Singapore
I've had a fairly unconventional career and life so far. In my first job, I spent a good 5 years in the public legal sector working for the Legislative Division of the Singapore Attorney-General's Chambers. In that time, I was focused on pushing out the 2020 Revised Edition of Acts; my work then involved—besides the nitty gritty—working with brilliant government lawyers, most of them law drafters, as well as non-lawyer colleagues with clear operational expertise. My love for language—cemented during my undergraduate years—motivated me to push for more progressive revision language. I knew that I was limited, however: You could only do so much for older laws. Becoming a law drafter, and drafting new laws better, seemed to be the key. This precipitated a fulfilling 3 years of law at the Singapore Management University. I've since moved past my obsession with legislation—though not language, culture, and the interdependence of things (a worldview I credit to my Tibetan Buddhist mother). In 2026, I start afresh as a newly qualified lawyer in the private client sphere, in a world saturated with AI discourse, a deepening climate crisis, and a disintegrating global order. It's a lot of nitty gritty for someone whose head has mostly been amess with big, interconnected ideas. While I steep myself in the law and practice relating to wills, trusts, and immigration matters, feel free to hit me up if you'd just like someone who's seen a bit of this and a bit of that to bounce ideas with or just have a chat. My preference is local kopi, if you must know. :)
Associate with the private client and tax division of Withers KhattarWong. I help advise individuals and families on immigration, tax, and estate planning and succession.
Primary seat with the private client and tax division, with work generally comprising will drafting (in particular for individuals with international asset profiles), non-contentious probate applications, and tax advisory work.
This was a Legal Service Commission internship hosted by SLA. It comprised a tour of the divisions that interfaced with the law, namely Legal, the Land Titles Registry, and the Land Dealings Approval Unit. Through the internship, I gained a sense of the work undertaken by the divisions. My time was particularly enriched by a series of conversations with officers of varying ranks. I gained not just an appreciation of the significance of their work, but also great respect for their expertise and commitment.
I asked for and was given a breadth of litigation and corporate work for exposure. This included research into contractual breach, subrogation, contempt of court, and the drafting of related pleadings. I also had the chance to attend a mediation session, which was very insightful. All in all an enjoyable and rewarding internship experience!