29 ASIAN LEGAL BUSINESS – AUGUST 2024 WWW.LEGALBUSINESSONLINE.COM law firms, we were able to tap into our network of legal practitioners from these jurisdictions and select the right lawyers to provide a seamless solution to client. Huang: The nature of the firm has a relatively flat management structure. This allows for cross-team collaboration to be effected seamlessly, with a lesser focus on “whose client this is” or “who is supposed to be commenting on this” – shifting into “what needs to be addressed” and “have we answered the question”. The tailoring of personalised legal services allows us to ensure that all queries are addressed by the right subject matter expert – not just simply the lawyer who is handling the client on the file. Essentially, it is a “Project over Turf” approach which sets us apart. Yeo: We are flexible enough to “shrink and expand”. After completing a piece of litigation for a client, we were flexible enough to be able to operate within a much smaller legal budget, and continue to provide basic legal support for the client or its subsidiaries for its daily operations. This allows us to deepen the client relationship and to remain as its first port of call. Teo: Our firm often provides a distinct advantage over larger law firms by delivering personalised, practical advice tailored to our clients’ unique needs. For instance, in a project involving a tech startup, we closely collaborate with a client to understand their innovative business model and funding strategy, offering targeted legal solutions that enhance their growth potential. This focus on understanding each client’s business and strategic position “Being in a unique jurisdiction, there is a constant inflow of work, be it for disputes work or niche corporate work. However, given that the work is typically of a transnational or international nature, invariably our lawyers will have to work with our counterparts in other jurisdictions. Meritus Law is well placed to assist clients in this regard as we are connected to a network of tried and tested practitioners from various jurisdictions.” — Alfred Lim, Meritus Law BROUGHT TO YOU BY MERITUS LAW LLC A conversation with Alfred Lim How does Meritus Law’s multi-disciplinary approach and conflict-free status enable you to provide more comprehensive and efficient solutions for your clients’ complex legal needs? Given our generally conflict-free status, it is common for us to be instructed for conflicted work emanating from the large local and international firms. Given that we have active practice areas in various disciplines, we are generally a one-stop shop for our clients. A UHNW client may instruct us for a complex commercial dispute. The same client then wishes to purchase a private aircraft and may require aircraft financing. For various reasons, the purchase of the private aircraft may be carried out using an entity incorporated outside Singapore. There may also be intragroup loan arrangement to facilitate the purchase. In what ways does Meritus Law adapt its services to meet the unique needs of diverse clients, from local corporations it litigation or arbitration. If it has to be a foreign forum, this will necessarily mean working with our trusted counterparts in those jurisdictions. Given the popularity of the Singapore Convention on Mediation, it is not uncommon for us to advise clients to consider going for mediation with an adverse party which is based in another jurisdiction. With the Convention, there is added teeth in enforcing a mediation agreement. For international enterprises, this invariably involves corporate structuring, corporate governance, regulatory and compliance matters as well as international and domestic syndicated secured loans and facilities. For UHNW individuals, we assist with legacy planning and implementation and wealth structuring. There are various extra-legal considerations and invariably, this will involve working with their private bankers or family offices. to international enterprises and high networth individuals? Different clients have different requirements. For disputes work, this would entail looking at the most suitable jurisdiction to file the claim as well as the process, be Alfred Lim Managing Director E: alfred.lim@merituslawllc.com Meritus Law LLC 20 Collyer Quay #21-02 Singapore 049319 W: www.merituslawllc.com
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