Would you leave a well-paying legal career to be a pastor? That's what Raymond Fong did. An ex-Deputy Public Prosecutor with a career in the Legal Service, he took a different path to be a pastor. He is now a Pastor-in-Charge at Wesley Methodist Church, a role that he holds with a deep sense of purpose. In this episode, you will hear about his story: a prosecutor turned pastor. We'll explore the challenges he faced during this career shift, the lessons he learned, and the journey that led...

What if you get retrenched? What if you need to terminate someone? Do you know what your rights are? Or what to do? In this episode, you’re going to learn what your rights are if you get retrenched in Singapore. We talk about retrenchment, termination and employment law with two senior lawyers - Amarjit Kaur, Head of Singapore Employment Practice at Withers KhattarWong and Seow Hui Goh, Head of Singapore Employment Practice at Bird & Bird. Hear their views on the recent Lazada...

After the Bar is back with Season 3! And this time, we're delving into the theme of navigating transitions. Join Shulin as she speaks with lawyers from various walks of life – past, present, and future – to explore their journeys in law, with a special focus on the pivotal moments in their careers and personal lives. In our season opener, Shulin is joined by Sophie Mathur, a Mergers and Acquisitions lawyer and the Asia Head of Corporate with Linklaters. Sophie takes us on a journey through...

Roles are reversed, for this bonus episode! For once, I’m in the hot seat, answering your questions on After the Bar. Joined by my coach and mentor, Georgina Chang, I opened up about my journey, after quitting law.    In this episode, you will hear about: Why I started After the Bar How I overcame my Fears How I pivoted from Lawyer to Recruiter Memorable moments on this podcasting adventure And the many Lessons I learnt along the way… You will see a different...

A first in After the Bar history, we speak to Rahayu Mahzam, Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Health, and Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC. Rahayu, a former lawyer and passionate advocate for inclusivity, shares her personal career journey from law to politics, discussing the immediate changes after winning the election and the mindset shift she experienced. She also reflects on her legal career, highlighting the insights gained from practicing civil...

In this episode of After The Bar, join us as we delve deep into the world of law with the esteemed guest, Jean Woo, a banking specialist lawyer heading local law firm Ashurst. Jean shares invaluable insights on various aspects of the legal profession from hiring processes and managing the different dynamics of lawyers. Jean begins by discussing the qualities she looks for in a lawyer and how the self-selecting process plays a crucial role in shaping a successful legal career. She sheds...

Join us on this podcast episode as we speak with Lyn Lee, the Head of Group Legal at OCBC Bank, as well as a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Speaker, Coach, and Trainer. Coming on to After the Bar a second time, Lyn delves deeper into how she finds and maintains balance in life with her faith, family, and friends. While being successful herself, she also maintains that the definition of success takes on a very different meaning for each individual. She also shares what motivated her to get...

Join us in this episode as we speak with Yingyu Wang, an accomplished Tech & IP lawyer for Simmons & Simmons. Watch as she shares her journey in the legal and business world. Yingyu opens up about her experiences in managing a law firm and the challenges she faced along the way. She also shares her insights on the intersection between the tech world and the legal industry, and how her decision to move into tech has impacted her career. But it doesn't stop there. Yingyu is also a...

Join us on this podcast episode as we speak with Lok Vi Ming, Senior Counsel, about his path to becoming a Senior Counsel and his illustrious legal career. He provides valuable insights into how his personal values have shaped his approach to law and the significant effort he has dedicated to his craft.  Most importantly, he sheds light on how he made it a point not to change the kind of person he is, even after achieving the prestigious title of Senior Counsel.  We also dive into some of...

In this episode, we sit down with Maree Myerscough, COO & General Counsel for Aquila Clean Energy Asia Pacific, a clean energy platform that funds, develops, builds and operates solar PV, wind power and battery storage assets across the region. Maree opens up about a traumatic time in her life after she was laid off from her previous company and how it has shaped her approach to professional setbacks.  In the wake of so many lay-offs and retrenchments, it’s refreshing to hear from a...

In this episode, we sit down with Ivan Cheong, an experienced lawyer who specialises in family and divorce law. He has helped many individuals navigate the legal system during challenging times, from custody battles to property division. Ivan shares some of the common challenges that people face during divorce proceedings. Why mediation is a better option, instead of litigation and how therapeutic justice is solution-driven for families Join us as we delve deep into the world of family law,...

In this International Women’s Episode Special, we sit down with three female lawyers - Debby, Kimarie, and Seow Hui - to discuss their experiences working in the law industry. As women in a traditionally male-dominated field, Debby, Kimarie, and Seow Hui share their insights on what it's like to navigate the challenges of being a female lawyer. From facing gender biases to balancing work and personal life, they discuss the unique struggles that women in law often encounter. They also shed...

