The Law Society is pleased to introduce the following new Council Members, who have kindly taken the time to answer some questions put forward to them: Mrs Murgiana Haq ('MH'), Mr Gan Hiang Chye ('Gan'), Mr Leonard Loo ('LL') and Mr Montague Choy ('MC').
| Q: | From which institution did you obtain your legal qualifications and when? | ||
| Gan: | LLB (Hons) (Singapore) 1970; LLM (Singapore) 1989. | ||
| MC: | I graduated from the University of Liverpool in UK in July 1994. | ||
| LL: | National University of Singapore, 1995 - LLB, 2nd Upper Class Honours. | ||
| MH: | LLB (Hons) Singapore, 1969. | ||
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| Q: | When were you called to the Singapore Bar? Have you been called to the Bar in any other jurisdictions? If so, where and when? | ||
| Gan: | 14 November 1973. No. | ||
| MC: | I was called to the Singapore Bar in August 1998 and have also been called to the Bar in London in July 1997. | ||
| LL: | 1996. No other Bars. | ||
| MH: | November 1971. No other Bars. | ||
| Q: | Describe your career since you were called to the Bar. | ||
| Gan: | I started my working life as a Deputy Public Prosecutor/State Counsel, then Magistrate and finally Deputy Registrar of Titles & Deeds and Deputy Controller of Residential Property. In mid-1977, I resigned from legal service and began my own practice with another ex-legal officer. I did all sorts of work like defending criminals and those wrongly accused of being such, civil litigation, divorce, probate and administration, conveyancing, etc. | ||
| MC: | Very fortunate and very fast paced. I did several attachment terms (beginning in 1994) and my pupilage term at the medium sized firm of M/s Hilborne & Co, under the guidance of Mr Chim Hou Yan, before joining the regional law firm of M/s Colin Ng & Partners in 1999. Since joining Colin Ng & Partners, I have been exposed to a more diverse corporate practice with work ranging from corporate documentation, corporate secretarial to banking and financial matters. Work very often involves working with lawyers around the Asia Pacific region, with a particular emphasis on Thailand, where Colin Ng & Partners have a branch office, and New Zealand, where I have worked on some projects. Basically, in a short space of three years, I have been fortunate to have experienced practice in a medium sized set-up, a large local law firm and now a large international law firm. | ||
| LL: | Doing mainly litigation work. Kept going to court to argue and argue. Worked for close to a year under a Senior Counsel, Mr Kenneth Tan, SC, which helped me to realise the finer points of litigation. | ||
| MH: | Joined the Singapore Legal Service: my first posting was to the Legal Aid Bureau and my second posting was to the Subordinate Courts (as Magistrate). In July 1974, I joined Drew & Napier and was the Partner and Head, IP Department. In March 1997, I formed Haq & Namazie Partnership. | ||
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| Q: | Are there any particular areas of the law in which you are interested? | ||
| Gan: | Banking, finance, property, construction. I particularly love contract and restitution. | ||
| MC: | I have always been interested in achieving results and arriving at a particular destination in whatever I do. The area of commerce and the art of negotiating a deal are some areas I find exciting, as it is intriguing how companies and individuals put ideas together to create, transact, organise and basically arrive at their particular goal/aim. Strangely enough, I also have a soft spot for matrimonial and family matters. Since my call in 1998, I have been constantly approached by clients to handle their personal matters. I have not turned my back on these matters as I believe it gives me the balance I need in practice. As you would probably guess, compassion and emotions seldom have a place in commercial matters. | ||
| LL: | Civil litigation and criminal litigation. | ||
| MH: | None, I find my IP practice fulfilling. | ||
| Q: | Which law firm do you practise in? What do you like best about your law firm? | ||
| Gan: | Khattar Wong & Partners. The people, especially the fact that the managing partners and the other senior partners who provide the drive and the direction for the rest understand the concept of the dignity of man, and however harassed and overburdened they are, they always have time to remember to show respect and care for everyone else in the firm, from the lowest to the highest levels. | ||
| MC: | I think that I enjoy practice in Colin Ng & Partners because of what the big man constantly says: 'It is the business of law that are concerned with and not only the law of business.' | ||
| LL: | Hoh & Partners. The firm has potential to grow due to the strategic location of its three branches. Lots of trust given and expectations. | ||
| MH: | Haq & Namazie Partnership. I like the fact that we are an exclusive IP practice, that we are flexible and adaptable to change and are able to provide personalised service to our clients. | ||
| Q: | What do you enjoy most about your life as a lawyer? | ||
| Gan: | Being able to keep my mind mentally active all the time. | ||
| MC: | The recognition that you have a place in society and the opportunities that await you as a lawyer. | ||
| LL: | When people ask me, 'What is your occupation?' | ||
| MH: | The satisfaction I feel when I know I have done good work for my clients and they appreciate it. | ||
| Q: | What would you like to change about your life as a lawyer? | ||
| Gan: | Nothing, I guess. Everything is in a state of flux, anyway; nothing's static. | ||
| MC: | Balance. I would like to strike a balance between practice and life in general. Often it is not possible to have both. It is always one at the expense of the other. | ||
| LL: | The unearthly working hours. Having to work late and in the middle of the night at times. | ||
