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.

 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. 

1. Tell us something people don’t often know about you/something you do differently from most other people

In addition to my Law major, I am working towards a minor in Anthropology at Yale-NUS College. I am intensely fascinated by how Anthropological theories offer insight into cultural systems. I also thoroughly  enjoy research in the field. Thus far, all my Anthropology classes have been research paper-based. Applying an Anthropological lens helps me be more sensitive to and appreciative of the cultural aspects of my social environments.

2. What did you learn from the internship - what was the best takeaway?

Andrea shared that one exciting aspect of corporate law practice is being in the position to support business ventures and entrepreneurial ambitions. 

My internship offered a broad range of exposure. I helped draft a novation agreement, corporate governance report, sales agreement, reserved matter approval, letter of resignation, extraordinary general meeting notice, announcement and circular as well as client meeting minutes. I also did research into common seals and dispute resolution forums in Singapore. 

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

This was my first corporate law firm internship, so I was not familiar with the nature of many of the documents and the clients’ needs. I had to do research on these documents to better understand the assignment. 

Due to COVID-19, the internship was conducted mostly on a work-from-home basis. However, I did not feel that the quality of my internship experience was compromised because I could easily and frequently communicate with the others. Andrea and Zhi Tian also checked in on me periodically.

4. What advice would you give future interns?

I think it is important to consider the client’s perspective and understand the background of each file. People at AEI are very approachable, so if you have tried your best to figure out your assignment on your own but still feel unsure on how to go about the assignment, you should consider asking your mentor about it. I think it is important to ask for and be open to feedback as well. 

5. Did you enjoy your time?

Most definitely! AEI has a fantastic mentorship culture and collegiate environment. The Associates, especially Zhi Tian, my assigned mentor, were very generous with their guidance and feedback. They also took time to check in on my progress on the assignments and share about legal practice in general. I felt that I was exposed to ‘real’ work during my internship and I am grateful for the opportunity to intern with AEI.