15 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS – AUGUST 2024 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM it has been proven that gender equality can be practiced in the legal profession. I remember being asked by a reporter how I broke the glass ceiling in a male-dominated legal profession. My answer was, “There was no glass ceiling to break, and if there was, I would have created a big hole so that others who follow after me will find it simple to enter,” she adds. Yufu at A&S says that, “surprisingly, societal expectations and cultural norms have exerted no appreciable impact on the career progression of women in Japanese business society, especially among large corporations. My experience also shows that women’s career progression would not be affected by gender stereotypes and norms. However, it is true that from time to time when I am introduced to a client as the person in charge of a matter, the client might appear to be disappointed or surprised. Often I have been asked, “Have you been working late? Is your family all right?” However, when I successfully completed a difficult negotiation during the course of my work, the attitude changed drastically, and such clients frequently return to ask me for advice.” ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY Nguyen at VILAF says, “Technology enables remote work and flexible schedules, enhances efficiency with AI-driven tools, and breaks down geographical barriers. Online platforms facilitate continuous learning, networking, and mentorship, empowering women to advance their careers. Additionally, technology promotes diversity and inclusion by providing data-driven insights to address disparities. By leveraging these advancements, women lawyers can overcome traditional barriers and lead with innovation in the future legal landscape.” Yufu at Atsumi & Sakai adds, “Digital technologies such as DX solutions and AI tools can help clients save time and money, and lawyers save time, e.g., for due diligence in M&A transactions and document review when conducting internal investigations. Time-saving tools will be highly welcomed, especially by female lawyers who face burdens of family affairs.” CHALLENGES THEN AND NOW Mayuree at Kudun says young female lawyers—and even young female partners—face two significant challenges today: “First, IT literacy and the ability to leverage emerging AI and machine learning tools are areas where many young female lawyers lag behind. Although it’s a stereotype, I’ve observed that females are generally less inclined and proficient in IT. For instance, I see about half of my male Thai colleagues leveraging and training Large Language Model (LLM), whereas none of my female colleagues have harnessed its power yet. Second, dealing with overseas clients, particularly in male-dominated cultures like North Asia countries, presents another challenge. When I started my career, most clients were Thai or BROUGHT TO YOU BY DREW & NAPIER LLC A conversation with Blossom Hing Can you share a memorable case or project that significantly impacted your career and why it stands out? My first trial where I acted as lead counsel is particularly memorable. It was not only my first trial but it also allowed me to appear before the Court of Appeal for the first time as lead counsel when the other side appealed. As a trial lawyer, it was immensely satisfying to lead a case from the taking of instructions to interlocutory applications to trial and then on to appeal, with a positive outcome at every stage. Second, the trial had plenty of drama as at the end of my cross-examination of a key witness, the witness turned pale and promptly fainted. Emergency medical help came in the form of a flashing ambulance arriving at court to ferry the witness to hospital. Thankfully the witness recovered and the trial resumed after some days. sheer hard work and steely determination, he went from sleeping on a mattress on the floor of a warehouse belonging to his employers to building a company worth more than S$500m. Over the years, he gave shares of his company to his relatives in a bid to look after them. Alas, his company became financially distressed during the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990’s and my client was forced to transfer majority control of his company to relatives who then ousted him from management. For some 20 years, my client quietly endured the indignity of what his relatives did to him while he re-built his financial resources. When he was in a position to do so, he hired me to act for him. With a successful outcome from the litigation, my client, who was then in his 70’s, started a new company which has since grown from strength to strength. This case taught me that resilience is key to ensuring success, not only in court, but also in life. We must never give up and there are always new beginnings. Most importantly, my first trial had a great impact on my career as it showed me what it means to be resilient. The client was a semi-literate gentleman who came to Singapore from Malaysia in his teens. Through Blossom Hing Director, Dispute Resolution and Corporate Restructuring & Workouts E: blossom.hing@drewnapier.com Drew & Napier LLC 10 Collyer Quay, 10th Floor Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315 W: www.drewnapier.com
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