Latiff Ibrahim is the new man at the helm of stalwart Singaporean practice HEP. Totally at peace with his important triple roles of family man, coach of his Sunday junior soccer team Marina Rangers and managing partner, Latiff has every reason to smile.
"For a sixty fee-earner law firm, we are punching way above our weight in terms of the kind of work we do and the clients we have" he said with quiet confidence in an exclusive and rare interview with Asian Legal Business. "The strategy is very simple" he added "Attract and retain good lawyers and be very selective about the work you do - don't get distracted by the quantity. This also means competing head-on with the bigger law firms despite our size."
HEP may be media shy, but when it comes to staking its claim within the legal sector it has a formidable reputation. HEP is also a product of the modern Singaporean legal system - professional, aggressive but imbibed with family values and atmosphere, the firm mirrors the optimistic, successful and versatile City-State that contains it.
A leading construction and arbitration lawyer, Latiff has been involved in one way or another in most major infrastructure projects in Singapore from the insurance claim arising from the Nicoll Highway Collapse through the "tilted building" at Church Street dispute and current prominent projects such as the Marina Bay Integrated Resort, Singapore Flyer, Sports Hub and Business and Financial Centre Projects. Latiff also sits on the Appeal Board for Shariah (Islamic) law. This is a rarity that one individual can lead the profession in two, unrelated legal doctrines, but states Latiff, "It's my very small contribution to the community alongside my directorships in the Singapore Management University, Singapore Land Authority and Warees Investments (the real estate charitable arm of the Singapore Muslim Religious Council)."
Niche reputation
The construction practice led by Latiff has further consolidated the firm's position as Singapore's top ten law firms, building on litigation which was the specialty of the firm's founding partner, Harry Elias.
Latiff, the firm's second generation leader, is driving the practice into what he likes to describe as a "slight re-brand." "We've always had a fantastic reputation as a litigation and construction practice. Litigation was Elias's specialty, and when he formed the firm in 1988, this is where we found and dominated our niche. But over the years we have evolved by sheer demand of the clients into a multi-disciplinary practice with a growing reputation in corporate, real estate, matrimonial and white-collar crime."
Winds of change
Elias, a member of Singapore's first batch of Senior Counsel and former President of the Law Society during the turbulent 1980s, merges his old-school practices well with this 21st Century practice to provide balance to a law firm that punches much harder than its size should allow.
In the current competitive Singapore legal sector, niche reputation is not always the most appropriate strategic route. Development is natural, metamorphosis is healthy, and changes are welcomed. HEP has not always enjoyed the easy road... it is difficult to build a practice from scratch with century old firms breathing down its neck. However, the firm prevailed, and based almost entirely on the reputation of Elias and his crack young partners, the eager team worked hard and has snared significant clients.
Last year, Latiff's co-managing partner, Tan Chee Meng, departed for a competitor. This is hardly unusual, turnover rates in law are huge, what is unusual is that most clients remained with the practice. "Lawyers leave from time to time but business continues. What is critical is to ensure that the departure of any lawyer will not affect the success and continuity of the firm. That is why Harry and I have always focused on building the practice not only based on the reputation of individual lawyers but also of the firm - the HEP brand-name so to speak. Look at other international law firms - their names mark their reputation and there is less dependency on the names of individual lawyers. We want to emulate them in our own small way." says Latiff with pride.
From niche frontrunner to multidisciplinary leader
Winds of marketplace change have caused a very unusual metamorphosis at HEP. The partnership's goal has always been to broaden the practice, but this has also occurred naturally and with some rare ease. And the reason for this speaks volumes for the reputation of the firm. "We have always had some great clients in litigation and construction Las Vegas Sands (Singapore's major integrated resort - read "casino" - deal), major property developers such as Capitaland, FraserCentrePoint and CDL, and MSIG the insurers in the Nicoll Highway collapse but we have witnessed something rare, when we acted for clients in these matters in the past, they would come back to us with their other legal work," says Latiff. "We became a multi-disciplinary practice with a strong corporate, finance and real estate division, without our competitors realising it. Now in 2007, we find that clients are coming to this firm with their corporate, finance and real estate work as their first choice."
