Adrian is the founder and director of Consigclear LLC, a Singapore law firm that seeks to be the consigliere (or trusted counsellor) to companies in the intellectual property-heavy areas of media and entertainment law. He specialises in advising on content creation, licensing, and video games. He also provides seconded and outsourced legal counsel services for companies that seek interim or additional resources (for example, for projects or leave cover). 

Adrian set up Consigclear after he left his former role as Vice President and Head of Legal for Asia, Africa and the Middle-East at a US-listed video game company. Before that, after his call to the Singapore Bar in 2000, Adrian worked in three local law firms, both large and small.

Adrian now applies his varied experience to volunteering as a mentor and advisor, and has interests in legal innovation and practical legal education. 

This Letter is addressed to Adrian’s younger self, on the day he was deciding whether to quit litigation practice and take up a regional in-house counsel offer.

Dear younger Adrian,

That offer letter on the desk will change your life more than you ever will expect.

As you sat there with pen in hand ready to sign, you were torn. You wondered if taking this role was risky, and if it was foolish to give up the eight years of practice as a contentious intellectual property and technology lawyer. You had clocked your 10,000 hours, so to speak, and built a reputation in the specialised IP field with an on-ramp to partnership in Singapore law firms. 

That offer on the table?

It is for an in-house counsel role handling corporate and commercial work with an American software company. Based in Singapore, it has regional coverage. You feel unsure. Would you be “commercial” enough? In law school, you had never been a corporate law person. As an IP litigator, you handled urgent ex parte injunctions, not boardrooms and boilerplate. Will you be “international” enough? In your practice, you only ever travelled as far as Johor for work. In the new role, you are supposed to cover all of South-East Asia and beyond. You feel parochial compared to your classmates with international practices.

But you do want this role.

Partly, because after years of constant battling in court—and this was the time of the “unless order” litigation regime—you are seriously tired and are considering leaving legal practice anyway. The “quarter-life crisis” was a new thing then. So, this in-house move is about making a deliberate change in work and life, away from the supposed “partner track” instead of simply giving up law altogether.

Another somewhat convenient angle? That software company happens to make entertainment software—video games. As an avid gamer, it’s like a dream company job, you think (more on that later).

You are uncertain, but after a discussion with your wife (pro- tip, you will soon realise she will be the best decision you ever made), and with few monetary liabilities at this relatively young age, you figure you can afford to try this in-house thing for a year. One year to see if it is a role too far. If you crash and burn within that year, you can still probably come back into the law firm market. Hey, some in- house experience might not hurt if you want to transition away from litigation. It was hard for a litigator to get through the in-house door, that was for sure. (Yes, you will remember to pay that forward later when you are hiring for your team, and you give litigators and non- traditional candidates a chance.)

You will take the role. You will also get to play games in the office for work, though not often, and you will love the culture. The hiring manager is tough, and the learning curve is often painful. You will surely question your competence and choices, but you will eventually gain both commercial experience and the confidence of the business, and take over as Asia general counsel when your manager moves on.

You end up staying in the company for 10 years. The role will open many new vistas for you. Learning new things was not easy, but I think you will grow in perspective professionally and personally more than you ever would have carrying on as a litigator in a Singapore law firm. You will lead business negotiations and earn your seat at the table as a trusted counsel, as well as become the only member of the worldwide executive team with a Singaporean accent. You will travel for work more than you ever thought you would, once literally waking up and forgetting which city you are in. Unlike the law firm’s “we are only able to advise on Singapore law” disclaimer, you will advise on issues in almost 20 territories. You will also build and lead an incredible legal team located in seven territories, which will turn out to be one of your most satisfying achievements in the role.

Will it be the best job of your life? Probably. Not bad for someone who had planned only to stay a year and was asking your corporate classmates for tips on how to “fake it till you make it”.

So, Adrian, go ahead and sign that offer letter, and enjoy the new adventure. You will come to regret some things in the next decade, but they will not include walking away from your current oh-so-familiar practice, and taking a chance in life for at least that first one year.

All the best,

Older Adrian

P.S. If I still have your attention, I’ve three more things to say from the future:

First, always maintain your professional standards of integrity, and treat everyone fairly, honestly and with appropriate respect. In a diverse international and non-legal world, you will have to find your own level—one that lets you sleep at night. Your reputation, as it did in practice, will stay with you. Make me proud to be you.

Second, I hope you can set better work-life boundaries for yourself. Look after your health, your family and your life outside the company better. You can afford to put the Blackberry (yes, you will be addicted) away more often. For sure, you don’t need to take every urgent conference call. Don’t sweat the small stuff. After you leave the company, you will better realise what (and who) matter. Choose to go travel with the wife and play with the toddler more, as you will miss those moments later. Choose to be happier. 

Lastly, since I know you don’t really do TOTO and 4D, here’s a good number to take note of: 150 (the company’s stock peaks there in July 2018).

Adrian Kwong,

4 March 2020