| MH: | No change. The only wish that I have is for the rapid and exciting changes which are taking place in the IP world today to have taken place when I was younger. I feel young lawyers are lucky to face these new challenges and to participate in these exciting developments. | ||
| Q: | What do you consider to be essential qualities for a lawyer? Why? | ||
| Gan: | A good command of language. It makes for clear thinking and an ability to persuade - ideas clearly and logically thought out and simply presented -that's a mighty powerful weapon in the armoury of any lawyer. The other truly essential quality is the willingness to put in the long hours. There is no royal road to being a good lawyer. | ||
| MC: | Compassion, which helps a lawyer strike a balance between 'going for the kill' and 'doing what is right'. Integrity, because together with integrity comes respect and trust. The ability to listen and understand (which goes without saying) and, most importantly, the right attitude, because without it practice becomes very empty and worthless. | ||
| LL: | Strong oratorical skills, as this is the cornerstone of courtroom abilities. The ability to anticipate contingencies and prepare a response to it. The ability to write in simple terms persuasively. | ||
| MH: | Honesty, integrity, reliability and acting ethically. If a lawyer has these qualities, he earns the respect of those he deals with. | ||
| Q: | Describe the most interesting or most humorous experience that has occurred in the course of your work. | ||
| Gan: | In the early days of my practice, I represented some clients who had been the victims of a scam involving listed shares and who were facing a potentially bankrupting multi- million dollar claim. It was essential to pre-empt the other party by launching our own claim first. Time was of the essence ... An eminent English silk we consulted opined in his preliminary advice that complex issues of equity seemed to be involved and as his speciality was the common law, he suggested that a junior on the Chancery side be instructed to prepare a draft statement of claim. I instructed a junior Chancery barrister who was recommended to me as excellent (which he turned out to be) and, in a hurry, my clients and I met up with him in England to have hard sparring sessions over three or four days. The draft was finally settled. Unfortunately, at this time the silk was running a case in Hong Kong. ... From London, we flew to Hong Kong and consulted him on the draft. We then returned to Singapore and promptly filed the claim. It was rush, rush, rush, ... but it was a great learning experience for a newly practising lawyer. | ||
| MC: | The discovery and experience of this timeless sanctuary called 'The Bar Room' (available at both the Supreme Court and the Subordinate Courts). | ||
| LL: | In my younger days, while talking on the mobile phone with a client, a guy sitting next to me on the MRT wanted my name card to fix up an appointment to see me in the office later. I guess maybe he was impressed with the contents of the conversation. Thereafter, I felt embarrassed throughout the remainder of the journey as commuters in the same train compartment looked at me. | ||
| Q: | What do you consider to be the greatest achievement in your career? | ||
| Gan: | Sorry, I prefer to pass this question up. | ||
| MC: | Being featured in The Singapore Law Gazette. I could never get anyone interested enough to want to read about me. | ||
| LL: | Being made a partner at my relatively young age. | ||
| MH: | Starting my present firm which caters to a niche market. | ||
| Q: | Have you ever considered other careers? Why or why not? | ||
| Gan: | Not really, but on the odd occasion when the going has been really hard, much too hard, I find myself wishing that I was the world's richest professional soccer player! | ||
| MC: | A career in the hotel industry. I had initially wanted to do a degree in hotel management, but when they told me that the first job I would be put in after getting my degree was head waiter, I changed my mind. | ||
| LL: | No. | ||
| MH: | No. | ||
| Q: | Are you currently serving on any Committees in the Law Society? If so, in what capacity? Are you involved in any other organisations? | ||
| Gan: | Conveyancing Rulings Committee Member. Deputy President, Strata Titles Boards. I also teach the PLC. | ||
| MC: | Yes, the Sports Committee - I have been the convenor for Tennis for the last two years and very proud of it, too. I am also the 1st Vice-President of a district of the Lions Club, a service organisation made up by professionals and businessmen, who come together to do works of charity for society. | ||
| LL: | I am leading the Young Lawyers' Committee. As an advertisement piece, please join us to contribute to the welfare of the younger lawyers. | ||
| MH: | Chairperson, Intellectual Property Committee. Yes, these are: (1) President, ASEAN Intellectual Property Association; (2) Committee Member - Asian Patent Attorneys Association, Singapore Group - I was its first President from 1995 to 1997; (3) Committee Member - Anti-Counterfeiting Committee of the European Community Trademark Association (ECTA); and (4) Committee Member - Training & Education, Federation Internationale des Conseils en Propriete Industrielle (FICPI). | ||
| Q: | What made you decide to join the Council? | ||
| Gan: | I was co-opted. The President, Mr Palakrishnan, SC, is an old friend and I liked the idea of working with him. The Council had done me the honour of considering me as being good enough to be part of the team and I could not possibly say no. | ||
| MC: | Naresh's threats and Yasho's persistence ... Just joking. The warmth of the company of people at the Law Society, and I am not only referring to the lawyers. | ||
| LL: | Some part of the soul says 'Contribute'. | ||
| MH: | The fact that the Council needed a practitioner in IP practice. IP is very much in the forefront of developments and is undergoing rapid changes. | ||