The drive to diversify into corporate and finance work is spear-headed by Claudia Teo, the head of the firm's corporate, financial services and intellectual property practice. Having previously worked in Hong Kong and with an international and local law firm in Singapore advising on corporate finance transactions, Claudia is making waves within and outside the firm. The corporate team recently advised on the IPO of CMZ Holdings Limited and is currently involved in various rights cum warrants issues and the listing of convertible bonds.
HEP does boast a large number of major local and multinational clients that also give their patronage to the "Big Four" firms, the likes of Drew & Napier, Elias former firm, where he was "administrative partner" from 1979 to 1988. To Latiff, this is a proud benchmark, "Our strategy is to continue to enjoy a clientele that is filled by blue chip organisations. We hope to maintain our leading positions in construction and litigation, but continue to build corporate, finance and real estate over the medium future so that it eventuates as an increased proportion of the firm's overall fees."
Keeping it in the family
HEP may be consolidating its corporate, finance and real estate practices, but it is also making waves in other practice areas, boasting of the biggest team in family and criminal law.
Morals, as opposed to ethics, might not count for a lot in the law, but at HEP, the firm does try to do the right thing. Latiff happily proclaims that all of the 60 fee earners in the firm are encouraged to undertake 24 hours per year of pro bono. "We also expect them to blow a decent kitty at Boat Quay [a local after work entertainment area in Singapore's financial district] every month. The partners are annoyed if they don't spend the money." Retention rates are higher than average, and as clichd as it may seem, Latiff and Teo (who was at the interview) assert that the Republic Plaza chambers exude a family feel. Two equity partners - there are 10 in total - started as pupils. Two partners were with the firm when it was born. There are 150 staff total and the offices do feel both warm and busy.
The firm deserves to be seen as a practice with a heart. But this doesn't say enough. It is aggressive. It undertakes major projects for household name clients. Latiff is passionate about consolidating the multidisciplinary nature of the practice, as well as looking further a field to PRC and Middle Eastern work, particularly in construction and Islamic financial instruments. Already the firm is increasingly seeing instructions from Middle Eastern clients on inbound investment into Asia. Growth will be undertaken with cautious optimism as the firm continues to land those surprisingly powerful punches.
This is a practice to watch.
Big Deals
Construction:
* Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort Project
A multi-billion dollar development, advising on project documents including construction contracts, consultants' agreements, bonds, insurances, warranties & other ancillary contracts
* Nicoll Highway Collapse
Acted for Projects Insurers in the Committee of Inquiry hearing and the corresponding claims
* Singapore Flyer Project
Advising on various contractual aspects of the design and construction of this S$240 million giant observation wheel
* 3 Church Street
Advising owners in a dispute with an international contractor relating to a major structural defect
* Business and Financial Centre
Advised on construction contracts for the S$400 million commercial/residential complex
Corporate:
* Marina Sands Pte Ltd
Advised client on a loan facility of more than S$1,104,040,000 and S$1,104,040,000 floating rate notes
* Omega Capital Ltd & SBIe2-capital
Solicitors to the issue manager in the IPO of CMZ Holdings Limited on SGX
* Halliburton Manufacturing & Services
Acted as Singapore counsel in the USD256 million acquisition of PSL Energy Services Limited and its subsidiaries
* Multi-Con Limited & Oculus Limited
Acting in the proposed renounceable & underwritten rights cum warrants issue
Good friends, different styles
Harry Elias, the firm's founding partner, really needs little introduction. But Elias is more than a semi-retired "Independence Era" lawyer. At a young 70, he still has an active practice. Latiff first met Elias in 1987 when the latter was the lead Counsel for Promet in a major corporate restructuring litigation at that time. The former was then a junior in an established law firm headed by the current Chief Justice Mr Chan Sek Keong and remembers Elias to be one of the giants of the local law scene then. Twenty-years later, Latiff finds himself working together with Elias. He added "Harry wants to come and go, and be left alone with his files. That's fine with us, he built this practice and his name carries tremendous weight and goodwill. He handed the reigns over of the management and control of the firm, so that he could focus on what he loves most, appearing in court and winning."