Member Voices: Keith Tan

Keith Tan
WLG | immersion Alum
WongPartnership (Singapore)
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You completed a WLG | immersion experience, wherein you traveled to MinterEllison (Australia). How long did you stay, and what was your primary area of focus while there?

I am a senior associate in the Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions practice group at WongPartnership in Singapore. From January to June 2026, I was seconded to the MinterEllison (Australia) M&A team in the Sydney office. 

During my time at MinterEllison, my primary area of focus was assisting on general corporate matters and commercial transactions. This involved drafting and reviewing transaction documents, general corporate documents and conducting legal due diligence.

Serendipitously, I even managed to work with the MinterEllison team on the Australian aspects of a cross-border transaction on which WongPartnership had requested MinterEllison's assistance, showcasing the strong collaboration between the two firms and the clear connection between Australia and Singapore in terms of cross-border work.

Moving from the Singaporean legal market at WongPartnership to MinterEllison is a significant shift. What was the biggest misconception you had about working in Australia before you arrived, and how was it proven wrong?

One of the biggest misconceptions I had was how different laws in different jurisdictions would make it difficult to work on complex matters that a major firm like MinterEllison regularly advises on. Even though the laws in Australia differ from Singapore, being commonwealth nations I found the basic legal principles of both jurisdictions similar and it was possible to transfer the skills and knowledge from Singapore to the work at MinterEllison.

In particular, being part of the corporate practice groups in both WongPartnership and MinterEllison, I found that structuring transactions and drafting legal documentation stem from similar principles and I was able to draw on past experiences in Singapore to catch up quickly to the pace at MinterEllison.

One key takeaway from a work perspective is the different approaches to tax. Given the relatively complex tax regime in Australia vis-à-vis Singapore, a significant amount of time and effort is spent structuring transactions around tax implications in Australia. Having been part of these structuring discussions at MinterEllison was fantastic exposure and gave me a different perspective from the transactions in Singapore.

Beyond the office walls, what is one specific interaction that made you feel truly welcome or changed your perspective on the local culture?

Australia is a sporting nation. Having been a football fan (and specifically an Arsenal fan) in Singapore, I have always enjoyed football since a young age. Coming to Australia, I was surprised at how diverse and enthusiastic they are about all types of sport.

Having mentioned I enjoy football, Janet, a colleague at MinterEllison – who had done the reverse exchange with WongPartnership in Singapore – brought me to watch the Australian national women's football team (the Matildas) play South Korea live during the AFC Women's Asia Cup. The experience immersed me in Australia's sporting culture and was a key takeaway from my short time in Sydney.

What is one habit or perspective from the host country's work culture that you have brought back and tried to implement at WongPartnership?

Australians take pride in keeping mentally and physically fit. Many friends I have made here in Sydney often make it a point to take short breaks from work to go for a run, go to gym, or play a sport. This may mean that many wake up a couple of hours earlier before work to slip in a quick swim or a jog.

The thought of waking up earlier sounds daunting, but I hope to try to bring this back with me. Some studies show that regular exercise may even make us more productive at work!

If you were speaking to a junior associate who is hesitant to do a secondment, what would you tell them to change their mind?

There should be no hesitation! The connections made and the perspectives gained are invaluable and can only be obtained through time with a different firm in a different country.

Aside from work, an international secondment opportunity teaches you life skills outside of the office. During my time in Sydney I had to learn how to cook and even picked up pickleball as a new sport! Although I am still not very good at either, being in a different culture and country forced me out of my comfort zone to pick up skills I would not have considered in Singapore.