海市发布了针对外资企业的支持政策，虽然超出了法务的‘本职’工作，但我们认为这关乎公司的切实利益，于是突破性提议并负责了该项目，于2022年底成功获得批准。”
过程中，李慧君和团队特别感受到本地公司管理层的高度重视和大力支持，“公司快速做出决策，并授权法律合规部牵头这一项目”。通过内部共同努力，莱珀妮在这一项目下获得了大额经济补贴，且升级为静安区重点企业，“长期来看，增加了与当地政府的互动协作，未来能够获得更多政策扶持”。
实际上，通过这一项目和许多其他工作，法律合规部一直在思考：如何在当下时代定义一支“优秀的法务团队”？“不同于将职能局限于做好本分工作，我们始终强调自己的商业理解力，以业务为出发点展开考量，独辟蹊径，帮助公司实现商业目的。”
也是在SDS体系推广过程中，李慧君确认了这一思路的有效性和重要性。“我们当时和某合作方陷入谈判僵局，双方对合同条款存在很大分歧。我们在介入谈判时强调：不应只纠结于条款，更要从促成业务合作为目标开展谈判。”这使得双方寻找到了新的破局点，迅速推进并协商出了双方认可的合作模式。
未雨绸缪，化被动为主动
如果说商业贡献是法律合规部的“显性”成就，那么他们的“隐形”贡献同样不容小觑——利用事前防范思路，帮助公司运行稳健、防风险于未然。
最典型的例子就是争议解决的处理。李慧君告诉ALB，伴随公司业务快速扩张、门店数量成倍增长、销售渠道日趋多样，莱珀妮也曾面临争议案件数量上升的挑战。尤其电商等线上业务模式极大扩展了产品受众面，也伴随争议风险的增加。为了从根源上解决这一问题，法律合规部搭建了合同管理、证照印章使用、营销材料及广告审核等内部机制，让合规嵌入流程，“通过加强事前防范，团队今年处理的案件数量比去年下降了三成多，且风险度、复杂性显著降低”。
事前防范的另一要义在于打造内部合规文化，在此方面法律合规部下了不少功夫。这既包括形式多样的、宣贯总部合规政策的培训和活动，也有最新法律法规的跟进——例如为公司管理层深度解析新《公司法》等。李慧君提到，2024年集团层面开展全球合规意识调研，大中华区所在的亚太区“成绩领先，因为我们一直高度关注集团合规规则的本地化适配，提升本地员工的合规意识”。
对团队来说，过往几年最大的收获，不仅在于提供切实可行的法律建议，更在于成为大中华区商业团队可倚靠的亲密伙伴。正如莱珀妮大中华区副总裁所说：“我们的法律与合规部具备优秀的合作和协同能力，能与其他部门紧密联系、顺畅沟通，快速形成合力，切实推动公司业务发展。”
展望2025年，莱珀妮大中华区法律与合规部将继续在专业之上，探索更多的“商业洞察”，助力公司乘风”珀”浪，继往开“莱”！
Contribution beyond Profession:
an interview with La Prairie’s Greater China Legal & Compliance team
Legal & Compliance team from La Prairie, the Swiss Luxury House, has been recognized as one of the 2024 ALB China Top 15 In-House Teams. Founded in 2021, this young team has been instrumental in supporting the stable operations and rapid growth of the group’s Luxury Division across Greater China. With a focus on "growth" and a strong sense of responsibility, the team delivers legal solutions that provide a "contribution beyond the legal profession."
Linda Li, La Prairie’s Head of Legal & Compliance, Greater China, speaks with ALB about the team’s growth journey, contributions to the business, and critical role in proactive risk management.
Building from Scratch:
From One to a Team
In 2021, facing La Prairie’s rapid business growth in China, the demand for localized legal support surged. After a rigorous selection process, Linda Li became the first member of the Greater China Legal & Compliance team. “Headquarters wanted the local team to extend its compliance approach and quickly establish operations in the Chinese market,” Li recalls.
At the time, Li faced two key challenges: embedding a new legal function into the local business while gaining the trust of the commercial team, and providing support that aligned with headquarters policies while addressing local needs. These challenges soon materialized in the rollout of the Selective Distribution System (SDS) in China.
SDS, a business model based on La Prairie’s premium brand positioning and rooted in EU law, had faced legal and commercial challenges during its global rollout. In China, this meant renegotiating agreements with over 100 commercial partners. Leveraging her legal expertise and business acumen, Li successfully completed the rollout in just eight months. “This achievement earned the trust of the commercial team and showcased our efficiency to headquarters,” she says.
This success also became the foundation for the department’s growth. Transitioning from a one-person operation, Li built a diverse and multifunctional team that supported new ventures like e-commerce, expanded to new brands and markets, and tackled emerging challenges such as data compliance.
Breaking Boundaries:
Legal Smart, Business Excellence
As a young team, the team embraces a mindset of "no limits," unafraid of challenges and willing to step beyond traditional legal boundaries. “We don’t restrict ourselves to the role of legal counsel,” says Li. “Instead, we approach challenges from the perspective of the company’s overall strategy, proposing new ideas and taking on new responsibilities.”
One memorable example is the team’s success in securing La Prairie’s designation as a Regional Headquarters of an MNC in Shanghai. “Three years ago, we noticed Shanghai’s foreign-investment incentives and funding. Although this went beyond the typical legal scope, we saw it as a key opportunity for the company, so we proposed and led the effort,” says Li. The project has already been successfully approved by late 2022,
With strong support from local management, the Legal & Compliance team spearheaded the initiative, earning La Prairie significant financial subsidies and recognition as a key enterprise in Jing’an District. “In the long run, this strengthens our collaboration with local authorities and opens the door to further policy support,” says Li.
Through projects like this, the team continues to redefine what it means to be an "excellent legal team" in today’s business world. “Instead of simply fulfilling our core responsibilities, we focus on understanding the business, thinking creatively, and helping the company achieve its goals,” explains Li.
This approach was also validated during the SDS rollout. “When we hit a deadlock in negotiations with a partner over contract terms, we shifted the focus from the terms to the bigger goal of fostering collaboration,” says Li. This perspective allowed both sides to find a breakthrough and quickly agree on a workable solution.
Effective Prediction:
Turning Reactive into Proactive
While the Legal & Compliance team’s visible contributions to business growth are impressive, its behind-the-scenes impact—the ability of effective prediction—has been equally vital to ensuring stability.
For instance, as La Prairie expanded rapidly, with store numbers doubling and e-commerce channels diverse, dispute cases increased. To tackle this, the team implemented systems for contract management, seal usage, and advertising reviews, embedding compliance into daily workflows. “By focusing on prevention, we reduced case volume by over 30% this year, with significantly lower risk and complexity,” says Li.
Fostering a culture of compliance has been another priority. The team introduced training and activities to promote group policies, while keeping Leadership updated on new regulations, such as the new Company Law. In a 2024 global compliance survey, the Asia-Pacific region, including Greater China, ranked among the top performers. “This reflects our commitment to localizing group policies and raising awareness,” notes Li.
Over the years, the team has become more than just a legal advisor—it’s now a trusted partner to the Greater China commercial team. As La Prairie’s Vice President, Greater China noted, “The Legal & Compliance team excels at collaboration, working seamlessly with other departments to drive business growth.”
Looking ahead to 2025, the team plans to go beyond legal expertise, leveraging business insights to help La Prairie seize new opportunities and drive innovation. Together, they’re set to chart a course for crafting the ultimate skincare!
