More hiring anticipated as Malaysia becomes a regional hub

In 2025, the labour market for the Legal & Corporate Secretarial sector saw sustained hiring activity, even as global economic growth slowed and cost concerns persisted.

“Employers and candidates alike took to the job market with caution and intention,” reports Lindy Ho, Senior Manager at Robert Walters Malaysia.

Companies worked within cost limitations, consolidating teams and optimising structures. As headcount was limited, hiring teams were more selective, and open positions sought talent who could deliver a blend of responsibilities, such as both legal and compliance or corporate secretarial scopes.

Meanwhile, job seekers were inclined towards stable, well-branded employers. While they were open to changing jobs, they did so only when they were clear about the compensation, career development pathways, or flexible work arrangements on offer. However, the private practice space saw more hiring activity for niche roles, such as employment or finance and banking lawyers, with positions opening up as talent left for in-house positions.

Read on to find out more about the labour market and hiring trends for Malaysia’s Legal & Corporate Secretarial professionals in 2026.

Sustained hiring and employer branding activity

“In 2026, businesses will build on what they focused on in 2025: doing more with less, leveraging technology, and creating meaningful, sustainable workplaces to retain and engage talent,” summarises Lindy.

Companies will double down on efforts around upskilling and career development pathways for employees, particularly in the data, technology and environmental, social and governance (ESG) domains. They will look to strike the right balance with hybrid work models, maintaining flexibility while safeguarding collaboration and culture. Altogether, these efforts contribute to a broader push to strengthen employer branding and attract talent in a competitive hiring market.

In the year ahead, Lindy believes that more hiring will be based in Malaysia as the country rises as the destination of choice for businesses’ regional operations and dealings. This will boost demand for talent with Mandarin proficiency, as more companies look to enter the China market.

A key trend set to emerge in the hiring market is the demand for a specific subset of legal counsel. Those adept at legal operations and who can pair their domain expertise with digital fluency will command premium compensation packages in the coming year.

Approaches to workforce management will also continue to shift, particularly for transformation and change management projects. Organisations will balance permanent headcount with short-term positions lasting 6 – 12 months.

Top roles and skills in 2026

Data protection officers will be highly sought after due to new implementations and enhanced regulations.

The private practice space will seek out lawyers across all seniority levels for key practice areas, such as litigation, corporate commercial and intellectual property (IP). This hiring demand is driven by a need to replace talent that has moved into in-house roles and other opportunities arising from recent economic and trade developments.

Talent with international exposure will be in high demand as Malaysia becomes a regional hub for businesses.

The most valuable soft skills in the year ahead include strategic communication and influence, relationship building and stakeholder management, and ethical judgement and critical thinking. Professionals who can weigh risks, apply sound judgment and uphold integrity will be indispensable.

“In 2026, businesses will build on what they focused on in 2025: doing more with less, leveraging technology, and creating meaningful, sustainable workplaces to retain and engage talent.”

Getting up above AI in the value chain

Within the sector, transactional, contract management, and process-heavy work, such as legal operations, are most at risk of being integrated with AI.

“My advice is to sharpen both hard and soft skills that AI cannot easily replicate,” says Lindy.

Areas of focus include advisory, strategic and relationship-based work, where judgment, influence and commercial acumen are key. Professionals should also hone their competencies around empathy, negotiation, conflict resolution, coaching, people management, creativity and cultural intelligence.

Advice for talent attraction and retention

At present, industry professionals exhibit openness towards new opportunities in the market, even though they may be mindful about making any moves. They are also showing a clear preference for flexible and hybrid work arrangements.

As the job market remains competitive, speed is of the essence for companies looking to attract talent in the coming year. To avoid losing out on preferred candidates, Lindy recommends shortening interview processes or getting back to interviewees more promptly. During the interview process, hiring teams should also go beyond remuneration to highlight the company’s purpose, work culture, flexibility and career development pathways.

“Career growth and upskilling are major drawcards for today’s professionals. I would advise companies to look at how they can invest in these areas,” she adds.

Stable wage growth

In 2026, salaries are expected to increase by 20 – 30% above current market rates.

Find out more

Request access to our 2026 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in the Legal & Corporate Secretarial industry in Malaysia.