Using checklist to improve your work
My checklist when reviewing a draft circular or other submission document for a corporate exercise looks something like this: 1. Review my team member’s comments on the draft document as I peruse the draft document. 2. Add on my comments. 3. Once I have reached the end of the draft, …
Seek progress, not perfection
In the first few years of my practice, I was reluctant to introduce myself as a lawyer. In my mind back then, lawyers were supposed to be smart, looked the part and knew answers to all legal questions. I didn’t feel that way about myself. There was also fear that …
Your work is important
“Your work is important.” When someone said this to a group of lawyers including myself, the statement made me pause and think. I have seen my peers in corporate finance/ equity capital markets (ECM) practice getting disillusioned and burnt out. I am not immune to these feelings, especially when a …
What is it like to be a corporate lawyer?
Someone asked me whether being in corporate practice is less stressful and less hectic than being in litigation practice. I think this kind of generalisation is not particularly helpful. Different law firms have different cultures and expectations of their lawyers. Clients’ demand would also determine whether a particular project or …
What does a corporate lawyer do?
Some of my close friends do not know what I do for a living. They know I am a lawyer. I think they know I am a corporate lawyer. But they have no idea what I do exactly. They are not in the legal profession. Tell them my practice areas …
Deciding on practice areas
I decided early in my career that I would not go into practice areas which are more “personal”. Corporate laws seemed to be a more neutral choice. I probably got this wrong. *** I do not know of any lawyer who enjoys setting out tedious information on target companies in …
All in a day’s work of a M&A lawyer
One of the M&A negotiations I had took place during a fire drill. We were not notified in advance that there would be a fire drill in our office building that day. My colleague and I were in the midst of a con call when the fire alarm went off. …
My journey as a lawyer
This month marks the 13th year of my admission to the Malaysian Bar. On paper, my journey has been rather linear. However, it was a journey I almost didn’t take. My journey brought me from a small town to the capital of Malaysia for my A-levels, to Sheffield, UK for …
Teamwork in corporate transactions
”Some leaders push innovation by being good at the big picture. Others do so by mastering details. Jobs did both, relentlessly.” That was how Walter Isaacson described Steve Jobs in the biography on Steve Jobs. Most of us are good at either looking at the big picture or paying attention …
Tips for capital market transactions
When I started working on corporate finance and equity capital markets transactions as a junior lawyer, it was overwhelming. It was a constant rush to ensure comments for announcements, circulars and submission documents were sent to principal advisers in time for the announcements and submissions to be made. Lunch time …