1. Tell us something people don’t often know about you.

If I did not study Law, I would most likely be studying something related to the environment, be it Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Architecture, or Geography. I genuinely enjoyed the study of urban themes within Geography in Junior College, and almost pursued it until I discovered the field of Environmental Law and Policy, which tipped the scales in favour of studying Law in University.

I do have to caveat that while I enjoy the study of environmental-related subjects, I am no Greta Thunberg. It is unbearably difficult to deny the convenience of plastic utensils, straws, and plastic bags so I often succumb to the temptation of using these environmentally degrading products after all…

2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?

This internship is my first legal internship, so I was naturally quite nervous about my competency and the difficulty of the work that will be assigned. Thankfully, there was nothing to worry about because everyone in the team is very approachable and understanding. The internship provided me with a glimpse of what corporate practice entailed, as we are not usually exposed to corporate practice in the first year of law school. Being an inherently introverted person, the heavy emphasis on litigation-related education in the first year of law school created a fervent curiosity to explore what the other side was about (i.e., corporate law in practice), which led to my application for an internship with AEI.

Among the numerous insights gleaned from this three-week internship, the most crucial one would have to be the experience of observing the various methods in which the legal doctrines and concepts studied in school were applied in practice. I vividly remember seeing a clause which stated how the doctrine of contra proferentem was not to apply to the agreement, and I was surprised at how these seemingly technical concepts evolved into strategies to make the client’s position more favourable. The specific wording of clauses also adjusted the client’s position in a nuanced manner, and being able to observe how law is applied in practice was particularly exciting for me.

This internship also provided me with the opportunity to “step into the client’s shoes” to understand their interests and objectives, a valuable skill that is not taught to us in school. Observing how Andrea and the team explained complex legal concepts to the clients during meetings also made me realise the importance of content mastery in your practice area because it is essential to have fully internalised every aspect of your area of expertise to be able to break down difficult concepts into simpler constituents for your clients to understand.

3. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

As I interned here in Summer after my first year of law school, I have not studied Company Law and other corporate-related modules. Frankly, I was quite lost in the first few days of the internship because the agreements and documents assigned were mostly filled with finance/accounting terms and concepts that I have not come across prior to this internship. Nonetheless, everyone was very approachable and entertained my queries even though the questions were quite elementary in nature.

One of the more memorable tasks assigned to me during the internship was to draft a memorandum in Mandarin Chinese on Venture Capital (VC)-related matters. Initially, I was quite overwhelmed because I was not familiar with VC concepts at all, and the language component increased the difficulty of this assignment exponentially. Thankfully, Darren forwarded me a precedent memorandum for reference, and Andrea patiently answered my questions on specific details within the memorandum. It was undoubtedly a difficult task but with the assistance of Darren and Andrea, I could submit the memorandum within the proposed timeline.

Andrea also provided constructive feedback on how specific areas of the memorandum could be improved, which broadened my understanding of how memorandums in practice are written. This assignment made me fathom the importance of being bilingual and how it truly serves as a differentiator in today’s society where the Chinese market is developing at a rapid pace.

When faced with these unfamiliar and/or difficult tasks, I feel that it is best to clarify all your doubts from the get-go to prevent any doubts from snowballing into genuine concerns that may affect the quality of your work. As I mentioned earlier, the AEI team is very approachable and will respond to your questions kindly, which is a great learning opportunity for us interns.

4. What advice would you give future interns?

First, if you are deliberating whether to apply for an internship at AEI, I strongly urge you to do so especially if this is your first corporate internship. The firm has a robust corporate practice and a wealth of experience, which will provide a smoother transition in your first foray into corporate practice.

Second, if you have already decided to do an internship with AEI, I would encourage you to put yourself out there and interact with the people at the firm. There is always something to be learnt out of these daily conversations, and they are able to provide valuable advice about law school/ internships/ or practice in general.

