a look into my office...

sara wanted me to give you a quick sense of what I do every day while she's exploring HK with QB. in lots of ways, working here is no different from working in AL - great clients, people work hard, basic work is the same - but other aspects have been an adjustment. in all, I'm really glad that I've gotten the opportunity to be here and see the work and the culture of a big firm.

the office has about 50 lawyers, each with different focuses in the world based on where they are licensed. I've been working in the US group, but our clients' home countries are still diverse. I've gotten to work on US issues for PRC, Taiwan, Indonesia, HK and Singapore based clients, to name a few.

I haven't had much chance to use my language, which is a bit disappointing, but most of the folks in the office who need to speak Chinese speak it as their native language so I'm not needed. I'm content to have had a weekend in CQ to re-visit that.

the biggest adjustment is the intensity of the work. it's either really on and revolves around extremely demanding deadlines, or the faucet turns all the way off. there has not been a project yet that has lasted longer than 3-4 days. and it doesn't seem to be limited to me. in AL, lawyers may be really busy at times, but there is always something sort of lurking in the background, and things rarely seem to be exceptional urgent, at least for weeks at a time. here, it seems like everyone is either working their brains out through the night, or they don't have anything going on. it could be that this is the nature of corporate work (as opposed to litigation), or, it could be the culture/nature of a big firm. but this has been different.

lots of friendly folks in the office. also, more closed doors, likely as a function of what I wrote above. but, there have been a myriad of social events, and I've connected with several lawyers/summers. and, of course, lots of really smart people. I've felt quite inadequate many times. certainly feels more intense, as well, when there is something that needs to get done immediately.

I'll wrap up with a quick example. yesterday and today I got home later than usual because we are dealing with an issue that could unwind a client's entire business if it is not resolved by the end of next week. you quickly realize why lawyers are so busy and must be available at the drop of a hat when a large multinational calls with a problem that you quickly realize will undo them if you don't act with urgency. the lawyers here are very gifted - they saw the problem immediately - but it will take all that we can do to get it worked out by the deadline. the last 10 days are going to be a fun close to my time in HK!
lcb