For executive search companies, metrics of success are typically focused on placement rates. In legal recruitment, the selection criteria and complexity of recruiting high-caliber candidates goes beyond good academic or career performance. Employers want lawyers with the right attributes that will ensure they are a good fit for the organization and can make an impact in their realm of expertise.
Carving a Distinct Path
Shulin Lee, Managing Director of Aslant Legal, an award-winning legal executive search company based in Singapore describes her firm’s primary role as bridging the gap between lawyers and employers. “Relationships and effective communication are the cornerstone of our success. This is something I value most in my personal life, and I encourage my team to have meaningful connections and open dialogue through our interactions with clients and candidates."
Looking back, Shulin reflects on her decision to transition from the practice of law to legal recruiting. “While I loved what I did first as a Senior Associate Lawyer and then as a Deputy Public Prosecutor, I discovered that I was most fulfilled when I was able to be out of the office, meeting people and getting to know them on a personal level. During my career journey and through discussions with peers and law firm partners, I recognized a critical need for sourcing talented lawyers. This realization inspired me to establish Singapore's first homegrown legal recruitment firm.”
Shulin’s oldest son is eight years old, the same age as Aslant Legal. Juggling her roles as a first-time entrepreneur and mother, Shulin recognized the challenges of navigating the delicate balance between career and family in motherhood. Motivated by her personal experience, Shulin champions flexible work arrangements, with an aim to promote a more conducive work environment for lawyers balancing personal commitments and responsibilities outside the office.
“The best matches are made when lawyers can achieve a good balance of both financial and personal fulfillment. Our goal is clear: to maximize impact and leave a lasting mark transforming Singapore’s work-life culture. At Aslant Legal, we prioritize meaningful change and focus on fostering seamless matches that elevate careers and businesses alike”, shares Shulin.
She further adds, “Placing candidates in positions that align with their career goals and aspirations ensures higher retention rates and greater job satisfaction. As executive search consultants, we have built our credibility over the years, and our ability to adapt to meet the evolving needs of both lawyers and clients has ensured repeat business and referrals.”
Forging Inclusiveness & Genuine Connections
Bound by transparency and integrity, the team at Aslant Legal shares Shulin’s values and intent to spearhead change. Beyond placing legal professionals in law firms, and building in-house legal teams across various industry sectors, the firm offers strategic advice, market research, candidate mapping, benchmarking insights, and discreet due diligence support to clients.
In addition to understanding the needs of the hiring personnel, Shulin also insists on having face-to-face or in-person interactions that facilitate the decision-making process.
“We conduct a comprehensive analysis of our clients' requirements, encompassing their business nuances, culture, values, and role specifications. My team’s experience, intuition, and vast network, coupled with technical assessments and reference checks, ensure we match the ideal candidates who have the right skills and personality. We journey with our hearts alongside our clients and candidates, one conversation at a time,” says Shulin.
Aslant Legal Bridges The Gap Between Talented Lawyers & Employers, Fostering Genuine Relationships, While Navigating A Distinctive Legal Landscape Characterized By Dynamic Shifts & Burgeoning Opportunities
According to her, this perspective has led to an 80 percent higher success rate for successful hires. “Aslant Legal bridges the gap between talented lawyers and employers, fostering genuine relationships, while navigating a distinctive legal landscape characterized by dynamic shifts and burgeoning opportunities. I am truly proud of my team, as Aslant Legal is known as a firm that goes the extra mile to help lawyers make unconventional (as well as conventional) career moves.”
Aslant Legal predominantly places candidates in Singapore while also providing necessary support to organizations in other jurisdictions, including but not limited to Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the UK. The company is marked by its open-minded ethos and strives to hire mainly based on one’s skills and merit, irrespective of ethnicity, age, or gender. The team hails from diverse ethnic backgrounds, which further attracts a varied talent pool.
“No cookie-cutter approach here. It's about quality, not quantity,” Shulin specifies. Notably, the company also consistently seeks to engage with clients, not just when they require its services, thereby building a community and enduring connections.
The Climb to Excellence: A Collective Effort
Rhyming with the word ‘excellent’, 'Aslant' visually symbolizes an upward trajectory, echoing the company's unrelenting pursuit of constant growth. Shulin has led her team to garner prestigious accolades, showcasing the firm’s excellence and leadership within the industry. In 2022, Shulin received a 'Leader Of The Year' award and the firm received a 'Local Hero' Award from Human Resources Online recognizing HR Vendors. They also received the Silver 'Best Executive Search Firm' Award for their track record in placing candidates in high-level roles.
Shulin encourages her team to enhance their skills, pursue individual learning interests, and contribute to the legal community. Determined to help others who might be seeking guidance like her younger self, Shulin launched a podcast ‘After the Bar’ in 2021. The podcast was envisioned to be a platform for Singapore's leading lawyers to share their personal career journeys and inspire positive change within the legal profession and beyond. While its focus is on the legal industry, the collective wisdom shared by her guests resonates with anyone facing significant crossroads in their journey and provides insights for individuals who are finding it difficult to overcome or embrace change.
Shulin wants to inspire a new generation of young professionals embarking on their careers to consider how their choices can have meaning and a deeper impact on the wider society. She is a regular speaker at organizations such as the Singapore Academy of Law and various universities.
Shulin Lee, Founder & Managing Director, Aslant Legal
Shulin Lee epitomizes versatility, balancing her roles as the powerhouse behind Aslant Legal, podcast host of 'After the Bar', and a devoted mother of two boys. With a career spanning from Senior Associate at a Big 4 law firm to Deputy Public Prosecutor, and now as Managing Director and Founder of Aslant Legal, she's driven by a passion for excellence and making a lasting impact in the legal industry. Shulin is recognized as one of LinkedIn's Top Voices and has also been recently ranked as Singapore’s #1 Careers & Office Female Creator on LinkedIn for 2024 by Favikon.
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