Finally, when faced with hurdles in your tasks, it is most efficient to clarify these doubts with your mentor or the lawyer who assigned you the work rather than to struggle with it alone. This makes your assignment more manageable and helps to hone your communication skills at the workplace. After all, legal practice is a collaborative effort, and you definitely want to be someone that others enjoy working with. Seeking feedback from your mentor/the other lawyers is also very beneficial because you rarely have the opportunity to have your work vetted by practicing lawyers even in law school.

5. Did you enjoy your time?

Yes! The internship allowed me to experience legal practice and corporate practice for the first time, which is something that we are not exposed to in law school. The lawyers and staff at AEI are incredibly approachable as well, which smoothened the initial adjustment from law school to legal practice for these three weeks. The variety of practice areas experienced was also eye-opening, especially for a Rising Year 2 student like myself who has not delved into many areas of law yet, and it helped me narrow down the list of practice areas which I would eventually like to pursue.

Overall, this internship strengthened my inclination towards shaping a career in corporate practice, and I enjoyed my time here!

1.  Tell us something people don’t often know about you.

My sister, though always supportive, often playfully complains that my chords on the ukulele sound indistinguishable as I try to fit most of the songs into the same chord pattern. Nonetheless, I find great pleasure in playing the ukulele for my own amusement, experimenting with different chord variations and singing along with the music. It is a pastime that consistently brings me joy and relaxation and I guess she’ll just have to grin and bear it for the foreseeable future!

2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?

I acquired a deep appreciation for the role that effective communication and collaboration play in a professional context. Working alongside and engaging with different associates provided me with insights into effective teamwork, fostering open dialogue, and building strong working relationships. Every member’s willingness to share their knowledge and patience in offering guidance was also inspiring.

The internship also provided me with a valuable glimpse into the intricacies of the corporate cycle and the role of lawyers in providing assistance throughout the process, which is precisely what I had hoped to gain from this experience.

3.  What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

As a first-year law student, I encountered a significant challenge when I was assigned work related to corporate law, an area I had no prior knowledge of. This lack of familiarity made the tasks unfamiliar and more time-consuming than anticipated.

However, I was fortunate to have supportive mentors who displayed exceptional patience and provided me with ample guidance throughout the process. Their understanding and willingness to accommodate my learning pace allowed me to navigate through the work. Despite the extra time invested due to my initial unfamiliarity, this experience proved to be invaluable in expanding my legal horizons and enhancing my understanding of corporate law.

4. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

As a first-year law student, I encountered a significant challenge when I was assigned work related to corporate law, an area I had no prior knowledge of. This lack of familiarity made the tasks unfamiliar and more time-consuming than anticipated. However, I was fortunate to have supportive mentors who displayed exceptional patience and provided me with ample guidance throughout the process. Their understanding and willingness to accommodate my learning pace allowed me to navigate through the work. Despite the extra time invested due to my initial unfamiliarity, this experience proved to be invaluable in expanding my legal horizons and enhancing my understanding of corporate law.

5. What advice would you give future interns?

Embrace the opportunity. Even if this is your very first internship, the firm possesses a profound understanding of the significance of this developmental phase and is prepared to extend the requisite guidance and support to aid your growth. Rest assured that the associates are resolute in their commitment to ensuring your acquisition of valuable knowledge and skills from the work you undertake!

6. Did you enjoy your time?

 Absolutely! Lunch breaks with my mentors and colleagues were especially pleasant because they were incredibly friendly. The overall atmosphere within the firm was truly remarkable, fostering a positive and thriving work environment. It was refreshing to witness a healthy and supportive atmosphere where collaboration and camaraderie were valued. Apart from leisure time, work moments were also enjoyable. The associates provided all the necessary guidance and support, exhibiting remarkable patience when addressing any queries or concerns I had and made sure that I stayed on track. Overall, I am genuinely grateful for the truly enriching and fulfilling journey.

1.  Tell us something people don’t often know about you.

I have a keen interest in motorsports and cars. Some of my favourite car models include the Jaguar Land Rover Defender and the classic Mini Cooper. One of the things on my bucket list is to go on an off-road trail in the future. I also love to go on road trips in other countries. I even have dedicated song playlists for different road trips and occasions.

2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?

