1st Year Anniversary

It's been a year. Tomorrow KL Quah & Associates celebrates its 1st year anniversary. The firm at its infancy has had a sharp learning curve throughout the year 2010-2011. And learning still.

Portfolio in 2010-2011 of KL Quah & Associates includes :

1) Defending the sole proprietor of an engineering consultancy firm against third party proceedings filed against it by previous firm where he was a director by filing application to set aside the said third party notice (counsel work). Filing appeal to the High Court upon receiving judgment against the said application;

2) Claim against partnership for unpaid profit on behalf of one of the partners;

3) Drafting and witnessing execution of a tripartite friendly loan agreement;

4) Drafting and witnessing of wills and testaments;

5) Claim against company for goods sold and delivered, execution of judgment obtained by way of judgement debtor summons (counsel work);

6) Claim against developer company for liquidated damages pursuant to the Housing Developers' Act Schedule H (counsel work);

7) Claim against sub-contractor for goods sold and delivered and services rendered;

8) Defending Originating Summons Foreclosure proceedings against financial institution for Borrower of a housing facility agreement;

9) Defending Creditor's Petition against financial institution for Borrower of a housing facility agreement;

10) Getting up for tenancy matters;

11) Single petition and joint petition divorce matters;

12) Claim against developer and contractor for delay and defect in renovation works;

13) Defending claim by Vendor to enforce a Joint Venture Agreement (counsel work);

14) Defending a claim in trademark matters (counsel work), and etc...

It has been a long and tiring road... looking for clients, accepting referrals, working with instructing solicitors, judges and opponent solicitors, and of course CLIENTS. Billing is one thing, collection is another.

One thing noted in this 1-year journey is the better paymasters are usually the working class, whereas businessmen and entrepreneurs tend to be slower in making payment. Perhaps it is time the lay persons out there realise that we lawyers do not make as much money as everyone thinks. This mentality of "just one signature and a lawyer earns thousands" should certainly be erased, for the "one signature" comes AFTER various phone calls to government offices, clients, opponent parties etc... drafting, researching, preparing, liaising and BEFORE filing, attending court, further researching, phone calls, letters, documents, etc...

As a full time mother and a 'part time' mother as the Managing Partner/Single Proprietor of KL Quah & Associates, I am happy to report that it has been a very fruitful year. Running a one-man (or one woman in this case) show has a lot of challenges, and let's all remember that most lawyers have no ideas of the difference between credit and debit... what more to manage 2 full sets of accounts. Let's hope for another fruitful and exciting year ahead!!!