What makes a successful lawyer? While perseverance and an unwavering commitment and passion for law form the foundations, there are also easy-to-adopt habits that can help the next generation of lawyers fulfil their aspirations to be tomorrow’s leaders.
We reached out to all 200 lawyers in China Business Law Journal’s A-list to find out their secrets to success. The poll threw up some interesting findings. It is no science, but there are certain attributes, routines and conscious choices that nearly every top lawyer follows, which help them stand out and get ahead.
We compiled a list of the 10 most popular answers that contribute to making an elite lawyer, presented here in reverse order.
Every lawyer knows, often learning it the hard way, that the devil is in the details. The importance of paying attention to even the smallest of matters cannot be overstated in lawyering.
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“Pay attention to detail and take everything seriously,” says Zhang Guanglei, an equity partner and dispute resolution specialist at Jingtian & Gongcheng in Beijing.
Huang Wei, a partner in the Beijing office of Tian Yuan Law Firm, advocates for, a strong sense of responsibility. “Pay close attention to each stage of the case when providing legal services,” he says.
It isn’t enough that one is alert to the minutiae, one needs to “keep pursuing perfection”, says Zhu Hongwen, the head of international practice and managing partner at the Shanghai office of Sunshine Law Firm.
The need for “pursuing perfection” is a common refrain among the polled lawyers.
“Communication is always the key with clients, colleagues, peers, or even counterparties,” says Ray Liu, the managing partner of Dorsey & Whitney’s Beijing Office.
Liu Yan, the Beijing-based managing partner and head of the capital markets/securities department at Tian Yuan Law Firm, also emphasises the need for “communicating and learning from peers and industry organisations”.
This should come as no surprise, but good communication is easier said than done. Paul Ho, a Shanghai-based partner and head of greater China for Ince & Co, chips in with some sound practical advice: “Speak to people and meet them, don’t just send emails and WeChats.”
Lawyers are often hard pressed for time, and efficient use of time is critical for all successful lawyers, not just to complete the tasks at hand, but to learn new things, relax, and most importantly, to ensure work-life balance.
“Adopt every method to improve work efficiency, be willing to inherit and share, build a gradient team, and only do things that must be done by yourself,” says Zhu Zhitong, a partner in Hylands Law Firm’s Beijing office.
Chris Zhang, the managing partner of Jincheng Tongda & Neal Law Firm (JTN) in Shanghai, says: “We should combine work, study, and business networking … Use all the fragmented time to arrange and complete work, such as by car, high-speed train, flights, and various other waiting periods.”
Xu Yu, a Beijing-based partner with Hylands Law Firm, counsels keeping rational time arrangements and maintaining the balance between work and life. “I always believe that spending all your time and energy on work is not healthy, and will not help to improve work efficiency,” he says.
Carl Li, a Shanghai-based senior partner at AllBright Law Offices, advocates multi-tasking, while Xu Ping, a senior partner with King & Wood Mallesons in Beijing, suggests: “Tackle the difficult things first.”
The need to plan ahead, and, equally importantly, review is often underrated. A simple but effective life hack that many lawyers swear by is making a daily to-do list, or keeping a journal.
“Write down the daily or recent tasks in a notebook and check execution/completion every day,” advises Wu Dong, a senior partner at Hui Ye Law Firm’s Shanghai office. “I regularly summarise and analyse the projects and cases that I have handled, and review what I can improve.”
Wang Bo, a senior partner with Commerce and Finance in Beijing, also recommends keeping a work journal “and planning work schedules in advance”.
While some prefer to “plan for the next day before going to sleep”, like Xu Ping, of King & Wood Mallesons, others, like Sophia Feng, an international counsel for Allen & Gledhill in Singapore, starts her day by “checking and updating my to-do list every morning. I record daily work in the system every night before bed.”
So does Judy Tan, a Guangzhou-based partner at JunZeJun Law Offices. “Every morning, I clear my mind and have my to-do list before I start doing anything,” she says.
Zhang, of JTN, says: “I insist on completing a detailed work log every day so that I can easily find my work records and summarise my work later,” while Zhang, of Jingtian & Gongcheng, believes in “regular reflection and review”.
The ability to focus, both on the tasks at hand and larger career goals, is a key attribute among top lawyers.
“Focusing on work and goals and ignoring distraction” is of utmost importance to Zhang Yinying, senior partner and head of patent practice at Hengdu Law Firm in Beijing.
Vivien Teu, the managing partner of Vivien Teu & Co in Hong Kong, also emphasises the need to “stay focused and be organised”, while Jiang Qi, the president of DHH Law Firm in Beijing, says: “Personally, I focus on trade and finance, and I choose to put energy only in complex and challenging litigation cases in these areas.”
