LAWYERS IN THE HOUSE responsible for the legal affairs of their companies, but the scope of as an in-house counsel is not just a viable, but an ideal, career path.
by Kyle Koh
University College of London Photographed by Zachary Tan
Where did you work before moving in-house? Chan Hock Sen: I qualified as a solicitor in England and did my articles in a firm called Jacques & Lewis. Then I worked at Clifford Chance for a couple of years before I joined British Telecom (BT) in the UK. I specialized in M&A at BT, which had a legal department of about 100 lawyers worldwide. After eight years in London I was transferred to Hong Kong to head up the newly created Asian legal department. I was head hunted by a French company called Thomson and subsequently joined Michelin as head of legal for Asia Pacific. I currently play multiple roles – tax director, legal head, country manager for Singapore and corporate development manager. Raymond Clement: I spent about 15 years in practice in various local law firms before moving in-house.
Why did you choose to become an in-house counsel? Chan Hock Sen: The pay was better than as a mid-level associate and it offered opportunities outside the law. Also large companies offer attractive non-salary benefits such as education: in my case the company sponsored my executive MBA. Raymond Clement: The principal motivation was to achieve a better work-life balance.
How does the work as an in-house counsel differ from that of a practising lawyer? Chan Hock Sen: The job of in house counsel differs from company to company. You can create your own space depending on how competent you are at business. The principal difference between an in-house lawyer and external counsel is that when you are in house you are responsible