Confessions of a Lone Ranger Lawyer

I caught the entrepreneurial bug in the year 2000. By then, I had spent six years as a litigation lawyer in a large law firm working with large corporations. The experience I had gained was invaluable but I wanted to venture out on my own to stretch myself. I took the quantum leap from working in a big law firm to being a sole proprietor in 2003, armed with nothing but the desire to run a successful practice.

I have been running my own law firm since April 2003, working with a small pool of dedicated staff. I divide my time between legal work and administrative matters like finances, marketing and human resources.

It has been tough operating in the ever-changing Singapore legal landscape. Law practice is an exacting master. However, I am motivated by the challenges before me. I constantly remind myself to focus my energy and limited time on what I can change and accept what I cannot.

I work long hours for lesser pay. But I have no regrets. I am happy being my own boss. My sole proprietorship has delivered all the rewards that I have been looking for from my work. I am constantly learning in my general litigation practice. I have the opportunity to delve into aspects of business, which had always interested me.

I am also constantly learning from my clients, who come from all walks of life. The Singapore client is an interesting entity. He is not well versed in his legal rights. However, he is a great bargainer.

Some do not appreciate the value of legal services. Recently, a potential client chose another lawyer over me because of a fee difference of S$200.

This is not entirely the fault of the client.

The competitive business environment leads to undercutting by lawyers for meagre sums. This upsets market forces and makes it difficult for other lawyers to run profitable businesses.

As in any service industry, clients are crucial for the success of a legal practice. Time must be invested in building and maintaining client relationships. Serving individuals is a gratifying experience. I will never forget a female client I had represented in divorce proceedings – at the conclusion of the proceedings, she held my hands in hers and cried. Another time, I felt fulfilled when I succeeded in assisting a mother to obtain a care order of her only child in a custody battle. No amount of money can buy you these rewarding moments.

There is a place for sole proprietors in the legal profession in Singapore. We provide personalised, efficient and cost effective legal services to all and sundry – from high net-worth clients to small businesses.

There are clients who may not be comfortable or able to afford the services of a large law firm. A wealthy foreign client, who owns a successful overseas business, once told me that he prefers to work with small firms. According to him, he prefers to have direct contact with the lawyer who is handling his case.

The sole legal practitioner is able to spend more time with the client, thus building a personal relationship with the client. This makes the client feel that his lawyer understands his needs better.

We fill the gap with our relatively reasonable fees, which can be payable on flexible terms. It is common for clients to pay our fees in instalments.

We also serve the ‘sandwich class’ – clients who do not qualify for legal aid but cannot afford the services of medium or large law firms. We serve these individuals pro bono or offer them discounted fees. Without us, these individuals’ needs may never be met.

Law practice is no different from any other business. Our problems and challenges are no different from other business owners. We need to possess the positive mindset and the skills of entrepreneurs.  We have to be good lawyers, and at the same time, sound businessmen. I have always found a positive mindset helpful during the most difficult moments of 
my practice.

The question that creates a continuous source of stress for many of us is: where is the next piece of work going to come from? Sufficient emphasis needs to be given to marketing, critical to any business, which is neglected by many sole proprietors.

Many feel that the current legal climate is not conducive for sole proprietors to grow and flourish. Besides ever increasing business costs, it is argued that sole proprietors cannot keep up with changes. Others complain that the market is too small for so many players.

These predicaments have driven many to return to large law firms. For them, the complex corporate culture, the demands of stressed bosses, billing targets and the very long hours are more attractive than struggling as sole proprietors.

The time has come for us to stand united and support each other in our growth. Let us set the market demand for our services. We, the providers of legal services, should not let our clients dominate us by unreasonable bargaining on fees.

For me, I am happily soaking in the challenges of a sole proprietor. I want to grow my firm, attracting like-minded individuals who share my objectives of practising law – to assist people with their legal problems. My practice allows me to fulfill my life philosophy of contributing to society in my own way. With this, I am able to postpone any thoughts of returning to a large firm.

Rajan Chettiar

Rajan Chettiar & Co

E-mail: rajan@rajanchettiar.com

*This is the full text of the article that was published in the Straits Times on 11 February 2006.