This article is part of our Singapore Spotlight series, profiling our lawyers based in our Singapore office. In the series, we find out about their backgrounds, their journey through law and hear why Singapore is important to them.
Lawrence is a New York-qualified lawyer, based in Singapore, advising companies, banks and funds in capital markets transactions and restructurings in South East Asia.
I knew I wanted to get into law when… I understood the role lawyers played in business and finance.
I chose international finance… after taking leave from work as a securitisation lawyer in New York (securitising credit card receivables for Citibank and Chase). My intention was to travel and be back at my desk in 6 months but then I decided to take up an offer to work abroad, and I called the partner I worked for to let him know. He gave me a great reference. Almost everyone I knew was shocked I was leaving New York. I was a quintessential New Yorker.
The thing that motivates me most is… advising long-term clients. As outside counsel, you work together with the same individuals at the client, a sense of teamwork develops and you share in the same successes.
The work achievement I'm most proud of is… you are only as good as your most recent deal(s). I'm currently very proud of our recent work for a Singapore based private market exchange, to establish a first-of-its-kind multi-issuer debt programme that simplifies how companies can issue tokenised commercial paper and bonds. It is cutting edge.
The thing that makes Singapore such an exciting place to be is… working on deals across South East Asia. I have worked on deals in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia and Laos.
One thing I wish I knew when I started my career is… business is about change. It is important to have an area of focus but not be too pigeonholed. Luckily, my international work experience exposed me to a broad spectrum of transactions. Former colleagues who focused too heavily on securitisation (my initial area of expertise) had a difficult time adjusting after the Global Financial Crisis. I recommend young transactional lawyers get broad experience, even as they develop their area of expertise.
The future in my practice area looks like… trends favouring private credit loans to corporate borrowers over syndicated bank loans and capital markets will continue, but at some point, this too will change.
One thing you don't know about me… is that I collect air miles. It's a hobby that requires you to check the blogs, get certain credit cards, buy points from airlines and exchange points for tickets. I use the points for tickets to New York of course. Singapore Airlines has a great direct flight to New York!