01Year two asks
01 / 04Why is the legal budget up while output is down?
Reactive headcount
"Every backfill cost more than the leaver."
Sequenced build
"Cost per matter falls as the team beds in. Here is the trend."
In-house team building · Singapore
One hire is a start.A function is a plan.
We design and staff in-house legal teams for scaling companies: the sequencing, the seniority mix and the searches themselves, run by senior lawyers who have built these teams from the inside.
Teams built in the right order keep their people. Teams built in a panic churn them.
What you are actually buying
What team building actually is.
Team building is hiring with an behind it: the of roles, the you can afford, and a so the team you build stays built.
Tap a highlighted term for the plain-English version.
Declassified
org design
Which roles exist, in what order, reporting to whom. In legal teams the order matters more than the names: the wrong first two hires cap what the third can be.
In plain terms: we help you buy a working legal function, not a series of job ads.
The problem we remove
Headcount without design becomes churn.
Put both versions of the same two-year build in front of the board and read the difference. Same four questions, asked once the money is already spent.
02Year two asks
02 / 04Who actually owns the function?
Reactive headcount
"Three mid-levels, jointly. So nobody."
Sequenced build
"The head of legal we placed first. Everyone after was their call too."
03Year two asks
03 / 04Where did the compliance gap come from?
Reactive headcount
"We found it during the incident."
Sequenced build
"Coverage is mapped to the risk register and reviewed yearly."
04Year two asks
04 / 04Why did your second lawyer resign?
Reactive headcount
"There was nowhere for them to grow."
Sequenced build
"They have not. There is an arc: progression, comp reviews, sane workloads."
05Who plans it now
The stakes
Daniel KungBuild partner 2xthe salary is what a mis-hire commonly costs
The search, the severance, the backfill and the quiet months of underperformance: a mis-hired senior role costs multiples of its salary line.
One senior partner owning the org plan across every search, so the team compounds instead of churning.
The second voice is not headcount. It is what a designed function sounds like, and the design comes with the mandate.
How a build runs
A two-year function, stood up in quarters.
A build as it actually runs, played back.
Continuously updated
- Q1Design
Your legal workload and risk register mapped into an org plan: which roles, in what order, with what mix of senior anchor and leverage.
- Q1Anchor
The anchor hire lands first: the head of legal who will own the function and help choose everyone after. Every later hire gets easier because this one was right.
- Q2Leverage
Contracts counsel and a paralegal follow, in the order the workload demands, each screened by senior lawyers on real work.
- Q2Systems
Playbooks, templates and a matter log go in with the people, so the team's output is visible from its first month.
- Q3Compliance
The compliance seat is filled or formalised, scenario-tested the same way we test every compliance hire.
- Q4Review
The plan re-cut against a year of reality: what the team absorbed, what still leaks out to firms, and what next year needs.
- AfterBench
Our fractional bench stays available for spikes and specialist questions, so the team never has to be sized for its worst week.
Search by search, each on a fixed placement fee. The design work comes with the mandate, not as a consulting invoice.
Everything this covers
From first hire to full function.
One partner owns the plan across every search, so the team ends up coherent, not collected.
Daniel KungBuild partnerDuty 01 of 06
Org design and sequencing
The function designed before it is staffed: roles, hiring order and budget, mapped to your workload and risk register rather than someone else's org chart.
- Org plan
- Hiring order
- Budget
Hover a duty to open it, or tap it on mobile.
- Singapore licensed
- Fundraising & SAFEs
- M&A and exits
- Regulators & MAS
The senior judgment behind LDU
Meet Daniel, the lawyer behind every approval.
Fifteen years getting founders through setup, growth and the raise, across the table from investors, regulators and acquirers. He is the senior judgment LDU is built on.
- Years in practice
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- Matters signed off
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Years in practice
Matters signed off
Why companies trust the build
Designed by people who have run these teams.
A senior partner who has built legal functions from the inside, live market data behind every offer, and a guarantee on every placement.
