LAWYERING DURING A PANDEMIC
It has become the new normal; but what if you’re doing it while fighting the coronavirus at the same time? Rajah & Tann’s Tng Sheng Rong shares his experience.
Mr Tng Sheng Rong’s brush with the coronavirus began as a low-grade fever that started two days after a trip to the United Kingdom in early March. “I had no respiratory symptoms, so I didn’t suspect COVID-19,” the 33-year-old tells SAL. “But because of my travel history, I decided to get tested at NCID just in case.” He had already placed himself in social isolation; this turned out to be a fortuitous move, as he was diagnosed with COVID-19 the day after he was tested. “I was surprised as my fever had subsided and I wasn’t displaying any other symptoms.” Nevertheless, he was warded at NCID for nine days.
Mr Tng, a Partner in his firm’s commercial litigation department, was not just concerned about his health, but also his work. “One of the first things I did was to inform management and my team. I’m grateful that they immediately told me not to worry about work and that they would fill in for me during my absence.” But being the lead counsel in a number of ongoing matters, he remained actively involved in strategic decision-making and client interface.
Mr Tng was subsequently transferred to D’Resort @ Downtown East, a community isolation facility housing those who tested positive for the coronavirus but were largely symptom-free. He was able to press ahead with his work, albeit from the serene surroundings of D’Resort @ Downtown East. He laughs at this description of his place of quarantine, saying, “Serene it may have been, but it certainly wasn’t ideal for work as the Wi-Fi was slow, patchy and unstable.”
My workload and schedule was certainly lighter, thanks in part to my able teammates, and also because I didn’t push myself as hard as I normally would to aid my recovery. As a result, I was handling around 40% to 50% of my usual load.
- Mr Tng Sheng Rong on his workload in the early days of his COVID-19 diagnosis. By the time he was moved to a community isolation facility, his workload had returned to normal, something he credits to his firm’s foresight on telecommuting.
A PROFESSION TRANSFORMED
Our conversation turns from his fight with the coronavirus to the legal industry’s battle with it. Some may not recognise the profession today, with its endless stream of virtual-this and virtual-that, be it hearings, documents and meetings.
“In the past, some lawyers may have been too entrenched in their ways and preferred traditional approaches over new methods,” reflects Mr Tng, who has been in the profession for nine years. “However, within just two months, everyone has been compelled to adapt and to employ technology to continue working.”
Some might see these changes as temporary, but Mr Tng believes that they should be accompanied by a change in attitude among members of the Bar. “As professionals, we must continue to serve and protect our clients’ interests regardless of the circumstances,” he says. “ We have to find ways to navigate the obstacles presented in this post-COVID-19 age and this will inevitably involve making changes to our existing practices.”
He continues, “Many lawyers are fixed in their belief that oral submissions are only persuasive when presented in person at a hearing, that cross-examination is only effective when you can look a witness in the eye, and that there’s no substitute for a face-to-face negotiation or meeting. But I have seen first-hand that the practice of law can be carried out adequately without these physical confines, even more effectively in some cases, and I firmly believe that this is something the industry should embrace.”
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