The Singapore Law Gazette

Keeping It All in the Family

It is not uncommon for lawyering to run in the family, and we have a number of members whose offspring have followed in their footsteps to become lawyers too. The Law Gazette speaks to one such family – Mr Rajan Menon and his two daughters Smitha and Renu who have made the law their chosen profession. And yes, they do “talk shop” at the dinner table – to the exasperation of other family members!

Please tell us a little about yourself.

Rajan: I started work with the Singapore Legal Service in 1971 at the Registry of Land Titles and Deeds till 1973, before being transferred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers where I was until 1976. Thereafter from 1977 I switched career to be a credit manager in HSBC for over four years. I returned to legal practice in 1981 and have remained in practice since. I have always had a passion for the law – and a keen interest in gardening, which does not appear to be shared by my daughters.

Smitha: I’ve been in practice for 21 years in the same firm I did my training contract in – WongPartnership. My practice is a mix of restructuring and arbitration, and tends to revolve around disruptions to business. I am the eldest of three sisters and my father’s favourite.

Renu: I’m a middle child, so I’ve always been the peacemaker – perhaps why I ended up in law. I kicked off my career in litigation at Tan Rajah and Cheah, and made the switch to corporate and transactional work about 14 years ago when I moved to Australia. I have been at Drew & Napier since 2014 and am part of the banking & finance practice. I also have two rambunctious sons who make the challenges in practice sometimes look like a walk in the park.

How did your father influence your career choice?

Smitha & Renu: He is a master in reverse psychology – he told us NOT to do law.

Rajan: That’s true! I felt the practice of law, while rewarding can also be very demanding on the person. I desired my daughters to choose a path that made room for both career and family life.

Smitha & Renu: What he is not saying is that he felt we were too playful and lacked his work ethic. For as long as we can remember, he starts working at four in the morning! Back when policemen wore shorts and we went clubbing, he would be up working while we tiptoed in during the early hours of the morning trying to walk a straight line.

What advice did your father give when you embarked on your law studies and career? What did he do to encourage or help you in your pursuit to become lawyers?

Smitha & Renu: That we could learn the law from anyone and anywhere but what was most important was learning how to practice ethically. He told us to focus on learning the right way to practice and that clients come and go but reputation is everything. We still turn to him for advice on thorny issues that crop up in practice, both in terms of the law and in dealing with people.

Rajan, how do you feel about your daughters being lawyers?

I am very happy and proud of how they have grown in the profession and carved out paths in areas of practice they are deeply interested in.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a parent who is also a lawyer?

Smitha & Renu: It has been so helpful bouncing arguments and analyses off one another though we do often get into heated debates over legal issues much to the amusement and sometimes despair of our other family members. They constantly tell us how boring our “law talk” can be at the dinner table.

What do you find to be the most challenging thing about lawyering? What do you think are the challenges that young lawyers face these days? What can we do as a fraternity to help younger lawyers stay the course in law practice?

Smitha: My father would say we are a little softer than his generation and not as resilient, but I do think that technology has made us constantly accessible to clients which has made practice extremely fast paced and unrelenting. It can be exhilarating but also draining.

Rajan: In the past, client relationships were more personal and less transactional. Now I see that the practice of law has become commoditised with clients choosing lawyers mostly based on price save where the matter is highly sensitive to them personally.

Renu: I agree that one of the toughest things about lawyering is that it never really stops – there’s always one more draft or one more “quick” call. Like Smitha said, the pace can be relentless. For younger lawyers, I think one of the biggest challenges is staying motivated in a world where they may feel they are expected to be sharp, responsive and commercially aware from day one, without having had the chance or time to build confidence in their own judgment. As a profession, we need to talk more openly about these pressures and create space for real conversations about boundaries, confidence and what sustainable practice might look like. For our young female lawyers in particular, I feel strongly that we should remind them that there is no one definition of “balance”. The version that works for them is the right one – not someone else’s. As female practitioners, this means being mindful not to create unspoken standards that imply others must follow the same path to succeed. Just because one of us worked while on maternity leave doesn’t mean others should feel they have to do the same.

Smitha: Young lawyers today are also redefining what success looks like – and that’s a good thing. Many of them prioritise flexibility, meaningful work and well-being. They are not afraid to explore multiple income streams or change directions. I do think their priorities bring a refreshing shift to practice. It challenges us to rethink what traditional lawyering looks like and reminds us that having a fulfilling career isn’t defined by a single path. There is real value in making space for different ambitions. The more we show that the profession can adapt to people (and not the other way round), we may do better in helping lawyers feel that this is a path they can thrive and grow in for the long run.