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

Despite being deficient in height, I often try to use it to my advantage. Many of my fun-sized counterparts may feel inferior and upset when compared to their taller peers, but I acknowledge that there are perks that come with being small. For example, I can sleep comfortably in airplane seats by curling up while everyone else has to contort their bodies in some weird way. It is easy to connect with others when their first instinct is to tease me for my height. In fact, cracking height jokes about myself before someone else does brings me great satisfaction. Buying clothes is a breeze because the kids’ section is much cheaper. And most importantly, I will look young (albeit like a child) forever.

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

Seeing whatever I learnt in school being applied to real life situations was the biggest takeaway for me. It is easy to forget that whatever we learn as students is applied in real life since we typically learn about concepts in abstract. Being able to sit in on client meetings and draft agreements gave everything a human touch that is hard to attain from textbooks or lectures. It was particularly eye-opening to see how Andrea, Yuho, Zhi Tian and Dana interacted with the clients warmly and paid attention to their needs. Even though they were handling the same type of agreement, each transaction was tailored to the context and what the clients wanted. I realised how much thought goes into the drafting of agreements when the team easily spotted underlying nuances in clauses that may adversely affect their clients’ positions and advised their clients accordingly. The level of attentiveness and skill really left me in awe and fuelled my want to help others in the same way.

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

As I have not done corporate law modules in school yet, many terms and documents were foreign to me. I struggled with determining what was expected of me, and whether I was doing the work given to me properly. Nonetheless, everyone at AEI Legal was willing to answer my questions, no matter how entry-level they were and regardless of their busy schedules.

They also provided me with precedents for reference so that I could see how the documents should be structured, which aided me in suggesting amendments. Constructive feedback was also given, which helped me to improve and learn a lot. Although it was rather difficult to understand these foreign concepts from the beginning, being thrown right into the transaction taught me how to navigate unfamiliarity and grasp concepts quickly.

4.     What advice would you give future interns?

If you are unsure as to whether you should apply for an internship here, be it summer or winter, I strongly encourage you to just shoot your shot! Internship is about learning and exposing yourself to real work, and that is something that AEI Legal can provide. If this is your first internship, the team at AEI Legal is friendly and helpful, so do not be afraid to ask questions or seek feedback from them.

Take whatever feedback you have received and improve on it for the next task you are given. As mentioned by the seniors who interned here before me, it is helpful to keep a log of what you have learnt throughout the internship – you may never know when it might be useful in the future. Most importantly, keep an open mind, have fun, and absorb all the new information like a sponge!

5.     Did you enjoy your time?

I definitely enjoyed my time here! Despite it being a virtual internship, I really learnt a lot. I applied for this internship with the aim of learning about corporate work and interning here has certainly opened my eyes to the corporate world. It was particularly helpful that the associates gave me work from all sorts of different transactions so that I could be exposed to the various documents in many contexts. I am immensely grateful to everyone at AEI Legal for giving me 3 weeks full of learning, guidance and for making me feel valued for whatever I could offer.

1. What were some of the challenges you faced?

The greatest challenge I faced was comprehending what was happening with any particular file I was placed on. The work is fast-paced and having had little experience in corporate work, it took a fair bit of effort trying to understand the clients’ interests and what to look out for in the drafting of agreements. I also had to quickly get up to speed on financial and accounting terms, which up until my internship had remained mostly a foreign language to me.

2. What was the highlight of your internship experience?

The highlight of my internship was being roped into an ongoing deal involving the acquisition of a company. During calls, I observed that the team was always ready to ask the right questions and make the necessary clarifications and suggestions to ensure the clients’ concerns were suitably addressed. This was made even more exciting when I was given the opportunity to revise a draft letter of intent following a call to incorporate the relevant changes. While I was keen to apply my skills, I was more deeply impressed by how the team valued the input of their interns and was genuinely invested in their learning experience.

3. What did you learn?

Perspectives matter. This principle manifests itself in two ways.

First, what is reasonable in one party’s eyes may appear unreasonable to the counterparty. Parties can have differing understandings of a deal and thus come in with vastly different expectations of what each other’s obligations should entail. This can be tricky to navigate and a corporate lawyer’s expertise is needed to guide the parties to their end-goal of making the deal happen.

Second, the fine print is important – and so is the big picture. It is crucial to pay attention to the details, but one should also have the ability to assess a deal holistically to achieve an outcome that is acceptable to all parties.

For example, an incident that was particularly eye-opening for me was when Andrea distilled the essence of a potential deadlock between the parties, which allowed the clients to take a step back and approach negotiations from a fresh perspective.

4. What advice would you provide to future interns?

Ask why you’re doing what you’re doing. Understanding the rationale of any given task saves time and helps you deliver better quality work. Remember to also ask about timelines to ensure that you prioritise your time wisely. Lastly, don’t be afraid to try new things! This can be daunting, but trust that you’re working under close supervision and that you have excellent mentors to turn to for feedback and guidance.

5. Did you enjoy your time?

I definitely did. The people at AEI value interns as members of the team and are interested in shaping fruitful and fulfilling experiences. I benefitted greatly from the strong culture of mentorship and am grateful to have met kind and able mentors.

6. How was your work-from-home internship experience?

I felt that my internship experience was diminished by the lack of physical interaction due to the COVID-19 restrictions, as there were fewer opportunities to get to know the team and my fellow interns, although this was through no fault of the firm. Everyone remained highly approachable and easily contactable, and the close-knit character of the team was palpable. I also appreciated that the internship continued to be held despite the less than ideal circumstances, and that the process was a smooth one, with the firm providing office laptops for our use.

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.