Compliance and Legal Due Diligence: An Exercise of Frustration?
Lawyer: Please provide register of members, register of directors, all returns of allotment, all stamped transfer forms… Representative of Target Company: Please refer to company search from the Companies Commission of Malaysia. Lawyer: CCM search is not sufficient. Please provide register of members, register of directors, all returns of allotment, …
Hands-on means really hands-on
“Sorry, this is urgent.” A senior manager of a corporate client called. Normally, she would text first to check if it’s convenient to speak, but that day, she called right away. I could sense the anxiety in her voice. She explained that her management had instructed for an announcement on …
Can you distinguish between a good lawyer and a mediocre lawyer?
I have heard it many times… that most clients are unable to distinguish between a mediocre lawyer and a good one. Is that true? Can’t a client tell when a lawyer is well-prepared, having reviewed all the documents and anticipating potential questions, versus one who might not be as ready …
Is Corporate Practice Less Stressful Than Litigation?
I was asked 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 …
Can I ask you a quick question?
Like other lawyers, I often receive queries via WhatsApp. While I don’t mind answering “simple/quick questions” when they are straightforward, I often find that these quick questions come with underlying complexities. A seemingly straightforward question may require a deeper understanding of the issue at hand, and sometimes I need to …
Why I Plan Ahead for Corporate Transactions
As a corporate lawyer focusing on M&A and equity capital markets transactions, I always try to plan ahead for corporate transactions. From my experience, lawyers often face urgent deadlines – not always because clients give short notice, but because partners delay giving instructions to the team until the last minute. …
What is the most challenging part of a corporate transaction?
What is the most challenging part of a corporate transaction? For me, it’s: Not the tight deadlines. Not the volume of work. Not the long hours. It’s the people, whether within the team or with external parties. As a corporate transactional lawyer focusing on M&A and equity capital markets, I’ve …
The grass always seems greener on the other side
As a corporate lawyer with focus on M&A and ECM, I’ve sometimes envied my former colleague, who is a banking lawyer. His work seemed less hectic, with fewer hours on legal due diligence and more time for casual conversations in the office. However, when the opportunity arose to venture into …
“We are on the same side.”
As a corporate transactional lawyer in fast-paced, often high- pressure environments, I often hear these words when someone requests something challenging and typically urgent. While I appreciate the sentiment, there are times when I feel a disconnect between external expectations and the realities I face internally. Externally, I’m responsible for …
Why the Details Matter
Whenever I encounter situations where work is done carelessly, whether because the person doing the work thinks no one will notice or is simply cutting corners, I’m reminded of a story about Steve Jobs. Walter Isaacson shared the story in Harvard Business Review and in his book: “As a young …