Stephen Shih Role of Lawyers

YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-apdNnh91qA

Traditional Chinese

OK, 談到這個啊開公司做生意是不是要一個律師啊在旁邊呢？我想在臺灣來講，早期可能比較沒有這個啊需要。因為大部分的人啊，他們做生意大概就是說啊就是直來直往。那另一方面來講，沒用沒有那個文化的那個那個需求。那因為律師來講，可能會製造很多麻煩，而且費用方面是蠻高的。那早期的臺灣也比較少這種訴訟的事件。那最最近來講，是越來越多的公司尤其是比較大的公司啊他們有一個律師團。因為也是學習西方社會，他們漸漸地他們知道啊哪些在法律上違反的事件啊，其他的公司他會去告就象那個版權的問題。那我想就是現在越來越多的公司有either是律師團,或者是說一個律師的夥伴。那當然比較小型的公司可能目前啊還不是有這種趨勢。那可能不是長時期有一個律師團在旁邊跟著，就說有需要的時候，然後才去雇用一個律師。那我知道大的電子公司他們都有一個非常好的很強的律師團。在臺灣,就象豐海企業。

Simplified Chinese

OK, 谈到这个啊开公司做生意是不是要一个律师啊在旁边呢？我想在台湾来讲，早期可能比较没有这个啊需求。因为大部分的人啊，他们做生意大概就是说啊就是直来直往。那另一方面来讲，没用没有那个文化的那个那个需要。那因为律师来讲，可能会制造很多麻烦，而且费用方面是蛮高的。那早期的台湾也比较少这种诉讼的事件。那最最近来讲，是越来越多的公司尤其是比较大的公司啊他们有一个律师团。因为也是学习西方社会，他们渐渐地他们知道啊哪些在法律上违反的事件啊，其他的公司他会去告就象那个版权的问题。那我想就是现在越来越多的公司有either是律师团,或者是说一个律师的伙伴。那当然比较小型的公司可能目前啊还不是有这种趋势。那可能不是长时期有一个律师团在旁边跟着，就说有需要的时候，然后才去雇用一个律师。那我知道大的电子公司他们都有一个非常好的很强的律师团。在台湾,就象丰海企业。

Pinyin

OK, tándào zhègè ah kāi gōngsī zuò shēngyì shìbúshì yào yīgè lǜshī ah zài pángbiān ne？ Wǒxiǎng zài táiwān láijiǎng，zǎoqī kěnéng bǐjiào méiyǒu zhègè ah xūyào。 Yīnwéi dàbùfèn de rén ah，tāmen zuò shēngì dàgài jiùshìshuō ah jiùshì zhíláizhíwǎng。 Nà lìngyì fāngmiàn láijiǎng，méiyòng méiyǒu nàgè wénhuà de nàgè nàgè xūyào。 Nà yīnwéi lǜshī láijiǎng，kěnéng huì zhìzào hěnduō máfán，ěrqiě fèiyòng fāngmiàn shì mángāo de。 Nà zǎoqī de táiwān yě bǐjiào shǎo zhèzhǒng sùsòng de shìjiàn。Nǎ zuì zuìjìn láijiǎng，shì yuèláiyuèduō de gōngsī yóuqí shì bǐjiào dàde gōngsī ah tāmen yǒu yīgè lǜshītuán。Yīnwéi yěshì xuéxí xīfāng shèhuì，tāmen jiànjiàn di tāmen zhīdào ah nǎxiē zài fǎlǜ shàng wéifǎn de shìjiàn ah，qítā de gōngsī tā huì qù gǎo jiùxiàng nàgè bǎnquán de wèntí。Nà wǒxiǎng jiùshì xiànzài yuèláiyuèduō de gōngsī yǒu yīgè shì lǜshītuán, huòzhě shì shuō yīgè lǜshī de huǒbàn。Nà dāngrán bǐjiào xiǎoxíng de gōngsī kěnéng mùqián ah hái búshì yǒu zhèzhǒng qūshì。 Nà kěnéng búshì chángshíqī yǒu yīgè lǜshītuán zài pángbiān gēnzhe，jiùshuō yǒu xūào de shíhòu，ránhòu cái qù gùyòng yīgè lǜshī。Nà wǒ zhīdào dàde diànqì gōngsī tāmen dōuyǒu yīgè fēicháng hǎode hěnqiáng de lǜshītuán。Zài táiwān, jiùxiàng fēnghǎi qǐyè.

English

OK, about this question of whether you need to have a lawyer beside you, to open a company and do business, I think that in the past in Taiwan you didn’t need this so much because most people doing business were, uh, pretty straight shooters. In addition, there wasn’t that that cultural need—lawyers can create a lot of trouble and their fees are pretty high. Moreover, in the old days in Taiwan there weren’t so many lawsuits. These days, more and more companies, especially big companies, they have a legal team. They’ve studied Western society, so they have gradually, they know, uh, that legal violations, that other companies will sue for things like copyright1 issues. So I think that now more and more companies either have a legal team or a lawyer as a partner. Of course, this trend hasn’t reached smaller companies yet. Uh, they probably don’t have these legal teams with them over the long term; when they have a need, they just go hire a lawyer. [But] I know that major electronics companies have exceptionally good, very strong legal teams, such as Hon Hai2 in Taiwan.

1 “Bǎnquán” is used colloquially to refer to “intellectual property” in general.

2鴻海 (Hon Hai Precision Industrial) is a best guess in both the English and Chinese. The company is a major Taiwanese contract manufacturer of electronics.

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Authors: LouisPM, h.brinsko, orkelm.