SINGAPORE, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- JLC Advisors LLP (JLC) marks its 10th year Anniversary with strategic key appointments.
Earlier this month, the firm welcomed legal stalwart and Senior Counsel, Mr Jeffrey Chan Wah Teck as their Principal Consultant.
Mr Chan was the longest-serving legal service officer in the Singapore Legal Service with 45 years of experience under his belt and was the principal senior counsel at the Attorney-General's Chambers until late last month. He held several prominent positions including being the first chief of staff of the Legal Service and Deputy Solicitor-General. His legal expertise ranges from Public Law and International Law to Criminal Law and Commercial Law. In recognition of his expertise, he was appointed Senior Counsel in 2008.
Mr Chan's appointment is a significant milestone in the growth and progression of the firm and is an appropriate bookend to mark its 10th Anniversary. When asked why he chose JLC amongst the many firms that would have welcomed him, Mr Chan explained: "JLC Advisors is a firm with committed partners and associates with an unusual combination of a strong dispute resolution practice coupled with an equally strong corporate practice. The partners as well as all its associates are relatively young, driven and open to learning. This means that this is one law firm that has a great potential to grow in many aspects of legal practice. I am happy to have the opportunity to contribute my knowledge and experience to this firm's advancement."
This month also saw the appointment of Mr Jeffrey Ong as the firm's new Managing Partner. He takes over the reins from Mr Desmond Ong, who had managed the firm for the past four years. Under his leadership, Desmond spearheaded the firm's rapid growth from its humble beginnings as a 6-man firm to a sizeable full-serviced law firm comprising 25 practitioners.
"I believe the 10-year mark is the perfect time for change. I've been at the helm for the past 4 years and I have achieved all I have set out to do for the firm since I've joined in 2014. It is now time to pass on the baton to someone who has a deep understanding of the firm, its culture and its growth journey. With Jeffrey taking over, I believe the firm will be in good hands," said Desmond.
JLC's new Managing Partner, Mr Jeffrey Ong looks set to take the full-serviced law firm to the next level when asked about his plans for the next 10 years.
"Given the rapid changes taking place within the legal landscape, it may be over-ambitious to set out a 10-year plan. We have been extremely fortunate to have had Vincent (a founding partner of the firm) and then Desmond guide us through the formative years of the firm's existence.
"In the short-term, I hope to build upon the work that they have already done, with an emphasis on bringing in the right people that share and buy into the firm's culture and values, and who at the same time have the potential to drive the firm's growth in the core areas of practice where we have already developed a recognised expertise in -- mainly Commercial litigation, International Arbitration and Corporate transactional work. After all, and more so than in other industries, the value of a law firm is in its people.
"In the medium-term, the goal is to broaden the scope of the firm's capabilities -- we pride ourselves on being a strategic partner to our clients and we aim to grow alongside our clients. As their operational and investment footprint extends beyond Singapore into Asia, we will also seek to further strengthen our regional capabilities in the areas of cross-border dispute resolution and corporate transactional work," shared Mr Ong.
To expand its cross-border capabilities, the firm has also taken significant steps with the recent promotion of Mr Tetsuo Kurita as a Partner of the firm this month. Kurita will lead the firm's Japan desk, which is one of the biggest Japan-focused practices in Singapore.
JLC has developed a unique offering in terms of its geographical reach with offices in Singapore and Tokyo -- the firm is the only Singapore law firm to have a dedicated team of 6 native Japanese lawyers handling its Japan desk from its Singapore office.
With these strategic appointments in place, the law firm is one step closer to becoming a regional contender in the Asian legal arena.