One of the biggest takeaways from my internship is understanding more about the different kinds of agreements in corporate transactions. There was a wide range of agreements that I came across throughout my internship, and every agreement had a unique context and background to it. I observed how the team accounted for each client’s specific needs and concerns while drafting and amending these agreements. I had opportunities to do research, look through issue lists and review many kinds of agreements.

Overall, it was a very enriching and fulfilling experience for me, even though there was a steep learning curve. There was good on-the-job training that allowed me to acquire new competencies, soft skills, and hard skills. I would say the internship also served as a great introduction to corporate law and other related topics. It certainly gave me a head start on what to expect when dealing with corporate transactions.  

3. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

As this was my first legal internship and I had only recently completed my first year of law school, it was the very first time I was seeing all the different types of documents (e.g. agreements, constitutions, term sheets). I was unfamiliar with everything, and it took me quite a while to get the hang of things. However, everyone at AEI Legal was incredibly supportive and patient. I found it very helpful when my mentors explained difficult concepts to me in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

One main challenge I faced was determining favourable and unfavourable aspects in agreements for clients. I found it difficult to spot issues that could potentially result in future problems. To address this problem, I found it useful to compare precedents, look for similar agreements and issues in related transactions

4. What advice would you give future interns?

If there is anything that you are unsure of about the work assigned to you, don’t be afraid to ask and clarify about it with your mentors. As a student who has not taken any modules related to corporate law, I found myself asking many basic (and beginner level) questions. However, I really benefitted from the explanations that my mentors gave when they went through my queries with me. Thereafter, it became much easier for me to comprehend and digest the information.

I would encourage future interns to be open-minded, receptive, and proactive. Seize every opportunity to try new things and at the end of your internship, you’ll find yourself with many valuable takeaways (especially skills and knowledge that you may not have picked up in school).

5. Did you enjoy your time?

Yes, I really enjoyed my time at AEL Legal! I received good guidance and support from the entire team. The workload, timeline and workflow of the entire internship were just right for me. I am thankful for the many learning opportunities throughout this internship, and I am glad to have learnt a lot during my short stint here. Overall, I appreciate the firm’s healthy collaborative culture, and the nurturing environment that the team has created (especially for inexperienced newcomers like myself).

For students thinking about doing a corporate legal internship or getting a first-hand experience in the corporate practice area, I would highly recommend applying for and interning at AEI Legal.   

1. Tell us something people don’t often know about you.

I’m a fan of ice hockey, so much so that I took a sports law and policy module in school! The sport itself is heart-stopping, but once you start looking at it through a legal lens, there are so many entertaining issues that arise as well – negotiating contracts with athletes, their image and privacy, and doping rules and regulations galore.

2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?

Learning truly never ends, and what you take away from the classroom is only the beginning. So much of the minutiae of corporate work cannot get fleshed out in school – from learning how to manage clients, to knowing what clauses should or should not be in an agreement.

I am grateful to have been granted a peek into the behind-the-scenes work, where every phrase and sentence in a document passed through multiple pairs of discerning eyes before making it to the client. At the same time, I also appreciated the diversity of clients that AEI has, as I had learned about industries that I would normally not give a second thought about in ordinary life, such as pest controllers.  

3. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

The main challenge I faced was my relative lack of foresight and acumen, compared to the experienced lawyers in the firm. It is intimidating at times to be given an agreement to vet, if you do not know what you should be looking out for.

But in a way, figuring things out for yourself as you go along is also what makes the work satisfying. Being provided with precedents for reference and knowing that my mentor would be willing to answer my questions gave me the assurance and confidence to dive into each document I was given, and the knowledge that any mistakes made would ultimately be a lesson to learn from kept the hesitation at bay as well.

4. What advice would you give future interns?

To have no fear in asking your mentor or the other lawyers anything – whether it’s related to work, practice, the firm or even their own lives. While the work was engaging, it was the process of learning from the lawyers through talking to them that was even more rewarding.

Also, to keep an open mind and trust in yourself – there will always be work that you have not encountered before, but your mentor will have provided you with the figurative map for you to find your way to the end point, so just try your best!