“Focus on a specific practice area,” is the advice of Ni Wei, a Shanghai-based partner at Zhenghan Law Firm.
Kenneth Kong, a Shanghai-based partner at Llinks Law Office, notes: “Clients are increasingly demanding comprehensive quality from the lawyer team, so we need to focus on key practice areas while continuing to expand related practice areas.”
The gruelling schedules of a top lawyer can take a toll on health, and staying fit is a mantra that most elite lawyers follow religiously.
“Work out, work out and work out”, says Liu, of Dorsey & Whitney.
Jason Wang, a partner at Global Law Office in Beijing, says, running ensures that he has plenty of energy for work, and can ensure a longer effective working day and communication with clients. “I am an exercise enthusiast and maintain a long-running habit, including during business trips,” he adds.
Tan, from JunZeJun, says: “I go to the gym, do my weights and Pilates regularly,” while
Lesli Ligorner, a partner at Morgan Lewis in Beijing, makes sure to “carve out time to exercise, or at least walk my dogs daily”.
While most hit the gym or are regular runners, Zhang Jian, a partner at Shihui Partners in Beijing, is into martial arts. For many, exercise is also a way to de-stress and clear the mind. Feng, of Allen & Gledhill, exercises every other day to clear the mind and lower stress levels. “[I also play] tennis once a week, on Sunday, to refresh and get ready for the new week.”
So does Daniel Cohen, a consultant for Akin Gump in Hong Kong, who also works out “to clear the mind”. Meditation is also popular among lawyers to keep mind and body fit.
An impressive aspect of many of China’s top lawyers is that, despite their busy work schedules, they have an active life outside the law. Be it pursuing their hobbies, or nurturing their passions, or just spending time with family, finding work-life balance is a top priority for most of them.
“Knowing when to call it a day (to spend quality time with family)” is very important, says Christopher Chan, a Hong Kong-based partner at Holman Fenwick Willan.
“Work isn’t everything,” adds Ho, of Ince. “Spend time with the family and exercise.” Xiong Jin, an international partner with King & Wood Mallesons in Beijing, advises: “Work hard, but also take time to relax and enjoy life.”
Xu Yu, of Hylands, says: “I enjoy leisure time with my family, do something I am interested in, and relax. It motivates me.”
For Zhang of JTN, it is important to find the balance. “Combine life and work to make work fun,” he says. “For example, taking photos on the road, taking short trips, eating local food, etc.”
Reading seems to be a popular way to spend time spare time for lawyers. “Read more, just read,” says Trevor Fox, a partner with Holman Fenwick Willan in Shanghai.
Liu, of Dorsey & Whitney, says: “I force myself to read professional and all sorts of books, no matter how crazy busy I am.”
There are others who use their spare time for more productive ends. Philip Qiao, a partner in the dispute resolution (international arbitration) practice of East & Concord Partners in Beijing, studies English with his son “for at least one hour every week”.
Kong, of Llinks, hits the nail on the head when he says: “The key to providing top legal services is to train a team with responsibility and professional service spirit.”
“Collaborate” is the keyword for Steven Yu, a senior partner at Hiways Law Firm in Shanghai. Steven Grimes, a Hong Kong-based partner at Winston & Strawn, also has some sage advice. “Build teams that complement one another,” he says. “I know my strengths and my weaknesses, and I try to build teams with skill sets that make the sum greater than its individual parts.”
Philip Cheng, a partner at Hogan Lovells in Shanghai, believes in “building talented, dedicated and loyal teams through technical and soft skills coaching, and care for their well-being”.
“Surround yourself with a strong team,” adds Morgan Lewis’ Hong Kong-based partner Maurice Hoo.
One cannot be an elite lawyer without being a team player, but the key is to not just build a team, but also to nurture talent. “Value the building and training of a team and provide good opportunities for the development of young lawyers,” says Tian Yuan’s Beijing-based partner Huang Wei.
Lui Kanyi, a Beijing-based partner at Pinsent Masons, has a simple mantra: “Hire talent, invest in them, and take care of them.”
What’s also key is to “give the team trust and space to allow each member to play to his/her strengths,” says Carolyn Dong, DLA Piper’s Hong Kong-based head of energy sector practice for China.
Raymond Chan, managing partner of Wilkinson & Grist in Hong Kong, helpfully cautions: “Allocate work to colleagues fairly, taking into consideration their abilities and workload.”
As tennis legend Arthur Ashe said: “Success is a journey, not a destination”. Nearly all of the top lawyers seem to have internalised this fact. They refuse to stop and rest on their laurels, pushing themselves to learn and to stay ahead.
