International Clerkship Report

Yanghui Ren, September 2008

Sending Office:    London
Receiving Office:  Singapore

Introduction

I applied for the Baker and McKenzie International Clerkship as there was no other scheme that would allow me to experience first hand the practice of international commercial law in contrasting parts of the world in a premium law firm. Naturally, I was overjoyed when I was given the opportunity to spend three weeks each in the London and Singapore offices.

London

My first two weeks were spent in the Corporate South department. As the other vacation scheme students had not yet arrived, I was able to gain a fuller insight into the culture and working environment of the firm as I saw it from a typical day-to-day perspective. I was given a good variety of work in the department, ranging from research tasks to drafting documents using the internal precedents, and spotting onerous terms within a Share and Purchase Agreement. The fact that there was a variety of different sized deals occurring at any one time meant that I could follow a relatively small deal all the way through, which enabled me to learn about how the case initially begins, progresses, and the kind of advice a lawyer would give to their client throughout the process. I also enjoyed sitting in on various client meetings as I could hear the client’s concerns and see how my supervisor acted to resolve those issues. Additionally, I spent one week in the IT/Commercial department, which was more advisory and made a useful comparison to the transactional corporate department.

The support I received from all members of the team really helped me settle into the firm. From library staff to trainees and associates, and not to mention the graduate recruitment team, everyone was willing to help and answer any queries that I had.

My last week coincided with the first week of the first vacation scheme intake. It was great to meet all the other summer clerks and socialise with them in an informal setting, as a host of fun-filled events were planned for us, including ten pin bowling at a 50’s style bowling alley, welcome drinks at the office, and we all excitedly dressed up to attend the annual Baker and McKenzie summer party!

Singapore

My colleagues ensured that I settled into the Singapore office with ease. I spent three weeks in Disputes, and because the departments there are relatively small compared to London, I found that I quickly got to know everyone in the team.

In terms of the work I was involved in, I was given a great deal of responsibility and independence to conduct and collate my own research in various tasks, such as investigating the financial situation of a company that was going into liquidation and predicting its strategy so that we could act accordingly to our client’s best interests. I was also fortunate enough to have sat in on a few arbitration meetings and watch the parties negotiate in true hard-nosed lawyerly fashion.

Throughout my time in the department, I was made to feel actively involved in the deals that I helped with; an associate or partner would brief me on the task and keep me constantly updated on any important developments. It was greatly satisfying to feel that I had contributed to the team as my research would be used by the lawyers when dealing with clients. A lot of the work was multi-jurisdictional, which meant I was able to learn about the conflict of laws and research into a lot of interesting and contentious issues arising from it.

What also struck me was the similarities between the London and the Singapore office – all the internal IT and document management systems were the same so I could easily navigate my way round. The culture within the two offices was similar also; everyone from secretaries to associates to partners were extremely kind and welcoming, and the office had a typical Bakers international feel with people working there from all over the world. Furthermore, from what I saw it was true that the international offices operate in an autonomous fashion, as they tailor their work to effectively meet regional business needs.

Living in a different country

I had no idea what to expect when I boarded the plane for Singapore – I had never travelled, lived, let alone worked by myself in a different country, especially one that was halfway around the world. Strangely, I was not in the least bit apprehensive but felt enormously excited for the experience. Graduate recruitment had made sure all the plans were running smoothly and I was ready to immerse myself in a new culture and work environment.

My first impression of Singapore was definitely a positive one. En route to my accommodation (yes, my very own swanky apartment), I stretched my head out of the car window to see skyscrapers encompassing the Singapore skyline, the odd glimpse of ships at sea, and malls – lots and lots of malls. I soon learned that shopping, as well as eating, was a national pastime and I gladly joined in with the locals as soon as possible!

Although Singapore seemed like a 21st century metropolis, the city still had a relaxing feel about it. After work I would stroll down to the hawker centres for dinner, where I would be spoilt for choice between all the exquisite local delicacies that competed for my senses – satay, banana leaf curries, fried noodles, dim sum, chicken rice, but chilli crab was certainly my favourite! There are also many charming eateries and bars dotted across the city, which made the hours after work very enjoyable. I was also lucky enough (depending on how you view it) to have been taken out by some friends to an institutional 80’s night called Mambo where people dance to all the actions of the 80’s songs. Mambo-goers take it very seriously and if anyone made an action out of place, then they would be subjected to looks of disdain from their fellow dancers.

Conclusion

I was fortunate enough to have spent six weeks of my summer experiencing first hand the workings of a truly international law firm. My experience has been fulfilling both in a professional way and also very much in a personal way as well – I have met so many friendly, interesting and talented people and independently lived and worked in a different culture, which I would not have been able to do otherwise. Having had such a positive experience in Singapore, it has given me much food for thought regarding the possibility of working in Asia in the future. I have realised that there are so many opportunities on offer at Baker and McKenzie, and I would strongly encourage anyone to seize them with both hands!