KhattarWong invests $325,000 in future lawyers

KhattarWong, one of Singapore's largest premier law firms, has sponsored a full suite of programmes in support of the legal training of undergraduates at the Singapore Management University (SMU) School of Law.

The firm has set up the KhattarWong Scholarship to support five exceptional students. One scholarship, valued at $12,000, will be given out each year. The $3,000 KhattarWong Prize will be awarded to the top corporate and commercial SMU law student each year. The firm has also set up the KhattarWong Solicitors' Regional Training Programme, a three-month internship programme for five outstanding students each year, worth an estimated amount of $10,000 per person. The internship covers an allowance, and airfare and accommodation for selected students to also receive training in KhattarWong offices overseas. The scholarship, prize and internship are worth about $325,000 in total and will be awarded over five years.

KhattarWong Managing Partner, Mr Tan Chong Huat, is the prime mover behind the sponsorship. An established corporate practitioner specialising in mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance and China transactions, he believes in the value of young ideas and wants to make sure they get all the financial help possible to realise their dream of practising law.

Mr Tan, who also lectures in law, says: “I want the students to feel a part of the community from the moment they take up the discipline, not when they finally step into a law office. Hopefully, the scholarships, prize and programme will give students a look into the KhattarWong culture. We may be a big firm but we care for the individual needs of our people.”

Said Professor Michael P. Furmston, Dean of the School of Law, SMU, “I thank KhattarWong for their generosity in funding such a comprehensive programme for our students. Their invaluable support attests to the quality and promise of SMU's law students as a new generation of confident, articulate and analytically agile lawyers with the relevant and practical experience for corporate and commercial practice.”

SMU's School of Law students are excited by the opportunities presented by the sponsored programmes. Says Mr Ryan Chung Siew Hoong, a first year law undergraduate, “The range of training programmes offered by KhattarWong increases the opportunities for law students like myself to gain practice-oriented experience in a prestigious law firm. They are not only a tremendous source of financial support towards our legal education, but are a mark of an industry leader's confidence in our abilities as promising lawyers. This will stand successful candidates in good stead after we graduate.”

KhattarWong may make additional contributions to increase the value or the number of scholarship or prize offered each year if there exceptional quality of candidates.

The KhattarWong Law Scholarship, Prize and Solicitors' Regional Training Programme for SMU was launched today.