“Keep learning,” urges Xu Bangwei, a partner Jingtian & Gongcheng’s Beijing office. “Always stay up-to-date with knowledge in various fields and business news,” adds Wang, of Commerce and Finance.
Qiao, of East & Concord, makes it a point to “read a legal professional book every month”.
Xu Yu, of Hylands, says it’s important to keep the motivation to learn. “In recent years, legislative, judicial and law enforcement authorities have been introducing several new laws and regulations, while at the same time, as the market changes, the hot practice areas of law are also changing,” he says. “We should always stay determined on learning so that we can always provide the most practical and timely legal services for our clients.”
Xiong, of King & Wood Mallesons, says “stay curious, keep learning,” while his colleague, Xu Ping, says she tries “to learn something new every day”.
Zhang Ting, an equity partner at Docvit Law Firm in Beijing, says she is always eager to learn. “So, I am qualified to practice in mainland China, Hong Kong and California, and have passed the test for qualification in England and Wales,” she says. “I pay great attention to profound knowledge in different industries and areas, such as tax and IP-related knowledge.”
Yang Yuhua, a partner at Llinks Law Offices in Beijing, sums up wonderfully: “Enjoying the endless learning curve all the time is the beauty of this profession.”
If there is one thing on which there is near complete agreement among all the elite lawyers, it is the focus on clients. The importance of top-quality client servicing has never been more important than now, when the pandemic has severely restricted the ability of lawyers and clients to meet and do business the conventional way. In such testing times, it is critical that lawyers go the extra mile in meeting the needs of their clients.
“We understand our client and we develop with our clients,” says Ji Chaoyi, a partner at East & Concord in Beijing and head of the firm’s dispute resolution department. “We are not only external counsel to our clients,” he says. “We deem ourselves the extension of the legal department of our clients. We never give doctrinal or empty legal advice. Our advice is always insightful.”
This sense of ownership is the difference that clients are looking for from the best lawyers, and it is important to cultivate it to be at the top of the game.
As Yang, of Llinks, points out: “My fulfilment largely comes from clients’ achievements and my positive contribution to this.”
Chong Ikwei, the Shanghai-based Asia managing director at Clyde & Co, says his approach is to think: “How do I make the client look good?” He recommends remembering the small details about each client, and having a commercial approach as tips for earning clients’ trust.
“Building trust is especially important for developing and maintaining clients,” concurs Zhu, of Hylands. “For every task at work, no matter how big or small it is, shall be treated as a mission that must be achieved.”
The need to “build relationships” is something Grimes, of Winston & Strawn, emphasises too. “My job often means helping clients navigate through extremely stressful and trying circumstances,” he says. “Having an established and deep relationship with clients and teammates allows you to work seamlessly in those high-stress situations.”
Cohen, of Akin Gump, spends “a little time each day thinking about how to improve and forge new connections with colleagues, clients and potential clients”.
Jay Tai, a partner at Proskauer in Hong Kong, has some handy advice to forge better connections. “Keep clients informed of any news, or send them any written articles that may be relevant to their business,” he says. “Regularly check or catch up with clients on their well-being, and meet up socially. Introduce potential deals, people, or any contacts that may be relevant/useful to clients.”
Kong, of Llinks, adds: “In order to provide the practical solution that clients need, we should not only focus on the law itself but also understand the client’s commercial aspirations behind the problem. I devote all my individual and team energy to focusing on clients’ needs and improving the service quality.”
What’s best for the clients is often the most basic ideas, such as “upholding the values of professionalism, efficiency and sharing”, says Chen Xiangyong, managing partner of Shanghai-based Wang Jing & Co.
At the end of the day, client servicing boils down to “ensuring delivery of first-rate client service,” points out Tommy Tong, a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills in Hong Kong.
In the end
While all of these tips are practical and insightful, certain fundamental traits are irreplaceable – a love for the law, the ability to stay grounded, and hard work.
Michael Liu, a senior partner with Dentons in Shanghai, says, he sees law “not only as a profession but also as a career, which I am passionate about.”
“Enjoy practising law,” encourages Jackson Teng, a Shanghai-based senior partner at Zhonglun W&D Law Firm.
Staying grounded is important too. As Kong, of Llinks, sums up: “No matter how long you have been practising, a partner should still do some basic tasks, such as on-site due diligence and contract writing. It can help to ensure the service quality and professional experience of the team, and set the service standard.”
And, as always, there is no substitute for hard work. “Regardless of whether you are the smartest person in the room or not, you can always work harder than everyone else in the room,” says Grimes, of Winston & Strawn.
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