In this episode, we delve into the world of criminal law with one of the top criminal lawyers in the business, Sunil Sudheesan. With over a decade of experience, Sunil has become known for his successful track record in representing high-profile clients in some of the most challenging criminal cases. From representing clients accused of white-collar crimes to those facing serious charges like murder, Sunil has seen it all. We'll explore Sunil's journey into criminal law, his approach to...

Shulin sits down with Jean Voronkova to talk about her journey leaving corporate law and how she built multiple passive income streams to enjoy an early retirement in Bali. Jean also opens up about the pushback she received from her family after leaving the corporate world and how they eventually accepted her new life path.  Born in Singapore, Jean Voronkova worked as a corporate lawyer for several years before taking a leap of faith to pursue her passions full-time. With her engaging...

In our season finale, Shulin Lee speaks with Nan, on her unexpected journey from lawyer to restaurateur. We hear of many professionals who venture into the world of F&B. This isn’t exactly a new storyline. Except that this time, we get to hear the rawness of challenging situations and the reality of what goes through the mind of a restaurant owner, in the midst of crisis management. Propelled by her passion for lifelong learning, she empowers her team to contribute ideas. Honouring...

Shulin Lee sits with Lyn Lee to talk about mentorship and re-defining your own success. Having a mentor to support us through our journey, can make all the difference. Lyn shares about how mentorship took such a stronghold, how it’s impacted her career and exactly how do we go about finding a mentor? She speaks candidly about a turning point in her career and what drives her to continue paying it forward, to mentor others. Lyn Lee is Head of Group Legal at a large regional Bank. She manages...

Shulin Lee talks to Norman Ho about his winning formula to becoming one of the most prolific real estate lawyers in Singapore. How he manages to stay so grounded, humble and down-to-earth, and still remain so driven and passionate about his work, after 35 years of practice. Armed with a philosophy to befriend his clients, it’s an ongoing journey to continuously stay relevant in a rapidly evolving market.   Norman Ho is a well-known face in the world of real estate in Singapore. He’s regarded...

Shulin talks to high-profile R&I lawyer Meiyen, about her journey to becoming the first female to lead a restructuring and insolvency legal practice in Singapore. In this interview, we discuss how she overcomes imposter syndrome, differentiates herself in a male-dominated industry, and how she’s embraced her feminine qualities. Meiyen is the Co-head of R&I with Oon & Bazul. A career that spans across more than 20 years, Meiyen has acted for and advised individuals, multi-national...

Shulin Lee sits down with John Cordova to talk about how he likens the journey of life to a lottery ticket. As an international M&A lawyer, from landing a coveted spot in a magic circle firm and later moving to Asia, from London, and then to Singapore into his first in-house legal role, he keeps an open mind about where life takes him. In this interview, he shares with us some of his insights, tips and even some of his trade secrets! John is the Deputy General Counsel of Grab and also one...

Shulin sits down with Lynette Ooi to talk about her journey in Tech law, how she recently developed her purpose statement and how she pursues other interests. Lynette discusses her leadership lessons in becoming a Head of Legal in a Big Tech company.  A vocal advocate for issues close to her heart and a true multi-hyphenate, Lynette’s story is one that is inspirational, as a lawyer with much creativity and passion.   Lynette is the Head of Legal of Amazon Consumer in Singapore. She has spent...

Shulin Lee chats with Buchan Love to talk about the in-house lawyer’s mindset. After 11 years in practice, he successfully transited from law firm to in-house. He very quickly learnt how to balance competing interests of being a legal counsel and a business enabler. He shares how as a senior lawyer, he earned the trust of the business, managed a global legal team as well as built up the careers of other lawyers.  Buchan is a well-respected Head of Legal, Regional Counsel and Executive leader....

Shulin talks to award-winning author and litigator Adrian Tan about his journey in and outside of the legal profession. From seeing himself through law school with the royalties of his book, to starting his career as a “let’s bash the other side”  lawyer, into becoming a “peace-maker” and how his ascent to be the future “King of Singapore” began.  Adrian has experienced a whirlwind career. He’s well known as the author of The Teenage Textbook, a book which was even made into a movie. He’s...

Shulin talks to Susan de Silva about how she found a way to thrive, not just survive her 30 over years in legal practice. We discuss how she overcame a deeply personal failure, how she found her life’s purpose and her philosophy that the best form of legal risk management, is to take a human-centered approach. Susan was one of the founding and named partners of ATMD Bird & Bird. 3 years ago, she started the Silva Coach, and she focuses on coaching leaders and professionals, who are at...

Shulin sits down with Shashi Nathan, to uncover his journey to becoming the Criminal lawyer he is today.  We discuss how he had sleepless nights over his first murder trial in 1994, his commitment to the Criminal legal bar, his views on Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal industry and how he pays it forward – doing for others what others have done for him. Shashi Nathan is a prolific Criminal Lawyer in Singapore. A career that spans across more than 30 years, he’s now the APAC Head of...