Arrival: Excitement in a foreign land

I didn't know what to expect as I boarded the plane for London. I was told there would be a driver, an apartment, and perhaps, good weather.  All's good then, I thought.

As I landed at Heathrow, an immaculately dressed man greeted me, took my bags, and proceeded to chauffeur me (in a Lexus, no less) to my apartment in Queen's.  It felt like being a diplomat in a foreign land, except that I probably felt less deserving than an ambassador.  I arrived at my apartment at four that Friday afternoon, and right then realised the distinct culture of London: there were people standing around the numerous bars in the area, ostensibly partaking in a TGIF routine.  How exciting, I thought; my international clerkship experience has just begun.

Day One: The importance of being nice

That Tuesday morning (it was a bank holiday weekend) was admittedly rather nerve-wracking.  Somewhat reserved around new people, I was worried about whether I would fit in quickly, feel comfortable in my shoes (in a more literal sense, the new shoes were really uncomfortable), and above all, just adapt to the Firm and its culture.  Almost fatalistically, this sense of apprehension was quickly eased away that very morning, when an instructor gave, by way of introduction, a short presentation on the Firm.  She introduced the Firm's development framework, and went on to speak about the personal qualities which are important in the Firm culture.  "Being nice" … she mused .... how strange it is to for such a quality to be listed in the development framework. I thought it made great sense, and later experiences did really showcase this quality as ingrained in the Firm.  The other international and summer clerks I encountered over the course of the eight weeks were in consensus: people here are nice.

The first two weeks: A whole new world

Entering Bakers was like a whole new world to me, having previously only interned at a small domestic corporate boutique in Singapore.  I found myself very impressed with the expansive research tools at my disposal as I acquainted myself with the Firm's net resources, library, and numerous avenues for research.  My supervisors allowed me to go ahead and borrow books on their account, and (whilst that might sound incredulous to some) I was most excited having access to Bakers' private law library.  The numerous legal resources I had access to over the eight weeks provided the most convenient means to improve my legal knowledge on the international clerkship.

One particular innovation of Bakers I was rather intrigued with was its development framework.  This is an online framework that sets out personal qualities that one should possess through various stages of one's career.  Ploughing through the development framework was inspiring and disheartening all at once: motivated by a sense of drive and of limitless learning potential, yet brought to the ground by a sense of just how much further there is to trod.

As time passes: Fitting in and making myself comfortable

It wasn't too long before work came pouring in.  It was a splattering of miscellaneous tasks, ranging from drafting company strike-off resolutions to preparing presentation slides on the Companies Act 2006.  I did gain a better sense of what work in a Corporate M&A department entailed, though admittedly I felt that as a summer clerk, I was not appropriately positioned to make use of what I learnt back in my business acquisitions class in law school.  Nevertheless, just diving into the nitty gritty of corporate work made me more aware of just how much time corporate lawyers spend plagued by the finer points of company law; the dos and don'ts of the maintenance of capital doctrine can keep many a bright lawyer on edge!

Work aside, I began to settle in comfortably into the Corporate West department.  Time has a way of putting one at ease, and it wasn't before long that the many people in the department turned from being strangers to friendly faces.  The point about Bakers being staffed with nice people is worth reiterating: legal secretaries were helpful in helping me find my way around (the photocopier is not always that intuitive!), trainees always there to provide a listening ear, associates always willing to provide mentorship and guidance, and partners - they were just so down to earth that you aspire to be like them.  The Firm's vacation scheme also started sometime during this period, and the numerous social events and the new people I got to meet enriched me in such intangible ways it is hard to put down on a page.

The final weeks: Always something new to learn

The last three weeks were spent in the Structured Capital Markets department.  Some time was spent understanding what securitization is, as my mind grappled with the intellectual question posed by securitization: is the sum of parts really greater than the whole?  The answer laid in credit arbitrage, a term which hitherto I have never even paused to consider.  Such was the challenge in this department: being introduced to a whole host of new legal concepts and jargon, and it was a great pleasure to see myself gradually picking this up.  The numerous introductory sessions and trainee sessions to the subject of banking and finance was much appreciated, and definitely helped me in familiarizing myself with the concepts quicker than I otherwise would.

Wrapping up: Thanks to all

When I applied for the international clerkship seven months ago, I wrote in my application that learning about a different country and culture will help to shape my perspective further.  (I understand that sounds rather nebulous!)  Back then I was in St. Louis for my studies and could not help but notice the differences in countries and cultures, between the United States and Singapore.  I had envisaged that this whole experience would give me a separate perspective on England and London, as if cultures were disparate and easily segregated in boxes. (And so it goes: Singaporeans are more competitive, Americans more brash, and English more polite.)  Yet I have found that that is not the case; there are differences but there are also similarities.  The international nature of Baker & McKenzie provides a vantage point from which to observe life as part of an international community.  Truly a firm without borders, people came from all around the world: Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, and what-have-you.  That is the excitement of being here, the excitement of being a part of this all, this global community.

There is not just one facet that one should take out of the international clerkship.  It is really a process of integrating oneself in a foreign environment, of learning more about the law, the Firm, and oneself.  Much talk was made of the Firm's culture of inclusiveness and sense of democracy; it is with heavy feet as I leave the London office now and return to my studies, an overbearing sense of exclusion.