4.8/ 5
Google reviews60+ founder reviews
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- In-house functions designed
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- Candidates per shortlist, tested
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- Screened by senior lawyers
- Org design
- Anchor-first builds
- Live comp data
- Placement guarantee
Our promise
Every placement carries the guarantee: if a hire leaves inside the period, that search reruns for free.
We take on a few builds a year, so each one gets a senior partner.
Customer stories
Why founders choose LDU.
Veljko Vasic
CEO, HolyWally
“As a client of LDU, I was impressed by how they consistently focused on our needs, showing patience and a deep understanding of our core requirements. It felt like having an in-house counsel that always had our best interests at heart. If you're looking for a dedicated team that prioritizes client satisfaction, LDU is the right choice.”
- Less time setting up contracts
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- Faster to close than competitors
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- Faster issue resolution
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- Reviewed by a licensed lawyer
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Less time setting up contracts
Faster to close than competitors
Faster issue resolution
Reviewed by a licensed lawyer
“Daniel is a consummate professional who was very helpful in our consultation. He assuaged my fears and walked me through how to possibly handle my situation. Did not ask for unnecessary charges or quotes. Highly recommended, especially if you're a small business or startup.”
Leung Wai-Leng“Thanks to LDU and Daniel support, my business which was not well structure for couple months and having some issues is now good to operate. Extremely recommended for anyone not familiar with how Singaporean laws and banks work, it is much better to get great assistance at the beginning and start smoothly. Highly recommended.”
Simon Giraldo“LDU was able to listen to my situation in detail and quickly provide me with effective advice to move forward. Daniel was very professional and clear-headed. A very good experience.”
Benjamin Fossati“LDU have been fantastic in providing legal consulting and services. They have in depth knowledge across various domains and they work quick at a fraction of the cost of what you'd pay at standard market rate.”
Dindo De La Cruz“I had an excellent experience working with LDU Asia. Daniel, in particular, was incredibly helpful, he was responsive, knowledgeable, and guided me through the situation with clarity and professionalism. I highly recommend their services for anyone in need of reliable legal support.”
Josh Decker“Highly qualified, knowledgeable, with a great team. Expert opinions and advice. Would highly recommend for multiple types of legal services. I've used LDUAsia multiple times for a myriad of tasks and they've always been top notch.”
Zach“As an expat in Singapore the firm really helped me with all the clarity on the matter and were very honest during the process.”
Hasan Syed“Excellent experience working with Daniel and his team. We first got into contact almost 2 years ago in the earliest stages of our company. Daniel's team's arrangement was startup friendly and sincere.”
Rishab Patwari“LDU Asia is truly a game-changer for any Singaporean startup. Their team is incredibly tech-savvy, highly responsive, and genuinely values both your time and theirs.”
Sunny Saurabh“Best legal team you can really trust.”
Veljko Vasic“LDU Asia is amazing. Solving my issue within a few day. They are prompt is replying my text and giving advice on what I should do.”
Roy Loi“Easy to work with, thorough, and diligent. A wonderful team that helped meet needs quickly and efficiently.”
Meagan Ranson“Daniel was wonderful in guiding us through the compliance process.”
Kanak Chaudhari“Probably the fastest, most efficient and affordable lawyers in Singapore!”
Mahir Sahin“Super helpful. Professional and knowledgable.”
Daniel Hestevold“I had the pleasure of a professional and highly informative discussion with LDU which brought clarity to my situation and openly shared options and paths forward in a simplistic and grounded way. I am very grateful and highly recommend.”
Robert Kiely
Trusted across Singapore
FAQ
What companies ask about building legal teams.
Planning headcount now?
Bring the plan, or the lack of one, to a free call. You will leave with an order and a number.
Smaller than most plans assume, if the mix is right. One senior anchor with real leverage (a contracts counsel, a paralegal, good templates) absorbs a surprising load. The honest sizing falls out of your workload map, which is where every build starts.
Your move
Build the team once, properly.
Book a free call. Bring your headcount plan or the lack of one, and leave with an honest read on order, mix and cost, whether we work together or not.
- 15 minutes
- No pitch
- An honest read
10 companies booked a call this month4.8 Rated by 60+ founders
We take on a few builds a year, so each one gets a senior partner.