5. Did you enjoy your time?

I had a great time in my 2 weeks here! While it was mainly a virtual internship, I still had the chance to meet my mentor and associates in the office on certain days, and had no issue reaching out if I needed any guidance along the way. I appreciate that the associates were friendly and always willing to provide some context to the work they gave, and that I was given the opportunity to try my hand at a whole range of work.   

1. Tell us something people don’t often know about you.

 For anyone who has not met my twin brother before, it is always a surprise for them to find out that I not only have an identical twin brother, but he is also studying law in the same law school and the same batch as me. What they don’t often know is that even before law school, we have also been in the same school and the same class (except for 1 year) throughout our entire education. The next question people often ask me is whether we can read each other’s mind or if we have ever swapped places in school and the answer to both questions is no.

2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?

An internship is the best opportunity to learn about the culture of the firm. While law firms can describe their culture on their website, it is not the same as being able to experience it first-hand. It is safe to say that AEI Legal has lived up to its expectations and offers a welcoming and positive environment where you can learn and grow. The non-hierarchical structure of the team means that you can approach anyone in the team with any topic, whether it is related to work, career, or personal life.

Despite a short 2-week internship with the firm, I was given the opportunity to work on a broad range of work, for example, proofreading service agreements, the company constitution, and an employee share option scheme (ESOS). Additionally, I was involved in drafting a board resolution and a client update on a recent amendment to the Companies Act, as well as conducting research on company and trust law.

Two matters particularly stood out to me. Firstly, being able to attend a client meeting with Andrea is truly an eye-opening experience. She is an effective communicator who can deliver sound and structured advice while weighing the feasibility of different solutions and taking into account the client’s needs to provide them with the best possible solution. I also learnt that in legal practice, the facts are not static and are constantly changing. As a lawyer, it is therefore essential to be agile and hone your ability to think quickly on your feet to address the client’s concerns.

Secondly, it was interesting to work on a client update on the amendments to s 215 of the Companies Act. Even though I have seen publications by law firms on different areas of the law while I was in law school, I found it interesting to take a different role this time by being in the position of the law firm in drafting these publications.

3. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

I was assigned a research task by Darren on a trust law issue which I found to be challenging because I could not find a direct authority to address the research question. I found it useful to seek guidance from my mentors who are more than willing to spend some time explaining how I can expand the scope of my research, for example, using different keywords, exploring different academic sources, or looking to a foreign jurisdiction. I also found it useful to keep a log of the sources which I have used and what I have found. Lastly, I sought feedback from Darren after submitting the task where I learnt that in some cases, the authority on an issue of law may not always be clear. In such a scenario, you have to exercise your judgment in how you phrase your advice to the client.   

4. What advice would you give future interns?

As you will be involved in corporate work, it will be advantageous to do corporate law-related modules in school. For example, having done company law and corporate finance made it easier for me to understand different concepts like shareholders agreement, board resolution, different classes of shares, and the company constitution.

However, whether you have a corporate law background in school or have no prior experience, you will realise, as with all internships, that you have to learn a lot on the job. For example, corporate law modules in school will not give you the same exposure to documentation as legal practice. Therefore, my advice would be to be a sponge, take notes and ask questions if in doubt. Each member of the AEI Legal team whether it is the staff, or the lawyers is extremely capable and is well-equipped to handle your questions.

5. Did you enjoy your time?

Absolutely. It was a pleasant surprise to be invited to the firm’s anniversary gathering on the second last day of my internship. It made me feel like I was a valued member of the team despite only being an intern.

I also enjoyed the flexible working arrangement where I was allowed to work from home 4 days a week. The time saved on commute helped to increase my productivity as I could get adequate sleep in the morning and have more personal time after work. I also appreciate the opportunity to come to the office every Thursday to meet the team in person and get to know them, as well as coming to the office on a day where there was an important client meeting to observe the team in action.

Overall, I found the scope of work that I was offered, the patience and guidance provided by capable mentors, and the tightly knit culture at this firm made this internship an invaluable experience.