Debby has been named as one of “40 of the world’s leading restructuring specialists, aged 40 and under” by the Global Restructuring Review in 2016. She has been noted as a leading lawyer in many publications including Chambers Asia, Legal 500 and Who’s Who in Legal Restructuring & Insolvency. She is also one of the first three Singapore-qualified practitioners to be bestowed the prestigious fellowship from INSOL International.

Debby hopes to visit all 10 ASEAN countries, and has so far visited 6 of them. She believes she was a career tourist in her previous life. With the pandemic, she is contented with virtual travel, having virtually visited Myanmar this year by advising on a deal there. 

This letter is written to Debby’s younger self around the time of her graduation from NUS Law School in 2006, about to embark on pupillage in a boutique litigation firm.

Hello You,

“Even though the gods are crazy

Even though the stars are blind…”

I heard this song being played in a movie the other day and it reminded me of you. Can you believe it has been 15 years? I really miss those less fraught and almost halcyon days. We are currently facing a global pandemic that is far worse than SARS. Treasure those friendships from law school and cherish those memories. Currently, your 15th year class reunion looks uncertain, but there is hope through the power of technology. No, I am not referring to MSN Messenger, but a powerful video-conferencing platform known as Zoom.

Do not be a passive observer contented to simply go through the motions. In 2009, the global financial crisis presents you with an opportunity to specialize in restructuring and insolvency. A decade later, you will embark on a post-graduate cross-border insolvency course where you will equally value the friendships forged and the knowledge gained.

Accept both the good and the bad with equanimity. Do not let success get to your head and do not let failure get to your heart. The defeats will feel as though the carpet has been pulled from beneath your feet. However, few realise that success is even harder to grapple with. Be prepared to cast aside any expectations because there is no point being something that you are not. 

You will encounter a few toxic personalities in your legal career, but remember that they’re often struggling with something within themselves. Do not be quick to judge others because you may not know their whole story. At the same time, do question the false narratives of those who do not truly understand and know you. Ultimately you will find your tribe, the people who are rooting for you always. 

In your darkest days, you will realize that kindness walks amongst us. For each force of evil, there is a countervailing force of good. While there are no safety nets in life, lifelines do get extended by benefactors who have chosen us. Remember that even broken vessels can be rendered whole by grace. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

This brings me to the next point: we are the sum of our experiences, both good and bad. Every wrong turn is in the right direction, as we meander in our own imperfect ways to the end of our race. One day you will write a thank you note to your trespassers. In the meantime, do not let unforgiveness harden into a carapace that slowly subsumes you.

At the end, maybe those temporal achievements and all those other false gods did not matter so much after all. Maybe the answer is in that box of cards and thank-you notes from your interns, colleagues and clients. We are the totality of others and often we carry their hopes and aspirations. Sometimes what we were searching for was right in front of us all along.

Yours in faith,

The 2021 Debby