Baroque Style
Renowned Italian jeweller Bvlgari presented the new Barocko high jewellery collection in a starstudded event in Shanghai, Beijing. Bvlgari honours its rich heritage, as daring new creations burst with Baroque flair, reinvigorated with vibrant jewels that breathe new life into the classical movement. The iconic Shanghai Exhibition Center served as the perfect, complementary backdrop for the event, as the luxury brand reflected its commitment to the Baroque style of art and architecture through the integration of classic architectural styles and curved lines in 16th-century décor within its charming new collection. The event was attended by Kolia Neveux, president of Bvlgari Greater China, alongside the Bvlgari global ambassador Kris Wu and brand ambassador Liya Tong.
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T hey say that friendships cannot withstand business partnerships. In fact, that was the exact advice Josephine Ng and Cyndi Chow received more than a decade ago when they decided to start their own legal practice together
“Our master urged us to reconsider, saying that we would not be friends after three years,” says Josephine, adding that this was particularly true when it comes to law firms. Well, he has since had a change of heart, acknowledging that his former pupils have proved to be an exception. The firm Josephine, L.K. Chow & Co is now in its 14th year and has been described by The Legal 500 as “an outstanding law firm that thinks outside the box.”
It is one of the few law firms headed by women, and during time of conception, rarer still. At the time, the partners did not really regard the move as “brave” given the fact that most lawyers make partnership after six or seven years in practice.
For Josephine and Cyndi, it seemed the right thing to do. They were both good friends and classmates in law school as well as during the Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP). After gaining their respective skills-set at other firms, things just fell into place and the firm was established. They both specialise in different practice areas, so they naturally complement each other.
Cyndi Chow (left) and Josephine Ng
“We take things very seriously and we ensure that we deliver. Whilst we are passionate about the law, we are also aware that we are running a business. Hence we learned to manage a law practice”
The management aspect is something that is inherent in women, she says, drawing a parallel to running a household where everything has to run smoothly. But the synergy between the co-founders is also seen in their approach to running a business.
One of the things that differentiate the women-led firm from others is the approach adopted by co-founders. While golfing and entertainment may be the strategies typically used to attract new business, at Josephine & L.K. Chow & Co, the approach is different.
“Josephine and I don’t need to do that,” asserts Cyndi. “If you are good at your work, your client will sell you. That’s what happened. That’s how we grew our business. If one client is happy with you, they will share it with others. Word of mouth referral was the only way we had to go – nothing more.” Advertising is not permitted for lawyers and in their early days, there was no social media
The firm, she says, is evidence that golf games and entertainment aren’t necessary to build a business. It is a principle that continues to be upheld till today.
“What has taken us to where we are is that we are accountable people,” she states. “We don’t take on files just to earn money. We make sure we deliver what clients want and make sure that the files actually gets closed properly. I believe that responsibility and accountability are characteristics that are inherent in leaders and many women succeed in their vocation because they possess this.”
In fact, it took them ten years to build a website, and that only at the behest of a newly recruited partner. Soon after that, the firm was accepted into The Legal 500. The website serves as a platform that analyses the capabilities of law firms across the world. It assesses the strengths of law firms in over 150 jurisdictions.The Legal 500 describes Josephine, L.K Chow & Co as “providing personalised service and attention” stating that the lawyers are motivated to “identify unique ways in which they can add value to the firm and to its clients.”
“We have achieved things,” says Cyndi. “And we just grew from a twoperson firm.”
The firm now has five partners,15 associates and two offices but the cofounders remain at the helm, managing the firm.
“We believe that you have to earn your keep and so we are conscious of supporting each other,” says Josephine. “If I don’t earn, she (Cyndi) has to cover it. At the end of the day, we are still a business, we have to pay salaries, cover overheads. When one partner in a firm just assumes that income is shared and can afford to slack, that’s when resentment starts to set in.”
There is also a balance when it comes to practice areas. Josephine does corporate while Cyndi heads the litigation department. Their areas of expertise also enabl a “yin and yang” approach to management.
“My team members are scared of me,” says Cyndi without hesitation. “But it is because of the nature of the work I do, litigation. It is a hard and a tough area to practice. I am very strict. and my lawyers may even think that I am a slave driver if that is what you want to call it. But it comes with the nature of the work. It is natural because litigators have to fight. If you are doing that kind of work, you have to mould yourself to that person or character so you can carry out your work. That transcends to the way I manage the firm.”
From the partners observation, the legal profession does have a large number of women but the question is whether they will remain in practice.
“Our batch mates, the women who were with me are no longer there,” observes Cyndi. “Those who are older are far and few. There are a lot who are younger than me but will they last? After a while, we will see them going to corporate practice, going to a less strenuous environment. They will leave practice, they will go in-house.
The other trend is for women to start a solo practice where it is possible to work from home while still working.
“But they don’t come out and manage firms,” says Josephine.
Recent statistics by The Bar Council reveal that the gender division in the legal profession now stands at 53% female and 47% male. The figures show that more women are coming into the profession and it is reflected in the university intake too.
The legal profession has also changed quite substantially and legal firms have to move with the times. Now, areas like information technology and intellectual property have become big. For example, crimes on the web, defamation on Facebook.
“Things like this didn’t happen before,” explains Cyndi. “We have to adjust because new things crop up and a lot of it is because of how technology has influenced society.”
At the same time, various programmes have also been established to enable younger lawyers to assimilate easily. Cyndi, for example, volunteers on a Bar Council programme to train juniors on civil trial advocacy.
“When we started, we didn’t have all this,” she says. “So that has developed over the years.”
That has made it easier for younger lawyers in practice. Similar programmes have also been started at the firm. But what is key is that the lawyers themselves take the initiative to keep abreast of the latest developments.
“Lawyers have to be versatile and have to be able to adapt.”