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 …
The Mind That Never Rests
What does a corporate transactional lawyer do while waiting in the lift, at a restaurant counter or for coffee at a café? I read the licenses on display, check their validity periods, and scan for conditions. When I see certificates on the walls, I can’t help but examine them too. …
Learning to Appreciate the Small Things
One afternoon, I walked into the office, feeling unsettled after a discussion with another adviser. As I took my laptop from my bag and placed it on my desk, something caught my eye-a small handmade paper box, stapled at the sides, neatly holding some binder clips. The day before, I …
What keeps you going?
What keeps you going? What keeps you thriving in corporate practice? What motivates you to work day and night? I get asked these questions from time to time, and twice in the past few days. Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have a grand or inspirational answer. For me, it’s …
Why have a shareholders’ agreement?
Why have a shareholders’ agreement? Why not just rely on the company’s constitution? A shareholders’ agreement governs the relationship (1) between shareholders themselves; and (2) between the shareholders and the company (if the company is a party to the shareholders’ agreement). Three reasons to have a shareholders’ agreement when there …