[The English translation of the featured article focusing on Entrepreneur
in the November 2008 Edition of Business & Financial Magazine]
HE FOUNDED HIS LEGAL PRACTICE, ACTIVE IN TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY; BELIEVING THAT EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
What is your impression about lawyers?
When most of the people first met Chris, their first impression is common that there is something special about this lawyer.
When I first met Chris, it was in the 1st National Youth Entrepreneur Convention 2008 early this year. He was the Moderator for the entre Convention. He commanded the crowd and the atmosphere; and has effectively executed the whole event. He was so seasoned in his role play that day that I didn’t know that he is a practicing lawyer.
The second time I met Chris was not long after Chur Associates® moved into their new office at Old Klang Road. Admiring him raving about how he transformed a dull legal firm into a workplace with the concept of a design house, it’s hard to believe that he is a lawyer and not a designer, apart from the fact that he can talk really fast,
Thereafter, meeting Chris again in a press conference held by the Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce together with four other associations where he was a member of the organising committee for Fellowship Dinner Talk featuring YA Bhg Tun Musa Hitam. And most recently, I met him twice in different real estate related events wherein he was a speaker in one and an emcee for the other where he was the Deputy Organising Chair.
Apart from the above, Chris has also uploaded 200 photos of Chur Associates® initially on Facebook with the view of introducing the brand of Chur Associates® to the whole world via internet and at the same time to attract talents to join the firm.
Chris has also keen interest in the media industry, venturing into radio as DJ as well as publishing a magazine are all part of his future plans. Chris always humbly proclaimed that he is the “jack of all trades” and certainly not your typical lawyer. However, after meeting him tie and again and especially after listening to his sharing in setting up his own legal practice, it is not difficult to find that Chris has not only the intelligence expected of a lawyer and he certainly has the creativity that is not usually found in lawyers.
LIFE, CAN NEVER BE 100%
Since his early study life, Chris has already an advance vision beyond his piers. His academic result in college locally has always been the erratic marking of two extremes from his lecturers.
“Some professors think that I have my own thoughts and concepts which are new and creative, hence they gave me a very good score; whereas, the conservative professors could not accept my views and thoughts and thus I did not get a good score from them. At that point of time, I realized that the local spoon-feeding education system is not suitable for me.”
Therefore, Chris planned to pursue his studies in England. After all it is natural as Malaysia is a formal colony of which many of its laws are founded on the English legal system. In 1996, he wrote to the then 400 public listed companies in Malaysia and requested them to sponsor him for his studies in England.
As expected, his brave action did not receive many responses; only around 10% among the 400 companies replied and all rejected his request by giving various kinds of reasons.
He again told himself: Never give up! In a twist of fate, he took part in a recruitment drive by an Australian University and from there with the assistance of a Board Member in the University, he was awarded with a half scholarship to study law in Australia.
“I think everyone needs to start somewhere in whatever they intended to do. One thing will lead to another. When the opportunities knocks, don’t deliberate too long. Sometimes, the highly educated generations tend to take too many things into consideration which eventually costs them dearly through their hesitancy in making decision; and losing out to those who are more seasoned and more enterprising.”
“There is no certainty in this world, nothing need to be in a particular manner. Unexpected incidents happened all the time and you can never be in 100% control of your life.”
After graduated and back to Malaysia, as all other young lawyers Chris started his pupilage in the firm where he did his internship during his vacation earlier. In April 2000, he was admitted as an advocate and solicitor and about a year later, he was made a Partner of the same firm.
“At that time, my boss together with his family migrated to New Zealand and passed everything of the firm to me. Under my management, there was even a lawyer senior than me by 7 to 8 years.”
That was a very good challenge to Chris where he has to first ensure that the firm can afford to pay all employees as well as overheads and at the same time he has to get all his legal works done. Subsequently, he injected in his own thoughts and views into the firm that led to some development of certain unique characteristics that set it apart from other legal firms.
Later, his boss decided to return to Malaysia and differences occurred. Chris then decided to set up his own practice where he can expand his own views and thoughts; and his office is up and running just within a short week.
“For all these while, my family knew and understood the situation between me and my ex-boss; my father was the first person stood up and supported me to set up my own practice.”
FAILURE, NOTHING TO BE FEARFUL
In the course of setting up his own firm, capital is not a major issue for Chris, as what he needed was only a few tables and the rental for the office, while the most difficult issue for him is to find his business and clients.
