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Indispensable or Interchangeable? The General Counsel Verdict

Tracks
Concurrent Stream 1
Friday, September 11, 2026
11:10 AM - 11:55 AM

Overview

Karen Lee + Panel


Speaker

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Miss Karen Lee
Regional Lead Counsel - Japac
Clinigen

Indispensable or interchangeable? The General Counsel verdict

Biography

Karen Lee is Regional Lead Counsel - JAPAC at Clinigen, a global pharmaceutical services company, where she leads the legal function across nine countries including Australia and New Zealand. She is responsible for managing complex regulatory risk, cross-border operations and relationships with law firms across this region. Karen began her career in private practice, working at law firms in Sydney, Hong Kong, Beijing and London. Having sat on both sides of the table, she brings a practical understanding of what differentiates law firms from a client perspective, particularly in environments of highly regulated industries, commercial pressure and rapid change. Karen is Chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel Australia Legal Technology & Innovation community, where she convenes small group discussions with senior inhouse lawyers across Australia to discuss tech and innovation challenges and opportunities for in-house counsel, including evolving expectations of external counsel and the future of legal service delivery. In 2025 Karen presented at legal conferences in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia and was a guest lecturer for Murdoch University’s Reimagining Law – Technology and the Future of Law course.
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