Internships at AEI: Cheok Teng Ang

1. Tell us something people don’t often know about you.

If I did not study Law, I would most likely be studying something related to the environment, be it Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Architecture, or Geography. I genuinely enjoyed the study of urban themes within Geography in Junior College, and almost pursued it until I discovered the field of Environmental Law and Policy, which tipped the scales in favour of studying Law in University.

I do have to caveat that while I enjoy the study of environmental-related subjects, I am no Greta Thunberg. It is unbearably difficult to deny the convenience of plastic utensils, straws, and plastic bags so I often succumb to the temptation of using these environmentally degrading products after all…

2. What did you learn from the internship – best takeaway?

This internship is my first legal internship, so I was naturally quite nervous about my competency and the difficulty of the work that will be assigned. Thankfully, there was nothing to worry about because everyone in the team is very approachable and understanding. The internship provided me with a glimpse of what corporate practice entailed, as we are not usually exposed to corporate practice in the first year of law school. Being an inherently introverted person, the heavy emphasis on litigation-related education in the first year of law school created a fervent curiosity to explore what the other side was about (i.e., corporate law in practice), which led to my application for an internship with AEI.

Among the numerous insights gleaned from this three-week internship, the most crucial one would have to be the experience of observing the various methods in which the legal doctrines and concepts studied in school were applied in practice. I vividly remember seeing a clause which stated how the doctrine of contra proferentem was not to apply to the agreement, and I was surprised at how these seemingly technical concepts evolved into strategies to make the client’s position more favourable. The specific wording of clauses also adjusted the client’s position in a nuanced manner, and being able to observe how law is applied in practice was particularly exciting for me.

This internship also provided me with the opportunity to “step into the client’s shoes” to understand their interests and objectives, a valuable skill that is not taught to us in school. Observing how Andrea and the team explained complex legal concepts to the clients during meetings also made me realise the importance of content mastery in your practice area because it is essential to have fully internalised every aspect of your area of expertise to be able to break down difficult concepts into simpler constituents for your clients to understand.

3. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

As I interned here in Summer after my first year of law school, I have not studied Company Law and other corporate-related modules. Frankly, I was quite lost in the first few days of the internship because the agreements and documents assigned were mostly filled with finance/accounting terms and concepts that I have not come across prior to this internship. Nonetheless, everyone was very approachable and entertained my queries even though the questions were quite elementary in nature.

One of the more memorable tasks assigned to me during the internship was to draft a memorandum in Mandarin Chinese on Venture Capital (VC)-related matters. Initially, I was quite overwhelmed because I was not familiar with VC concepts at all, and the language component increased the difficulty of this assignment exponentially. Thankfully, Darren forwarded me a precedent memorandum for reference, and Andrea patiently answered my questions on specific details within the memorandum. It was undoubtedly a difficult task but with the assistance of Darren and Andrea, I could submit the memorandum within the proposed timeline.

Andrea also provided constructive feedback on how specific areas of the memorandum could be improved, which broadened my understanding of how memorandums in practice are written. This assignment made me fathom the importance of being bilingual and how it truly serves as a differentiator in today’s society where the Chinese market is developing at a rapid pace.

When faced with these unfamiliar and/or difficult tasks, I feel that it is best to clarify all your doubts from the get-go to prevent any doubts from snowballing into genuine concerns that may affect the quality of your work. As I mentioned earlier, the AEI team is very approachable and will respond to your questions kindly, which is a great learning opportunity for us interns.

4. What advice would you give future interns?

First, if you are deliberating whether to apply for an internship at AEI, I strongly urge you to do so especially if this is your first corporate internship. The firm has a robust corporate practice and a wealth of experience, which will provide a smoother transition in your first foray into corporate practice.

Second, if you have already decided to do an internship with AEI, I would encourage you to put yourself out there and interact with the people at the firm. There is always something to be learnt out of these daily conversations, and they are able to provide valuable advice about law school/ internships/ or practice in general.

Finally, when faced with hurdles in your tasks, it is most efficient to clarify these doubts with your mentor or the lawyer who assigned you the work rather than to struggle with it alone. This makes your assignment more manageable and helps to hone your communication skills at the workplace. After all, legal practice is a collaborative effort, and you definitely want to be someone that others enjoy working with. Seeking feedback from your mentor/the other lawyers is also very beneficial because you rarely have the opportunity to have your work vetted by practicing lawyers even in law school.

5. Did you enjoy your time?

Yes! The internship allowed me to experience legal practice and corporate practice for the first time, which is something that we are not exposed to in law school. The lawyers and staff at AEI are incredibly approachable as well, which smoothened the initial adjustment from law school to legal practice for these three weeks. The variety of practice areas experienced was also eye-opening, especially for a Rising Year 2 student like myself who has not delved into many areas of law yet, and it helped me narrow down the list of practice areas which I would eventually like to pursue.

Overall, this internship strengthened my inclination towards shaping a career in corporate practice, and I enjoyed my time here!