“I did corporate cases; also provide corporate advisory to small and medium enterprises. Although I have gotten the support from some old clients, but I understand that I need more new clients. What never come across my mind is that being “Young” will become my biggest barrier in getting clients.”
Most people have the mindset that lawyers must firstly be experienced and a young lawyer can never be depended upon. Nevertheless, with the spirit of never giving up and the determination of a fool, Chris found his starting point to venture into the future.
At that time, Chris met a client who wanted to establish a business with the concept of AirAsia; he followed the client traveled around the world to solicit for funding and supplies. Eventually that airline business did not take off and Chris was not paid for any of his legal fees, but for him, that does not matter at that time.
“When I first starting up my business, I have no experience, no connection and without networking, further I have no family commitment at that time, so I am not afraid to be a “fool” as I have nothing to lose. The most I can lose is my legal fees but at the same time I have gained precious experience. At least now I can say, I know about airline business, I will be able to spot any trap set by the other negotiating party.”
“At that point of time whether legal fees will be paid is definitely not of utmost importance for me; my main concern was to get different exposures from different cases and once I have taken up a case I will do my best to achieve my clients’ wishes.”
“It is good to let people have the impression that you are busy, at least they will not think that you have got nothing to work at. Furthermore, people will think that you work so hard when the chances of getting paid are slim, you will definitely fight for them if you are paid.”
“For me, to be a “fool” also means that other are indebted to you at least a favour. From another point of view being a “fool”, I have gained favours from other and the precious experiences. Most people when first establish their own businesses are afraid of failure! But failure is nothing to be scared of; failure will always happen in the process as a norm to achieve success.”
BEING YOUNG, ADVANTAGE OR BURDEN
Chur Associates® is very young, the founder is very young and all lawyers with the firm are also very young. It is specifically on being “Young” that has created the doubt among most people and is certainly the biggest challenge of Chris and CA.
“It’s ok, since being young becomes the biggest problem then I should even highlight and sell this point.” Apart from introducing Chur Associates® in Facebook, Chris has also injected a new definition of “Young” in the firm.
It is not exaggerate to say that most people will be shocked when they first stepped into Chur Associates® new office.
“When people told me that my office looks more like a designer workshop than a legal firm, I’ll tell them in serious term that: Yes, I’m a designer. I design the transaction strategic of your company.” In establishing a unique character, Chris manifests the arrogance of a young entrepreneur but never over-confident.
On 6 November 2008, Chur Associates® will celebrate its 5th anniversary and on the same day Chris will celebrate his 32nd birthday. On that day, he plans to give his fellow colleagues and the clients that supported him a special gift. Further, he has also prepared a “future” gift to Chur Associates®.
“5 years is not a very short period of time yet it is not a long time. In human life, we have yet to enter into a primary school. However, I hope that this 5th anniversary will mark the end to the first chapter of Chur Associates®, I am giving my fellow CA Crew a long term commitment.”
“In the past 5 years, we have learned with trial and error. All lawyers in this firm are very young, I always wonder what kind of promise that I can give to the lawyers as young as myself or even younger.”
During a recent gathering, I told my CA Crew that: We (CA) may not be your best choice but we are your most convenient choice.
That statement has received mix responses from my young CA Crew; some even suggested that we cannot be the client’s best choice because we lack experience.
“Immediately thereafter, I apologized to my CA Crew for I have indirectly looked down the ability and capability of our team, but to give a further thought, it is not wrong to admit that we are imperfect if we are in fact not perfect. We have our own unique character – flexibility. And for the CA Crew who has been stable for the last 2 years, they have already possessed the characters of Chur Associates® as hallmarks of their own.”
UNCERTAINTY CREATES GREAT ANTICIPATION
“Another thing that has been bothering me was that: Now that the firm and I have involved in many different areas of practice, if I focus on one niche, can I achieve more?”
Chris saw the light in this from a recent interview of England striker, Wayne Rooney.
“Wayne Rooney is a talented genius striker. However the recent spotlight has gone to his teammate Christiano Ronaldo for much of the last English premier league season. According to the analysts, Rooney is too hardworking in backing the midfielders or to track back in defending, as a striker Rooney should be more selfish.”
“In reply, Rooney said that he does not care about the number of goals because that is the way he plays. If Rooney does not play in the way he is playing now, he is not Rooney anymore.”
Chris said that he has yet to come out with a conclusion on that, he is still searching. Life and thoughts are always subject to changes, his business and career will also keep improving, with great anticipation.
[The English translation of the featured article focusing on Entrepreneur
in the November 2008 Edition of Business & Financial Magazine]
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