| Q: | What goals do you hope to achieve as a Council Member in the year 2001? | ||
| Gan: | To contribute my ideas, time and effort in the best way that I can, so that at the end of my term, the Council will not regret their decision to co- opt me. | ||
| MC: | To learn from my peers and to draw strength from their experience. | ||
| LL: | To learn about the functions of the Law Society and to bring in fresh and willing people to contribute. | ||
| MH: | I want to actively participate and contribute to the Council's work. I would like to provide feedback, updates and new ideas to matters which the Council will consider this year. | ||
| Q: | How would you propose to inspire lawyers in your category to get more involved in the Society's activities? | ||
| Gan: | I am not sure how to answer this at this point of time. Let me first see what the current level of involvement is. I have assumed that it is satisfactory, though. | ||
| MC: | Well, I would urge my learned brethren to strike a balance in life and in practice and see involvement in the Law Society as doing just that. A bit of work coupled with a dose of fun and humour accompanied by great company. The Law Society tackles the issues related to daily practice but does not impose a billing quota on you if you partake in their activities and projects. | ||
| LL: | By organising some activities for them to let their hair down and meet their contemporaries. Under the guise of such activities, to scout for individuals and rope them in. | ||
| MH: | People who are involved in serving the fraternity generally do have a certain make-up. There is little scope in successfully persuading those without such inclination. No amount of inspiration will work. Those with such inclination require little inspiration or persuasion. | ||
| Q: | In your opinion, what is the most important thing that the Law Society should do for its members? | ||
| Gan: | As a representative body to gain the respect of society, so that in turn, the individual members enjoy a good standing in the eyes of society. | ||
| MC: | Representation and a voice. | ||
| LL: | Protect the interests of its members jealously. | ||
| MH: | Assist lawyers to re-establish their value. The public believes that legal activities are unaffordable and lawyers are becoming irrelevant and no longer a profession as such, but more a business. | ||
| Q: | In your view, what is the most important thing that the Law Society should do for members of the public? | ||
| Gan: | In addition to what I have said above, perhaps also to help demystify the legal profession to the public, so that when they need legal advice and representation, they will not be apprehensive or begrudging about engaging the services of a lawyer. | ||
| MC: | Educate, qualify and clarify. | ||
| LL: | The Law Society should be approachable and open. | ||
| MH: | That legal services are provided competently and at reasonable prices. | ||
| Q: | Who is your most admired person and why? | ||
| Gan: | I would like the question to be re-phrased as 'Who is your most admired person in the world of law and lawyers and why?' My answer is: the late Lord Denning. His iconoclastic ways (read rebellious streak), his great passion to do justice and many of his written judgments, brilliant and written in a very attractive style, captured my imagination when I was a young law student. I remember that in college, our group of law students was always talking about the man and his judgments. To this day, I have retained this admiration for him and his judicial work, notwithstanding his flaws. | ||
| MC: | Not one person but a category of people. The heartlanders. The ability to take everything that life throws at them and carry on no matter what. I don't think I could ever accomplish that as I have become too complicated. | ||
| LL: | Daisaku Ikeda. He is the layman leader of Soka Gakkai International, a layman Buddhist organisation. He led the movement after World War II to spread the concepts of peace, culture and education as basic tenets to bring about positive changes for any society. Although he is a Buddhist, he is readily accepted by non-Buddhists through his sincere efforts at conducting dialogues. He is inspiring as he is a non-graduate and has gone on to receive many Honorary Doctorates, the latest from the University of Sydney. He showed me the limitless potential of the human being. | ||
| MH: | The late Justice Tan Ah Tah. He was understanding, patient, even-tempered and a pleasure to appear before. He took away the fear felt by many new young lawyers of appearing in the High Court. | ||
| Q: | If you could go back in history and change one event, which event would you change? Explain how and why? | ||
| Gan: | To go back to the time of the Chinese Emperor Chin Shih Huang Ti and persuade him not to order all the books and other scholastic works in ancient China to be burnt, but to ensure their preservation. Just imagine having access to all that ancient learning and wisdom - I am pretty sure it would help us to understand the human race today even better. | ||
| LL: | None really. Every event in history is a lesson to be learnt. | ||
| MH: | The break-up of the former Soviet Union of Russia. The Soviet Union broke up before an alternative infrastructure was built. There is a lesson to be learnt from this. | ||
| Q: | What are the most important goals in your life? | ||
| Gan: | To be useful to my firm, to the community, to the country and to continue to maintain the happy family life that I have. | ||
| MC: | Balance. | ||
| LL: | Being able to relate to another person, inspire the person to change the bad traits in his life and improve on the good traits. Most importantly, to help another person in need. | ||
| MH: | To remain healthy and enjoy active practice. |
Tracey Yeo
Director, Media & Publications
The Law Society of Singapore
